In that timeframe, however, when it has come to the collective additions of new recruits, the football gods seem to have been a bit more rewarding toward the Hokies on the offensive side of the ball, particularly at quarterback.
Ranging from the recruitments of Michael Vick, Bryan Randall and Michael's younger brother Marcus, Tech has seen its recent string of top quarterback recruits go onto enjoy success as leaders of the program, inspiring those around them and serving as miracle workers on the field.
Case and point, in the six seasons under the talented trio of play-callers, the Hokies finished a combined 69-20, capped off by a Marcus Vick-led 11-2 campaign in 2005 that ended with a 35-24 Gator Bowl win over the Louisville Cardinals.
In maintaining Tech's winning trends at quarterback, 2007 Virginia Tech five-star recruit Tyrod Taylor looks to be heaven-sent.
Already being deemed as a future savior to Tech's current struggles in the passing game (there is an actual Facebook group titled, "Tyrod is God"), Taylor will be greeted this fall not only with open arms from the Hokie faithful, but with tremendous expectations as well, an issue he is adamantly aware of.
"I'm really looking forward to coming to Tech, but it's going to be a new thing for me in adjusting to all the hype, all the fans and all the media," Taylor said. "I've had pressure on me before, but not as much as it will be up there (in Blacksburg)."
Hailing from tidewater football powerhouse Hampton High, where he played under Virginia's infamous football coach Mike Smith, Taylor comes to Tech as the nation's top dual-threat quarterback, as ranked by Rivals.com.
Taylor accredited the familiarity he achieved with Tech's coaching staff as the biggest overall factor in influencing his decision to attend back in July.
"Before I gave my verbal commitment to Tech, I went up there for several senior camps, and I felt very comfortable with the coaches and the players," Taylor said. "Overall, I just had a very good feeling about the school when I went up there, and that's what really influenced my choice in the end."
Not forgotten by Taylor was the impact of the two most influential advisors in his decision—his parents.
"My parents really put the decision in my hands," Taylor said. "But my mom really pushed for me to pick a school like Tech that was good academically, and I really liked staying in-state because it meant that my family could come watch me play. So in the end, Tech was a solid choice that we were all satisfied with."
Coincidentally, Taylor arrives in Blacksburg as a solid choice that practically everyone is satisfied with, especially those that will be working him on a consistent daily basis.
Just ask the man most responsible for bringing the exceptional prospect to Blacksburg, Virginia Tech's offensive line coach Curt Newsome.
"Tyrod is an absolute phenomenal talent," Newsome said. "He's a great passer, and with him being a dual-threat quarterback, he can also move around in the pocket and get himself out of trouble extremely well. The biggest positive about him though is the fact that he's tremendously mature for his age. At just 17, he's so level-headed, on and off the field, so what you've got there with him is the complete package."
Newsome, who arrived from James Madison last year, was quick to offer his keen recruiting services to help catch the eye of the coveted Hampton recruit.
Throughout the recruiting process, an added source of motivation existed for Newsome in attracting Taylor to Tech — the fact that the Hokie coach hails from Hampton himself.
"With me being from that area, there was definitely an extra incentive to recruit him to the program," Newsome said. "Hampton is where I grew up, it's where I coached for many years … I think there's great football down there and to sign a guy out of that area that is the number one player in the state, I think you take a little added pride coming away from that experience."
Once Newsome conveyed Tech's interest in the All-American play-caller, the senior quarterback's decision to attend Tech was basically a sure bet.
"I knew for some time that Tyrod was really thinking a great deal about going to Tech," Smith said. "But once Curt came to visit him, it really put the nail in the coffin. Curt's a great guy, he's like a part of the family around here, someone you could always trust. Even when he was recruiting from James Madison, he had a very close friendship with Tyrod."
During the 2005 season, Taylor shook nearly every collegiate recruiter's Richter scale, including that of Newsome's. Playing in only his junior season, the talented quarterback led the Crabbers to a Division 5 AAA state title, capping off a season that saw him account for 2,588 total yards and 30 total touchdowns.
Taylor followed last season with another standout year, tallying a total of 2,326 yards and 36 touchdowns. Unfortunately, the Crabbers failed to repeat as state champions, as they lost in the first-round of the regional playoffs to Maury High of Norfolk, 30-28.
"That was a tough loss to deal with, with it being so close," Taylor said. "But in the end, I just look to take it in stride and learn from the experience."
Taylor's uncanny ability to quickly improve on the field following a letdown is one that Smith acknowledges as an underrated, advantageous trait over many of his fellow colleagues.
"I think Tyrod's greatest asset is the fact that he goes onto the field playing with confidence," Smith said. "He doesn't play out of fear — he plays with a great passion to compete. In that respect, if he makes a mistake, which they all do, he doesn't fall into a trance, or get down because it happened — the thought just leaves his mind."
Another crucial quality that Smith believes Taylor will bring to Blacksburg is his willingness to improve and be mentored by Tech's coaching staff.
"Having worked with him for four years, the first thing that comes to mind about Tyrod is that he's very coachable," Smith said. "He makes a great, concerted effort to accomplish whatever he does. He's a very intelligent young man and he's got no problems learning by any means, so he should pick up Tech's system extremely quick."
In Taylor's time at Hampton, Smith ran an offensive playbook he deemed "highly similar to the Hokies." With that said, the possibility of Taylor finding the field as a true freshmen is something that many have pondered, including himself.
"When it comes to next season, with me being there for the first year, I'm sure there are going to be some big changes here and there that I'll have to make," Taylor said. "Odds are that next season I'll probably redshirt so I can have more time to adjust, so if I were to play early, that'd be a decision on behalf of the coaches."
Redshirting freshmen quarterbacks has been a habit for Tech over the recent years, as exampled by both Vicks.
"I don't really think the question of whether or not Tyrod will play this year can be answered right now," Newsome said. "He's a young guy, and I think everyone will know where he stands once he gets here. It's not hard to figure out whether they'll have knowledge of the system or not."
In the mean time, Taylor has continued to strength-train in the off-season, in between his other athletic commitment — a starting role as one of Hampton's top players on the varsity basketball team.
In his latest outing this past week, the senior quarterback shined on the basketball court, scoring a team-high 20 points in a 77-61 district final win over rival opponent Woodside.
Taylor admits basketball has been an integral part of his life, all the while helping him stay sharp physically.
"I've been playing basketball just as long as I've been playing football, and right now, it's keeping me in shape," Taylor said. "In addition to the basketball though, I've been lifting and getting stronger, so altogether it's helping me stay conditioned before I head into the summer practices at Blacksburg."
As Tech's official summer training sessions are set to commence in July, Taylor will have added supervision and insight on adding muscle to his already bulky frame. Standing 6'2", 185 pounds, the future Hokie brings a substantial amount of size and speed (4.5 40-yard-dash), which Newsome feels will only improve.
"The quickest upgrade we will see in terms of Tyrod as a freshman this year will be with the amount of strength improvement that he will see in the weight room," Newsome said. "Any time you come into a nationally ranked weight-training program, you're going to get bigger, stronger, and in his case, faster, so we're looking forward here to help him improve. The sky really is the limit with him, especially in this regard."
Other areas of improvement, Newsome said, will come to Taylor, in due time.
"I think the biggest difference Tyrod will have to learn is the change in terminology and getting the system under his belt," Newsome said. "At this level, the defenses are a little more complex, but we all know he's more than willing to learn. He's already alluded to how excited he is to come here and better himself. He's a great student of the game, so I don't think that will be a problem for him."
Taylor's high school coach, Smith, who has seen the likes of a pair of notable quarterbacks (Ronald Curry and Marques Hagans, both of whom are converted wide receivers in the NFL) up close and personal, has shown nothing but a similar mindset in praising the likes of Tech's future redeemer at quarterback.
"Overall, I think down the line Tyrod is going to be a joy for Virginia Tech," Smith said. "He's going to enjoy playing there at Blacksburg, and in the end he's going to make everyone proud. He's an extraordinary talent all the way around, and every Hokie should be nothing short of ecstatic about what he is bringing to the table next fall. This kid really does have it all; he's going to be something special. Somewhere down the road I can see him taking the Hokies to the big game."
Even if they have to go through hell to get there.