Best advice on here is don't worry about others. Every year multiple kids from the same high schools get appointed. Being recruited can help. It depends what team they are being recruited for and really how good they are. Coaches only get so many candidates they can help. Also, not all sports are created equal. Football obviously gets more spots to help out recruits than say something like rifle. Some candidates will never know how high on a list of recruits they really are. Some coaches will show interests on a marginal athlete because they have great stats and can get in without any help. This athlete could land somewhere else or maybe they end up failing DODMERB. Its a complex puzzle all SA coaches know how to play. With that being said, don't worry about that kid. You DS can only control what he does and his package. Ignore the rest of the noise around him. At the end of the day if he did everything he could to gain an appointment he will end up being a better and more mature person for it and know he did his all.