that's rich coming from a rival fan whose program would kill for our transfer portal success. we built a conference championship roster through the portal and we're doing it again. those "kids who grew up wanting to wear the maroon" still sign with us. you think a locker room is built on chiildhood dreams alone? it's built on accountability and winning, and our culture under rhett lashlee is stronger than ever. while other teams are stuck in the past, we're leveraging the new rules to reload with experience and talent. every single one of those transfers chose smu because they believe in what we're building. they're buying in, not cashing out. our nil collective is a strength, not a weakness, because it shows we're committed to competing at the highest level. the "portal circus" is just an excuse for programs that can't adapt. we're building something special here, and the temporary ones are the teams we're leaving behind in the acc standings.