WVU's recruiting has never ranked well. Probably never will.

WVU's formula since the Don Nehlen days has been simple. Try to compete for some good players in northeastern Ohio, western Pennsylvania, and Maryland. Pick up whoever in West Virginia is good enough to play (while recognizing that some of the more highly-ranked kids will go elsewhere). Try to steal some diamonds in the rough from south Florida. Pick up a recruit here and there from schools in New Jersey, Virginia, and Georgia where coaches have relationships. WVU is a projection and development program. It can't just "select" from among the top players.

RichRod picked up a few kids like Pat White from southern states when SEC schools wanted the kid to play a different position. Holgorsen tried to get some kids out of Texas (without much success) and is now mining junior colleges and community colleges (i.e., the Kansas State formula). With Pitt and Penn State trending up, it may be just a little tougher to recruit in parts of WVU's traditional hunting grounds.

WVU was probably off a tick this year because of Holgorsen's hot seat; otherwise it might have fared a little better with one or more of the in-state recruits who ended up signing with UNC, Tennessee, LSU and Louisville, or some kids elsewhere. But in the end, the rankings ebb and flow while WVU is getting pretty much the same caliber athlete it has signed for the past 35 years. Go back over 35 years and look at WVU's some of biggest names and you'll find very few 4 or 5 stars among them. In fact, of the 4 and 5-star kids that have signed at WVU, many of them have been busts (because there was probably a reason they didn't end up at Penn State or Ohio State or Miami in the first place).

Right now, WVU lacks talent and depth on both lines (not uncommon for WVU). It needs quarterback depth. But it has way better overall talent and depth at running back and receiver than (for example) Tech does. If Will Grier is as good as advertised, WVU has a capable starting quarterback. There are some holes to fill at linebacker and in the secondary but there is some pretty good material available to fill them.

WVU is rarely going to threaten to win the Big 12 in no small part because the Big 12 is much deeper and more competitive than the ACC is now or the Big East was before it. WVU would not fare well against FSU or Clemson right now. But as has usually been the case, WVU would be competitive against the next tier of ACC schools like Tech, Louisville, Pitt and UNC (i.e., the Mountaineers would win some and lose some). But the talent is pretty much what it has always been and it will continue to be unless and until WVU has no place among the P5 (or future P4).

[Post edited by Tailgate Guru at 02/06/2017 1:00PM]