I'd surmise that is is flattering to parents to talk about their kids getting offers that early and other parents in the rat race of travel ball to get a bit jealous of that etc. Travel ball about more than the kids on the field, if you believe otherwise, you are sorely mistaken.
I also believe that being recruited is about being pursued by more than one school. When you can honestly say you have other offers, you have the ability to negotiate. Otherwise as stated so eloquently above, the school has the upper hand until the NLI is signed, which isnt until the fall of a kid's senior year.
My son threw to a kid in HS who could have been one of those early recruitment outliers...probably could have committed to a Power5 in 7th grade....i know 8th grade for sure (if the school was into that) and actually verballed in 9th grade before a HS game was played. All for not now, as he is a millionaire in the minors and we'll probably see him on TV soon playing in the MLB.
I say congrats to any and all who get those early offers and exposure. I suggest that no one should take them and continue to work towards the traditional "recruitment periods" to find the best offer but to each his own.