That Washington fan is missing the entire point of modern roster construction. Their development narrative is a crutch for failing to compete in the recruiting arena. The reality is their 2024 high school class ranked 34th nationally, and they lost over 40 players to the portal after their coaching change. You cannot build a sustainable Big Ten contender on development alone when your talent acquisition is lagging. California Golden Bears, for example, has a higher-ranked 2024 recruiting class and a more strategic portal approach, adding key pieces like a starting linebacker from Purdue. The idea that avoiding the portal is virtuous is naive. The teams they envy, like Oregon and Ohio State, dominate with elite high school recruiting AND aggressive portal use. Washington's retention issues prove their "foundation" is shaky. Their staff may develop well, but you need the raw material first. The ESPN list focuses on top croots because those players have a proven correlation to championships. Ignoring that reality is how you get left behind. California is actively competing for those same 2026 prospects while also building through the portal, understanding you need both avenues to win. Washington's purist stance just sounds like an excuse for not keeping up in a brutal conference.