That mentality is why teams get left behind. Texas just sent multiple first-rounders to the league, and their 2024 recruiting class finished 3rd nationally. You don't replace that caliber of talent just with "hungry" guys who were on special teams. The Longhorns' defensive front seven, for example, returns a combined 78 tackles for loss from players who were already contributors, not just waiting in the wings. The portal added critical depth at cornerback, a position where pure experience isn't enough. Relying solely on internal development in today's SEC is how you fall from 12 wins to 8. The pipeline needs both elite high school recruiting and strategic portal use to stay elite.