One thing to consider is that most of recruiting is done in "stealth" mode. Recruiter's don't ride into town with the school flags flying from their mirrors.
Old Dominion, Norfolk State, William and Mary, Radford, Liberty, VMI, JMU, VCU are all very busy in Tidewater.
Virginia Tech, UVA (of course both ACC schools) have a wider regional "brand awarness" by ACC games on television. When UVA spends 10 days on ESPN in the CWS they by default gain more national attention by hs players. Some Tidewater players might have their sights set on "greener pastures"
Georgia Tech, Florida State, Clemson, South Carolina, also are very aware of the talent pool in Tidewater and have had very good success in attracting local players to commit.
Don't forget some players actually consider the education options offered by a school. Some players will not meet admission requirements, ect. Mix in (example) a All American freshman at your position, might deter players from accepting at a certain school. Of course there is unlimited variables that lead to both a school making a offer and a player accepting and offer.
Just because a player does not end up at a certain school does not mean they were not at the top of that school recruiting list. It is not a simple task of "all you have to do is offer a player and they will accept".
Tidewater, Richmond, Northern Virginia are all very competitive recruiting grounds and will continue to have players head out of state as well as accept pro offers.