they recruited Deshaun Watson. He was the no 1 ranked dual threat QB and played like a 6 star. He lead Clemson's ascent almost all by himself and since then, Clemson is recruiting lights out. Before him, Swinney was an unknown in the coaching ranks. Elite recruiting is the missing piece for ND. Look at the recruiting levels of Alabama, LSU, Ohio State, and Georgia. You can flop with elite recruiting (FSU) but you can't be elite without it. By the way, you sound like Bryan Driskell on SI Irish Maven or whatever it is called. Besides Clemson, who recruited a QB that turned out to be a superstar, name another team who has won a recent national championship that did not have elite recruiting. Good luck.
P.S. If you ask Meyer and Saban, the two best college football coaches, what makes them a winner, I bet that their first word would be talent (ie recruiting). This is the main reason that these coaches are elite...they know the importance of recruiting.
Stay safe.