Recruiting rankings absolutely correlate with championships, and the data over the last decade is overwhelming. Teams outside the top 20 in recruiting have made the playoff, but they almost never win it. The average recruiting ranking for a national champion is in the top 5. A 3.0-star roster simply lacks the athletic ceiling to compete at the highest level, regardless of cohesion. The portal supplements talent, but it doesn't replace elite high school development. St. Lawrence's own success in the Liberty League is built on consistently out-recruiting our conference rivals. You need the foundational talent to even have a chance.