question on ranking players for you gurus

Around 30 5 stars for most sites, and 300 4 stars. Think of it like a tier system.

There is some politics behind it like there is with everything, did these kids attend your camp circuit, how many subscriptions does X school have with your service. Scarborough isn't as popular as Shea Dixon thus rivals typically has less favorable rankings for long time LSU leans than 247 will.

At the end of the day they are providing a service to costumers, a large fanbase will naturally gravitate to the more favorable service.

Recruiting rankings are pretty accurate for the most part though

There is a National Association of Rating Services, which is organized to promote uniform, accurate and honest star ratings among recruits and commitments. If you are interested you can write:
NARS
PO Box 250
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Attn. Nick or Terri