They're not in a P5 conference, they know it, they know the odds are stacked against them making a big bowl, but they come to BYU because BYU is unique. Hinds specifically said "It's the school, not who the school plays." And Ah You and Matthews were always going to be Cougars because of their dads. The others I don't remember their individual recruitments as well, but I suspect their decisions would have been largely similar.

Again, I don't think going back to the MWC, on its own, will improve your recruiting. I realize that the stats show you recruited much better as MWC members, but I agree with you that 2004 MWC is not 2018 MWC. Having Utah in a P5 conference was a bigger hit to your recruiting than independence. I think the advantage to going back to the MWC for BYU is that you'd honestly have a chance once a decade or so to go to a NY6 bowl, which would dramatically improve your recruiting. I don't think you'll ever get there as an independent. Believe me, a Utah team recruiting against a Fiesta Bowl champion BYU worries me a lot more than a Utah team recruiting against a BYU team that gets to play (and probably lose to) Wisconsin, Washington, Arizona, and Cal, even if all those games are on ESPN.