Sometimes it’s not always the highest-rated prospects that fit the best with the school of their choice. In this series we call Commit Fit, Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell looks at the best fits from the 2017 class to the schools they signed with.
Today we look at the Pac-12.
Note: These are for high school prospects only
RELATED: Commit Fit: Big Ten | SEC | ACC
QUARTERBACK
1. Davis Mills, Stanford
2. Chase Garbers, Cal
3. Jack Sears, USC
4. Braxton Burmeister, Oregon
5. Ryan Kelley, Arizona State
Farrell’s take: Mills is a perfect fit for what Stanford likes in quarterbacks, especially his decision-making. Garbers has the ability to put up big numbers at Cal even with a defensive hire at head coach. Sears will of course have to wait for USC quarterback Sam Darnold to head off to the NFL but has a lot of the intangibles for the USC offense. Burmeister is big and can move. Kelley needs to quicken his release, but once he does, he could put up big numbers in an offense where quick decisions are needed.
RUNNING BACK
1. Stephen Carr, USC
2. Eno Benjamin, Arizona State
3. Darrian Felix, Oregon
4. Biaggio Ali-Walsh, Cal
5. TJ Green, Utah
Farrell’s take: Carr is dynamic and can catch the ball as well, so he’ll be great for USC’s offense while Benjamin has shifty feet for a power back and will work well in space or as a between-the-tackles runner. Felix has the quicks to fit well at Oregon while Ali-Walsh can run between the tackles but bounce it outside. Green can be the workhorse Utah likes as he bulks up a bit and has sneaky speed.
WIDE RECEIVER
1. Jamire Calvin, Washington State
2. Joseph Lewis, USC
3. Isaiah Hodgins, Oregon State
4. Terrell Bynum, Washington
5. KD Nixon, Colorado
Farrell’s take: Calvin is the perfect slot receiver with blazing speed for Mike Leach’s offense while Lewis is a deep downfield threat who will stretch the field for USC and play to their long ball and red zone strengths. Hodgins is a big receiver with speed and athleticism that Oregon State badly needs, so he will be utilized quickly and Bynum has a chance to be that next ultra-effective slot guy in Washington. Nixon isn’t big, but he’s fast and he can be utilized in many ways in the Colorado offense.
TIGHT END
1. Colby Parkinson, Stanford
2. Hunter Bryant, Washington
3. Josh Falo, USC
4. Jared Poplawski, Colorado
5. Jimmy Jaggers, UCLA
Farrell’s take: Stanford always uses their tight ends effectively, so Parkinson is a good fit and Bryant can be a big target in Washington’s wide-open offense. Falo is athletic and can help stretch the field in an already speedy USC offense while Polawski was a huge late flip and enters a good situation with the CU depth chart as a guy who can play inline or as a flex. Jaggers isn’t the fastest tight end, but he’s a good blocker who can be a great check down and red zone target.
OFFENSIVE LINE
1. Walker Little, Stanford
2. Foster Sarell, Stanford
3. Austin Jackson, USC
4. Jake Moretti, Colorado
5. Alex Forsyth, Oregon
Farrell’s take: Little and Sarell are one of the best 1-2 punches at their position in Rivals history and both fit Stanford’s run-pass power offense well. Jackson is athletic as can be and has great feet, so he can pass protect and get to the second level for USC in run blocking while Moretti is physical and aggressive and is an excellent seal blocker for the Buffs offense. Forsyth brings some much needed aggression and physical play to the Oregon line but can also play in space.
DEFENSIVE END
1. Jaelan Phillips, UCLA
2. Hunter Echols, USC
3. Ryan Johnson, Stanford
4. Miki Suguturaga, Utah
5. Jalen Harris, Arizona
Farrell’s take: Phillips is a freak of nature and can be utilized standing up or with his hand down in a 4-3 set while Echols has great speed off the edge and an excellent shoulder dip, which fills USC’s pass rushing needs. Johnson heads across the country and could grow into a versatile standout like Solomon Thomas while Suguturaga will delay his impact but is a stout and physical kid at the point of attack. Harris is skinny and needs to fill out, but he has the speed that Arizona needs off the edge.
DEFENSIVE TACKLE
1. Jay Tufele, USC
2. Greg Rogers, UCLA
3. Marlon Tuipulotu, USC
4. Kurtis Brown, Arizona
5. Dalyn Wade-Perry, Stanford
Farrell’s take: Tufele and Tuipulotu complement each other very well for USC and can not only stuff the run but get after the passer while Rogers is active and fits in a 3-tech set. Brown has the size and power to be effective in Arizona’s three-man front and Wade-Perry could be one of the steals of the class for Stanford as a massive space-eater.
LINEBACKER
1. Levi Jones, USC
2. Isaac Slade-Matautia, Oregon
3. Levani Damuni, Stanford
4. Rahyme Johnson, UCLA
5. Sampson Niu, Oregon
Farrell’s take: Jones is long and can run and will be a terror in USC’s defense, which relies upon rangy outside linebackers while Slade-Matautia can help add athleticism and instincts to a young Oregon linebacker group. Damuni and Johnson can play inside or outside eventually in their respective schemes with their length while Niu may not be tall, but he packs a wallop and will make Oregon a bit more physical.
CORNERBACK
1. Darnay Holmes, UCLA
2. Jaylon Johnson, Utah
3. Alex Perry, Arizona State
4. Thomas Graham, Oregon
5. Keith Taylor, Washington
Farrell’s take: Holmes is a much-needed franchise corner for UCLA who can also play on special teams and offense if needed while Johnson brings size and a physical nature to a defense that could use a little more length at the position. Arizona State’s defense was awful last year, so a defensive back like Perry could contribute early and will help the tackling while Graham isn’t big but could be a great fit as a smaller, fast corner like others in recent Oregon history. Taylor is technically sound and his smarts are part of what Washington likes at his position.
SAFETY
1. Bubba Bolden, USC
2. Brandon McKinney, Washington
3. Evan Fields, Arizona State
4. Xavier Bell, Arizona
5. Joshua Talbott, Washington State
Farrell’s take: Bolden not only covers a ton of ground but he’s a natural playmaker always around the ball, which is what USC is used to in the backfield. McKinney could be a Budda Baker-type for Washington with a little more size while Fields and Bell have the tackling ability and coverage skills to help two defenses that need it. Talbott could impact early in Washington’s State’s scheme, where five DBs play often.
ATHLETE
1. Greg Johnson, USC
2. Jaylon Redd, Oregon
3. Deommodore Lenoir, Oregon
4. Isaiah Pola-Mao, USC
5. Sione Lund, Utah
Farrell’s take: Johnson could play running back, receiver or defensive back and we all know how many athletes have succeeded at USC. Redd lacks size but has the speed Oregon uses well. Lenoir is similar to Redd but a tad bigger while Pola-Mao and Lund are bigger athletes who could end up as linebackers.