There is a proven link between the programs that land the top recruiting classes and those that are perennially successful.
It's not the whole story, though.
Some schools -- and Oregon is one -- have done a good job of evaluating potential and then developing the players they sign. Chip Kelly, for instance, turned the Ducks into a high-profile program with some players who weren't necessarily all-everything recruits.
Under Mike Riley, Oregon State had a nice run from 2006 to 2008 with under-the-radar players who turned out to be pretty good after being developed by Riley and his staff.