He was a Faust recruit and a good player, but Holtz brought in superior guys at his position. Among many other things, Holtz's excellence was also measured in how he maintained team chemistry in this situation, keeping players like Gordon or Ned Bolcar positive even when they lost their starting positions. Think about Bolcar: 2nd Team All-American in 1987 and CBS Defensive Player of the Year and the next season, he was a backup.