I don't think there's been any lack of effort in the past. I do think the team's steady improvement in quality of play, players getting drafted into the pros, new investments in facilities, etc., are all turning heads with kids.
The fact of the matter is, Va. Tech is a school a lot of kids grow up dreaming about attending. Maybe their parents went there, maybe they love the idea of being in a stadium with 70,000 of their closest fans 6 times each fall for the rest of their lives, but the reality is that VT has a lot of advantages in recruiting. Now that they are consistently competitive in the ACC, it's only natural that players respond accordingly.
I can also tell you, with each passing year the number of players and former players who are out there singing the praises of Coach Hughes grows. That makes an impression. Everyone likes the head guy when they are being romanced during recruiting. When the players still love and respect him after 4 years of working with him daily, it means a lot.