Mark my words, the 2026 recruiting year will be the one where Mercer breaks into the top three in the SoCon rankings for the first time in a decade. Everyone is obsessed with the portal circus at places like Colorado and Oklahoma State, but real program building happens with high school development. The staff has been laying the groundwork in Georgia and Florida for years, and the data shows it's working. Our average recruit rating has climbed every year since 2023.
The national narrative is all about five-stars flocking to the SEC, but that just creates more overlooked talent right in our backyard. While Florida and Georgia battle over the top 100 guys, we're identifying and securing the three-star athletes with the exact measurables and toughness that win in this conference. Last year's class had a higher blue-chip percentage than any Furman class in the last five years, and that's not a coincidence. It's a direct result of a refined evaluation process.
This isn't about competing with Alabama for croots. It's about consistently out-recruiting every other FCS program in our region. When you look at the composite rankings, the gap between us and the traditional SoCon powers is shrinking. A top-three class this year means more depth, more competition in spring ball, and less reliance on the portal to fill glaring holes. That's how you build sustainable success. The foundation is being poured right now, and the rankings will finally show it.