Very well stated. This is one reason why I think Phil Steele is still worth the price. (As I noted, I'm just a creature of habit in buying the other mags.) I first noticed, what you are speaking to, with Dave Campbells several years ago. They always have a section containing the "best" college players in Texas. They go out of their way to ensure that every team in the state has at least one player listed. It got really ridiculous about 4 years ago when they had North Texas and UTSA (going off memory; could be off) with more on the state 1st and 2nd team than Texas or aggy.
One thing the mags aren't handling very well is the portal. They don't seem to know how to account for starters lost v. starters gained from the portal. In the past, a returning starter was bolded, and it was obvious if this was going to be a major or minor loss. Now, they're just bolding returning starters coming back to the same team. There is no accounting for improvement from the portal other than the occasional blurb re: one or two incoming players. Tech, for example, looks like shit per the current format but most agree they've upgraded their roster.