Not when you take into account that many of those offers are simply a way to stay in touch with a player that might be further down the board, but you might want him down the road if you have lost out on other top targets.
It gives you a backup plan basically.
Some might think this is disingenuous to the player if he thinks he has an offer, but really doesn't, and that may be. The kid could turn down other schools thinking he has an offer from a big time school, only to find out that it isn't exactly a committable offer at the time. But that's the way the game is being played right now, and it's up to the player to find out just how sincere this offer is.
If school A reads about a stud player that has 10 offers, that school will most likely send an offer in the mail as well, whether they think they want him or not. The point is to not fall behind in case you do need or want that player.
So you get your foot in the door with an "offer", and then evaluate him. If he's a player you want, then you become the first school to offer him, and he remembers that and it's your advantage.
If he's a player you do not want, then you just forget to call him come spring.
Offers breed offers.
I can't tell you how many times you will see a kid that is relatively under the radar get an offer from a big time BCS school, and within a month he will have interest from many more programs. If one premier school is "offering" the kid, then maybe we should get in on him too.
The bottom line is you have to offer kids earlier now, if you don't, you probably won't land the prospect because everyone else already has "offered" him.
Recruiting is an ever evolving game, and this is just one of many little "secrets" that recruiting entails, but you must grasp this concept to have a better understanding of how the game is being played these days.
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