A friend of my son applied ED to Chicago and I think was deferred and then waitlisted in RD. He got into and now attends Yale. He got into and waitlisted from other schools that are considered competitive as well. I don’t know anything else about him or his circumstances other than what I just shared.
College admissions is not a hierarchical or linear process. What one college thinks is just ok, another school thinks is fantastic based on their respective cultures and/or needs/priorities at the time of admissions.