re: It seems character does matter

1.) Not based on internet message boards, but rather on experience.
2.) Don't know anything about RAT, but I do know about Rivals and the answer would still be yes.

Bobby Burton - I worked in the video dept at the University of Texas as an undergrad for three years, taping practice and games, doing down-and-distance cut-ups for the offense and defense for scouting purposes, cutting recruits highlight tapes and creating recruiting highlight video packages to be played on the big screen. After that, I went to the University of Houston as a GA, where I was asst recruiting coordinator, and was responsible for all first video evaluation, and specifically tasked on a higher level with discovering players in the non-California JUCOs (meaning Texas, Kansas and Mississippi jucos). I (along with the offense GA and defense GA) also was responsible for every mailing we ever did to every kid on the recruiting list. From there, I went to Ball High in Galveston and was an asst coach. After that, I was hired by the National Recruiting Advisor and ended up being part owner, then came Rivals, etc. I've been doing this in some form or fashion since 1988.

Greg Ladky - This year is the first year I have had input into the Rivals rankings. I am beginning my fourth year with the company. My playing experience goes through high school- Marquette High School. After that, I fell in love with Rugby. A tougher sport!!!!! I kid, I kid. Anyways, after about three years on the road covering the nation's top prospects for all those AMP features you see, I was given the opportunity to be a part of the rankings process. Of course, there was good reason I was not a part of that stuff from the start, I needed a few years to learn about the things that make a good prospect. Once I had a couple years to see how the talent on the H.S. level that crossed my eyes at camps and games translated to the college level, I could become a part of the rankings process. So, as far as playing and/or coaching experince, I am not up there with the other guys on the staff, but having seen more prospects the last three years across the entire nation than anyone else in this business/industry, some of this rankings stuff has started to make sense, and I have been able to contribute to the rankings process.

Barton Simmons - I'm the pup of the group. I played high school football in Nashville where we won a couple state championships with MBA and were nationally ranked as seniors. I had scholarship offers from some middle/lower tier schools like Vanderbilt, Duke and Furman but took my football career to Yale University. At Yale I was a four year starter, two-time all-conference safety. Tore my ACL in what would've been my senior year and spent the season as essentially a student assistant breaking up film with coaches and running the scout team between rehab. I've been with Rivals for two years - still learning from Bobby et al.

Mike Farrell - I played high school ball in Connecticut but never went past that, too slow. As I began to write for Rivals I sat with numerous assistant coaches, recruiting coordinators and head coaches from college as well as high school before I was allowed to help with rankings, etc. I also feel I have always had a natural eye for talent, something the higher ups at Rivals also saw in me way back when when I first started. I can't name names for obvious reasons, but I've spent time with some of the best talent evaluators in the country in college as well as some NFL scouts for more than seven years now and have learned (and continue to learn) what to look for in a prospect.

Barry Every - What are my credentials. Well I started in recruiting at the Univeristy of North Carolina under Mack Brown. There I help do intial search and background on prospects while also cutting up game tape into highlights. I also helped the Director of Football Operations in his daily duties. After two full years I was lured away from UNC to FSU mainly for the recruiting side, but I also helped out with other daily logistical duties like (Checking Sebastian Janikowski room once a week to helping with team travel.) But 90% of what I did at FSU was collect all the video from 100's of schools and break it down for the coaches to evaluate. I also played a big part in official and unofficial visits ast the University. I also wrote 1000's of the hand written letters to the top recruits. After four seasons at FSU I moved onto to UGA for 7 years. Where I did pretty much the same with the exception of more responsibilities in team travel.