I have always believed the age was a secondary factor. The lack of an exciting offense (or an inclination toward offense at all) was the biggest negative recruiting tool especially the last 2 years. Wake Forest game anyone? The age thing I do believe was used but I think the natural inclination is to blame it on that because that is something cfb had no control over. No one naturally wants to believe the game passed him by and he stubbornly refused to innovate as he is such a favorite of all of us. Therefore we say it was his age in the recruiting wars.
Saying he was a first round hall of famer therefore the game couldn't have passed him by is equivalent to saying nothing he did was wrong because he built the program.
And finally, we have no way of knowing if we will have another first ballot hall of famer. Worry about when it happens or doesn't.
[Post edited by Tombo at 02/08/2018 8:48PM]