I say that b/c ND has certainly been a top 5 program overall the last 5 years and the DL was without a doubt the strongest unit on the team every one of those years except 2017 (when the OL was the best unit).
Yet per this board, he was neither a good recruiter or great developer of talent.
With regards to recruiting, as soon as Elston had a DC that could also recruit he got commits from Vernon and Keely. We really think Washington is going to do better than that?
With regards to player development, look at what Elston got out of guys like Ade, MTA, and Hinish.
I think Washington was a great hire given the circumstances, but losing Elston hurts the staff. The notion that ND upgraded here is absurd.