The are 5 starters across an OL. It is easily the largest position group on a football team. OL for almost all programs means the most time to develop of any position group. Because there are lots of dings and bangs on the OL that cost halves and even a game or two, as well as season-ending injuries, you need to start every season with at least 3 reserves who can play well right then: 1 C,. 1G, 1T. It also means you need 3 or 4 guys ready to step into the 2nd squad 3some the second there is any injury.
The only way to have that number of OL players able to reload year after years is to sign what many fans, like those overly focused on players/positions that score TDs, feel is over-recruiting.
Even when you regularly sign 4* guys on the OL, you are going to need to RS about half of them their first year. Many of the RS freshman still won't be ready to make a serious run to crack that Top 8 unless the OL is the weak link of your offense, which you definitely do not want. Then, because of injury you can count on about a fourth of your total on the OL missing at least half a season in addition to any freshmen redshirting.
This 2021 crop on the OL that we have a very good chance to sign is the best group on the OL that UNC can sign in a very long time. We have missed the opportunity to get a commitment from Colby Smith, who is now a Vol commit. I would have taken his commitment as soon as I could have gotten it. If we do not land Logan Taylor, then our 2021 OL recruiting should be deemed mediocre at best, based on what was available. If we can land Mugharbil, it would be foolish not to take that 4 man-OL class. Also, I think Austin Barber probably will turn out to be good enough (barring injury) eventually to make a Top 8 on the OL of a ranked team. He is a late developer because of level of HS competition. So I probably would want him as a 4th OL commit if Mugharbil heads elsewhere. I would cut elsewhere to get the OL talent and depth.
Searles produced mediocre OLs with little proven depth at both VT and Miami. He often signed top 3* and some 4* players who failed to live up to expectations, meaning he all but certainly picked some guys he should not have and passed on some he should have picked.
Could always change. Look at how things unfolded last year. We ended up flipping Adorno. I doubt we get everyone at the top of our board. Just the nature of recruiting. The difference is we have fewer scholarships to offer this cycle. And you kinda have to sit on one for best available, someone like Grimes. That and we're about at ideal depth. Someone can check, but I think we have 8 OT, 6 OG and 2 OC. And no scholarship seniors. Then we're going to add one more OT to this class to make 3 total - 2 OT, 1 OG.