Every major program across the country can no longer stock pile depth. The days of developing guys for 3/4 years is over, even 3* who land at major programs are gone within a year or two if the path to starting is not there. This is not exclusive to the SEC. You have to rely on the portal to recover depth and even then that's not a easy task because most guys in the portal are looking to start somewhere, not be a rotational depth piece.
The portal is almost quickly becoming more important than HS recruiting. You'll have your main core of like maybe 10 HS recruits that actually play and stick around each class, but you are going to be filling 10-20 spots a year with the portal to replace the like 10-20 players you recruited out of HS who jet elsewhere after a year or two. Schools who don't play the portal right are really going to feel it.
I don't see it that way, and nothing points to it based on the last few years. I will use your program as an example.
- tOSU is a top 3/5 high school recruiting program every year.
- Players still want to go to tOSU, like they do other top programs, because they can get paid, but also because the have a change to win, can get developed, have a better shot at the NFL, great facilities, etc.
- Most tOSU players who leave have been beaten out, or recruited over.
- tOSU uses NIL to retain talent to stay for 3-5 years - you did exactly that this past year and got key players to stay one more years. That is what Clemson, Bama, and UGA have done in the past that lead to championships.
- tOSU uses the portal to fill cracks - you only brought in 7 players last year, one a future QB and not an immediate asset. You didn't bring in 10-20. You don't have to because you recruit high school well and have all the other things going for you that you have always had that made you an elite program.
- Programs like your rarely get players they want poached.
- Top programs have less depth, but still way more depth that all the other non-top programs.
- Your team, likely to win the NC this year, has a ton of players who have been developed for 3/4 years.
The scenario you just pained simply hasn't shown to be the model. Top HS recruiting, NIL to retain your best players, the the portal to fill cracks, have a great coach, and be a top program is where you are going to get consistent success.