But you are missing the key point and romanticizing something that doesn't exist If you had said "I don't think we are going to see Rodney Rice level players because Blacksburg is in a geographical purgatory as it relates to attracting top level athletes" then I would 100% agree with you If you had said "I fully understand that Rodney Rice level athletes have only ever come to VT due to previous relationships with assistant coaches, and thus it would be insanely stupid to suggest recruiting that level with any level of consistency is a realistic option" then I would agree with you A "recruiter" who can convince a previously unknown top level athlete to spend 2-4 years in Blacksburg Virginia doesn't exist...unless you're cheating Buzz cheated his balls off and here's what he had to show for it... Of the Top 25 all time recruits in the 247 era, they were recruited by: Seth Greenberg - 9 Buzz Williams - 8 Mike Young - 7 James Johnson - 1 He cheated, bought players, took SATs for them...and still was on par with every other coach since the year 2000 "Ace recruiters" do not exist in the way fans think of them. There isn't a recruiting attribute like a video game that allows some assistant to just Jedi-mind-trick athletes into coming to Blacksburg. The best recruiters are the ones with the most contacts. You can get your foot in the door. You can be personable and identify well with athletes, but at the end of the day you're only as good as your product. The best "recruiter" VT has had on their bench in the last 25 years was Mike Jones and even he couldn't sway most top level kids into taking that leap to Blacksburg. But he got VTs foot in the door at IMG. He got kids to visit who had no business ever signing with VT. But the problem is they eventually figure out Blacksburg ain't it. And no matter of "recruiting harder" can change those circumstances. Mike Jones eventually figured out its a lot easier to recruit DC kids to College Park than it is to get them to Blacksburg. Throw in any average recruiter at VT and they're going to recruit the nominally the same as someone considered a top level recruiter.