Sometimes in recruiting, there’s a whole lot of truth to the phrase “when there’s smoke, there’s fire.” Now, that isn’t always the case, obviously. But in general, when there are rumors circulating about a recruit, there’s a reason for those rumors, and those rumors will usually end up being correct.
That’s, in my opinion, the best way to view the 247Sports crystal ball feature, which recruiting analysts use to make their predictions known. I think, in general, it should be viewed as a guideline, or, as smoke, from a possible fire. Not necessarily as gospel, but as a pretty good sign for how things are going with a specific recruit.