Maybe not a big deal, but if makes no difference in how many you sign, why is a there the rule of 25? Why can't you recruit as many as you want, until you get to 85? I believe the rationale behind the rule of 25 is to let the schools know that you can not run off players and go out and sign 35 new kids to replace them. If you run off kids, you may have rosters with less than 85 scholarship players. Yes transfers can make up the difference, as can walk-ons after two years on campus---just not recruits. So maybe it does make some difference, since some programs might be washing players out and adding those slots to recruiting classes.
Yes it can backfire, but Alabama has pulled the greyshirt deal and players are still lining up to play for them, so if it helps you win and gain prestige, the future negative implications might be offset by the kids and parents(and step-parents) who seem to like jumping on the bandwagon.