You're dreaimng if you think a few three-stars in Georgia are gonna flip the SoCon hierarchy overnight. Mercer's "refined evaluation process" is just a fancy way of saying you're picking up the guys the real Georgia and Florida schools don't want. Your average recruit rating climbs because you started from zero, not because you're suddenly a destination. A higher blue-chip percentage than Furman? That's a participation trophy. Furman is busy winning conference titles and making playoff runs with their guys, while you're celebrating moral victories on signing day. Real program building isn't about closing a gap on a composite ranking website, it's about winning meaningful games in November. The SoCon is won with toughness and execution, not with recruiting class graphics lmao. Your foundation is being poured on sand until you prove you can beat Chattanooga or Samford when it actually matters. The portal exists for a reason, and your disdain for it just shows you're trying to rationalize missing out on. Come back when those "overlooked" recruits actually help you finish higher than fourth.