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[QUOTE="RF2044, post: 1341790, member: 40"]
Jordoo, you are correct.  The investigation hung over the program for a year and a half [seems quick compared to our most recent investigation].  Prior to the investigation, we were recruiting like gangbusters.  But the spectre of the investigation hung over our program for those two years, and cost us several recruits that we probably might have landed--most notably, Donyell Marshall.
 
Two factors helped us bridge the gap.  First, Lawrence Moten ended up being a LOT better of a recruit than anyone could have predicted; he wasn't even ranked in the top 100 coming out of Archbishop Carroll.  And second, John Wallace wanted to play closer to home because he felt like the pseudo-father figure for his two younger brothers, so he picked us over Kansas.
 
We also had some talent on those next couple of teams after the NCAA penalties [Autry, Luke Jackson, Dave Johnson, etc.] that helped us weather the storm short-term.  But it DEFINITELY had an impact on recruiting.  Even our trip to the 1996 championship game didn't change that [although we followed that up with the great recruiting class of Jason Hart, Ryan Blackwell, Etan Thomas, and Rock Lloyd / LaSean Howard].
 
The ship didn't right again until 2001 or so, when Troy Weaver joined the staff.
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