Thanks, Alblack. Maybe I'm just too impatient & hard on myself. That freshman class doesn't include a pair of really good PGs I had targeted, but who wouldn't even talk to me despite being within my recruitable range. One of the FR, Kegley, is actually a redshirt from last season (and Polk is redshirting now - he's going to be really good by his 5th year).
And, of course, the scheduling thing is going to take more time. It feels like you have to have a higher prestige to get good teams to play you, and you have to play good teams to raise your prestige. Kind of a Catch 22 thing.
As for that junior transfer - I'm kinda proud of him, as I took on a Sim battle and all I had to do was throw a few extra HVs at him and wait. Who couldn't like a kid with a name like "Gagne"? I'd like him better if his first name was "James", though. :)