It is obvious that the schools who cheat are able to recruit more of the top star athletes. However, I, for one, do not believe that is GT's main problem. There are enough student athletes with good grades available to GT, but they choose other schools because they like the school, coach, etal. Most of these top students still want quality education.
The problem with many of the remarks about Tech's lack of progress on the football field is blamed on the school instead of the coaches. Are people really immune to the truth that many of the qualified athletes, who do not attend Tech, is that they are not enamored of its coach. I have all the confidence in the world that the right coach with the right charisma, ability to lead young men, and a good football mind could easily produce a big winner at GT. We are a well known school across the United States as well as being close to the hot bed of recruiting in Florid, Georgia, and even relatively close to Texas. Atlanta is a hub of activity and offers many recruits an excellent chance at future jobs, and other activities.
It seems some of the fans have this weird idea that Paul Johnson is the only coach in the world who could possibly recruit at Tech and also make Tech into a winner. Open your eyes, there are coaches all over America with less talent that Tech has or can have that win big every year at lesser known colleges and some at more well known colleges. Yes, it is obvious that Tech is disadvantaged because of the scholastic requirements, but Tech is absolutely not shut out from all the available quality candidates, they just choose to go elsewhere.
If the present coach could win big each year, and the recruits were enamored of him, he would have to turn recruits away each year.