Stroud is legit but D-line play/recruiting has been strong since Manny came in as DC. Kuligowski didn't put effort into recruiting but he was a very good on-field coach. Jess Simpson IMO was good at both on-field coaching and recruiting. Stroud also appears to be very good at both. It's a crucial coaching position and Manny has always had a competent D-Line coach. The production of the defensive line also, IMO, has as much to do with the d-line coach as it does with Manny's defensive philosophy and scheme. It's not a coincidence that despite multiple defensive line coaches Manny's defenses have always been very strong in rushing the passer and TFL.
I'm not saying that to take away from Stroud, I think he's a beast and because he seemingly plans to stay at Miami and not use it as a stepping stone like Simpson did, he's the best d-line coach Manny has had. But Manny completely changed Miami's defense in a manner which fits the culture of south Florida high school football. The guys Manny inherited defensively had an easy time adjusting to his system, and it's also led to increased player development on defense. Now, after multiple years of high quality results, it's finally paying off in a big way on the recruiting trail.
It also appears something similar can potentially happen with the offense. Lashlee comes in and revamps Miami's offense, just as Manny did with the defense. It's modern, it's appealing to south Florida recruits, and, if it produces results, it will lead to massive recruiting success even moreso than the defense. The results are TBD, but IMO we're already seeing an increase in recruiting on offense just due to having a new system that appeals to recruits and a much more competent group of offensive coaches.
