This. Very much this. I understand (and remember) the desire to try and find some hard and fast data points to hold onto during the nebulous process that is recruiting at high academic schools. Unfortunately, except for some really broad strokes, there simply are none. So much depends on a particular recruit’s desirability in that sport to that school in that cycle. You need to always remember that a recruit’s athletic and academic chops are not the only factors here. The state of the school’s roster plays a huge role as well. For example, a kid who is a PA state champ at 185 might be very desirable to a particular school where the three year conference champ at 184 just graduated and all that is left in the room are practice guys. At that school’s rival, that same recruit might be far less desirable because the coach has a very good sophomore and junior at 184 already. At one school, a 3.5 and a 30 ACT (or whatever) may be fine. At the other, it might not get it done.
It is such a fluid situation that the only way you can get a realistic idea of the bench marks your son needs to hit is to have specific conversations with the coaches from the schools recruiting him. In my experience, coaches are not at all reticent to provide specific information to a recruit if they are asked the right questions in a non confrontational manner. If there is one piece of advice I think all of us who have been through the process could give, it would be that. Do not be afraid to ask specific and fair questions and listen to the answers.
Best of luck.