Past recruits answer: What do you think of your star rating?

The Star Tribune asked former football recruits via text message if they knew their star rating, if they cared, and how they feel about the star system. Here are some of their responses:

Career: Eden Prairie, Notre Dame, NFL

Star rating: ⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

Comment: My whole thing is [to] not get wrapped up into it. You're either good or you're not. It's as simple as that. There's no rhyme or reason to someone's opinion.

Career: Litchfield, Notre Dame, NFL

Star rating: ⋆⋆⋆

Comment: I didn't care in the least how many stars they labeled me with. I figured I would have a chance to compete for playing time. I remember a number of five-star recruits on the ND roster that never saw the field, and we all know of guys that walked on at various programs and ended up being significant contributors.

Star rating: ⋆⋆

Comment: I didn't follow recruiting stuff. I just looked at who was calling me, who personally showed up to my school, called, wrote handwritten letters. The star system now is a much bigger deal because of social media and so much emphasis on it.

Career: Eden Prairie, signed with Ohio State

Star rating: ⋆⋆⋆⋆

Comment: It was an honor, but I knew from a young age it didn't matter. The star system is a good thing, I believe. Great high school players should be recognized for their talents and hard work, but the system should be changed. [Evaluated] on not only how they play but what kind of person they are on and off the field.

Star rating: ⋆⋆⋆

Comment: Like any 18-year-old, I took pride in it. I don't mind the star system, but I also realize it's not an exact science. If NFL draft scouts can over- and underrate guys they spend hours watching film on, you can only expect greater variability in the precision of ratings at the high school level.

Career: Breck, Southern California, NFL

Star rating: ⋆⋆⋆⋆

Comment: I always thought the star system was watered down. Great number of critics/advocates with little/no credentials. Name recognition or area preference plays a huge role. … Anyone with Internet access and creativity can create buzz around their words/opinions. The people who get sold the dream by "stars" are the parents and the kids.

Star rating: ⋆⋆⋆

Comment: The stars mattered if you wanted to get more national attention. I personally didn't care that I had five offers total compared to some guys who had 30 to 40. … I've seen many five-stars be duds and two-stars be starters.

Career: Wayzata, Georgia Tech

Star rating: ⋆⋆

Comment: I think recruiting is such an art rather than a science. Kids develop so much between 18 and 22 that it is really hard to pick who is going to shine and who won't on the aggregate. There are some guys who are obvious locks. But does three stars mean that this guy will be better than a two-star or unrated guy? I would say that maybe there is a slight correlation, but I think coaching and a kid's attitude are the most important factors.