Not sure what you are referring to with McNair? Are you talking about funding?
Having a McNair program has no effect on whether they have McNair graduate funding or at least not a significant one. The school I attend now for example has a program but no funding( I had to get a regular GA), some are vice-versa.
I prefer program fit to ranking (though funding will be a huge factor and I understand stronger programs are easier for funding), in fact I would say ranking as almost no weight in my decision. That said, my early list contains a few T2 schools (Florida, Penn State, Syracuse) and then some T3/T4 schools as well (Oregon State, Colorado State, UCF).
My picks are also based on having institutes (like climate, federal depts) near them or partnered. Because I don’t think I would be competitive for the top ones unless I went with your plan to take a few years off gaining more exp.
My hope is that by picking a strong though not elite school with good surrounding opportunities, it will give me the qualifications without sacrificing my timeline.