I met Bonnie at a conference last year and when I introduced myself she said she heard so much about me (my PI was talking to her previously). naturally I fangirled too hard and literally did not know what to say/probably muttered something incomprehensible.
Yeah you all underestimate the power of LoR and excellent research experience... that is after all what you are being hired for considering coursework is 1-2 years max for these programs.