Last week, we started off our four-week series on recruiting by taking a look back at how next year’s Mountain West schools did in recruiting high school and junior college talent. This week, we are going to shift our attention to how next year’s PAC-12 teams did in the same categories before moving on to the transfer portal next week. After reading the article, let us know which league did better in recruiting in the comments below. Without further ado, here are the good, bad, and ugly recruiting classes
in the PAC-12.
The Good
Boise State
The Broncos clearly had the best high school recruiting class in terms of both numbers and quality. You know you’ve done well when you bring in four-star talent on the offensive line like Kole Cronin, who can come in and compete for immediate playing time. The Broncos also addressed the future of the quarterback position by bringing in two talented quarterbacks in former Indiana commit Cash Herrera and Jackson Taylor. One of these guys could potentially be a four-year starter after Maddux Madsen is gone. The class is also deep in skill talent, and a number of these players have the ability to contribute immediately.
Oregon State
This class might be small, but it is mighty under new head coach JaMarcus Shephard. The Beavers successfully landed some talented recruits with the ability to contribute immediately. Wide receiver Cynai Thomas is the headliner, with offers from programs like Washington, Oregon, and Arkansas. Thomas has a college-ready build already and could be a starter by the time fall camp wraps up. Another impressive addition is athlete Jameson Powell out of powerhouse Folsom High School in Northern California. Powell will likely be a slot receiver and picked the Beavers after decommitting from Ole Miss, a huge get for Shephard and his staff.
Colorado State
Despite only having the job for a short time, Jim Mora Jr. did an excellent job of putting together one of the top recruiting classes in the PAC-12. Many of these recruits were previously committed to Mora while he was head coach at UConn and decided to follow him to Fort Collins. The headliner of the class is safety Jermaine Santana-Diaz out of Texas. Santana-Diaz has the potential to be a day-one starter. I’m also a big fan of wide receiver Troy Foster out of Huntington Beach, California. Foster’s blend of size and speed makes him a dangerous weapon for the Rams.
Texas State
The Bobcats are showing they are ready to compete and aren’t messing around after landing one of the top recruiting classes in the PAC-12. The class is headlined by Lakeylean Grave, the first-ever four-star recruit in school history—a versatile athlete from Kilgore, Texas, who chose Texas State over multiple Power 4 offers. The Bobcats also landed a future stud at quarterback in Easton Webb, who picked Texas State over power programs like Iowa State and Georgia Tech. This class is impressive and is filled with athletes who are poised to contribute immediately.
The Bad
San Diego State
Without surprise, the Aztecs were able to build a solid recruiting class that is mostly filled with athletes out of California. This class is particularly strong on the defensive side of the ball, where notable additions at EDGE (Alijah Lash and Robby Lavata’i) and safety (Tainoa Lave and Javari Nash) stand out. This class also has talent on the offensive side of the ball, with running back Josiah Lucas looking to be the next big name in a long line of prestigious Aztec running backs. This class may have finished just outside the top half of the PAC-12, but they are poised to compete at a high level.
Fresno State
I know they land in the bad category because they finished sixth in average rating, but this class is really solid despite the lack of star power. One of the standout recruits in this class is wide receiver Xavier Owens out of Louisiana. Landing Owens showed that Entz and his staff have the ability to look outside the state of California to find elite talent. Entz emphasized pass rushing in this class after the Bulldogs struggled in this area this past season. Fresno State added some solid pass rushers in Solomon Baker (out of Nebraska), Brendan Huddleston (out of Missouri), Jake Plummer (also out of Missouri), and Cooper Willoughby (out of Utah) while searching all over the country to find talent.
The Ugly
Utah State
The Aggies did the majority of their damage in the transfer portal but still made some quality additions during the traditional recruiting period. Among the high school signees are prospects such as quarterbacks Brady Goodman and Kaleb Maryland, linebacker Brody Flores, and cornerback O’Shea Webb, showing that the staff has the ability to make quality improvements on both sides of the ball. While the Aggies’ starting quarterback will likely be BYU transfer McCae Hillstead or Virginia transfer Grady Brosterhous, it will be interesting to see if Goodman or Maryland becomes the long-term solution under center.
Washington State
The Cougars finish with the lowest-ranked recruiting class in the PAC-12, thanks in large part to a late coaching change. While they may have finished last, the gap between first and last is the smallest in any conference in college football. This class still has some solid additions with high expectations. The class is highlighted by the early signing of multiple key prospects, such as wide receiver Oliver Bender and dual-threat linebacker/running back Lance McGee. It will be interesting to see what Kirby Moore and his staff can do with a full year to recruit.
How did your school fare in recruiting? Did the PAC-12 give itself an advantage over the Mountain West in how it recruited? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
