Some schools can recruit themselves without the wins coming first because of their history. That's group one.

Other schools like VT has no history, so the only way you can recruit is by having wins or an NFL link coach first.

Bama probation in late 90s early 2000s, no problem a history of titles. Comes off probation, top ten recruiting, then wins. Penn St, left for near dead not even 8 years ago. Losses pile up. Recruiting done. But....a history of titles and gets coaches with NFL ties. Immediately 3 top 12 classes after probation, then wins again in the form of Ws. Same with Georgia, etc.

At VT, no title history. The great teams we had are a shadow of a memory for youth now. We are at about .500 for 7 years with exception of 1. So, how does a school like VT win? You can't recruit first like the other ones unless you get a brilliant coach (like Baylor now) who takes mediocre talent and gets 9 win seasons, and then recruits because of his Ws that are now showing. The other way is an NFL link, a coach with NFL ties or experience. That will get your recruiting up immediately, then you get the ws. Last way and lucky was, you have an incredibly overachieving team with a brilliant coach that wins the ACC or makes the playoffs with mediocre talent that we have, then recruiting is good for the next 5 years, and the ws follow.

We are group 2 above and we have NONE of the factors mentioned above that will pull a group 2 team like us ahead in recruiting. Tough times for us right now.