"The first question that recruits ask is, 'What about the Big East?' " Talley said. "The deal is really unknown."
That sometimes makes it difficult to recruit players.
"We were initially involved with a lot of kids who were interested when they felt we were elevating to the Big East," Talley said.
On the other hand, Talley said that last season's record hasn't hurt recruiting.
"We have a very good track record," he said.
The statistics bear that out. Villanova has been among the most successful FCS teams. The Wildcats won the 2009 national champion and were a semifinalist in 2010.
In the last 10 years, the Wildcats are 76-47 for a .618 winning percentage. Among Colonial Athletic Association teams, only Delaware and New Hampshire, both of which have 81 wins in that span, earned more victories than the Wildcats.
While there are no quarterbacks in this recruiting class, there are plenty of players to protect the quarterback. Offensive linemen Nico D'Angelo (6-4, 270) of Holy Spirit High and Jake Prus (6-6, 260) of Woodstown are two of most promising.
The Wildcats also recruited three running backs, including Javon White of Souderton High.
With no new quarterbacks, Talley said three young players will vie for the job.
Dustin Thomas, the starter at the beginning of last season, will be a sophomore. So will Chris Polony, who ended the season as the starter. John Robertson, who redshirted last season, will be a freshman.
"We think we have three who will play, and [we'll] try to figure that out," Talley said. "Chris ended up getting the most playing time, and it will be his job to lose, and he will get stiff competition."
Contact staff writer Marc Narducci at 856-779-3225, mnarducci@phillynews.com, or @sjnard on Twitter.
