in the wake of Mac's meltdow/firing: are we better off now than we were 3 years ago?

I think there's no question we are.

- at WR we had one guy who would have started for anybody with a pulse.  We had only signed three 4 star guys in four years and two of those were busts.  In our last three classes we've signed eight four star WRs, have a couple more committed and Toney who was a three looks electric.

- we had one back on the roster.  We signed four 4 stars plus Lemons and Davis who were 3s plus have two more 4s committed.

- at OL we couldn't hold a spring game, had only one guy who had ever started and only about two who would have started just about any other year.  Now our talent level looks only average but we do have numbers and experienc.  We acquired three four stars last year and have two committed this year.

- at QB we had RFR Will Grier and true soph Treon.  Now we have numbers and Franks' recruiting ranking was equal with Grier though he has struggled this year.  Corral is the highest ranked recruit at this position since Cam Newton if he goes ahead and signs this Dec.

- at DL we didn't get Tackles the first two years which was a big miss.  Last year we picked up three four stars.  We picked up a 3 star transfer this year.  4 star DE Carter from last year will be a DT.  At DE we've signed one 5, two 4s and a few 3s.  Muschamp recruited better especially at DE but not so much at Tackle (Brantley and Clark were 4s, Ivie was a 4 star DE, Wyoming Wild Man was a 3 star).  I think we've got good talent and numbers on the DL now even though we are young.  A couple of those 3 star DE's like Zuniga and Polite are good ones.

- LB Muschamp recruited well but remember his best was 3 star Jared Davis.  We've only signed one 4 star the last three years with the rest being 3's.  Three of them are OK IMO, but injuries and suspensions have really hurt us here this year.  I tend to think we're better than some others but we are young - we don't have an upperclassman worth anything here this year and we need to see what we have next year in Miller, Houston and Smith.  Muschamp recruited better here no doubt.

- CB Muschamp landed two 5s and two 4s who were studs.  Last year we signed three 4s and one the year before.  Two of those look pretty studly starting as true freshmen this year.  We'll see how more of them develop over time.  Muschamp killed it at this position but we look like we did really well last year so we're in pretty good shape now IMO.

- S Muschamp killed it here too with three 4s who were really good- though they all needed a couple years or three years before they started playing really well.  After a really rough start, Gardner seems to have settled into the role.  Other than him there are a bunch of 4s and 3s who are freshmen and true Sophs who aren't ready this year.  Muschamp deserves the nod here but we are too young IMO to say the guys we currently have won't be any good.

- staff  we actually have a full sized support staff now.  Mac did get the administration to take the shackles off and allow us to compete with the rest of the SEC and state in this area.

- facilities we finally built an IPF (15 years late) and Mac did a good job of preventing us from cheating out and building a half sized one like Foley tried to do.  We have also at least freshened up our archaic dorms so they're not such an embarrassment any more.  We still lack a dedicated football facility which our competitors built about 10 years ago.  He may have been abrasive in how he held the administration's feet to the fire to do these things, but given the total lack of commitment to winning the administration- especially the previous regime - showed for years and years, Mac accomplished a lot here.  He leaves his successor with a much better situation than he inherited.