wasn't that cjwarden run down in AR or something? i remember it was definitely lake of the ozarks. i haven't really grappled with how to compare teams from today to old days, the world are *so* empty now that none of the modern day runs of greatness are able to take top spots on my all time version of those dynasty lists due to the world strength factor being massively lower today, and that is something i still have to reckon with. so i can't really qualify how amazing the program is, but its probably the best d2/d3 run in 3.0 and is minimally competitive on an all time basis (its #4 on my 10yr d3 dynasty list ranking but i think that sells in short). just one counter example i guess.
i tend to agree with emy (assuming he isn't just winking at the conclusion but supports it) that california is a great d3 area. i actually think that is true all the way up through mid d1. for whatever reason, it feels like when i sit there at an a+ in d1, i marvel at how many good recruits there are that just aren't good enough for the a+ program and i wonder like, is there something that is driving that? like is the large presence of low and mid major d1 schools causing recruit gen to hit that low to mid d1 recruit range really hard, which in turn benefits low to mid d1 all the way down to d3? i don't know if the caliber of the school that has the opening impacts the recruit gen, but i don't think we've ever been told the opposite, either. i know the division makes a difference... but not sure about the levels within a division. i haven't done d2/d3 there but i have done low d1, like d+ d1, and it was always a great spot.