Conference breakdown: Top targets in Pac-12

After a month of June that saw a wave of commitments in the Pac-12, conference programs will be looking to reassess their needs as they head into the fall. This week we take a look at the biggest targets on the board for each conference program.

RELATED: Alpha dogs in each Pac-12 class

Shooting for the stars here, but Lewis going to Arizona is not as far-fetched as once imagined. The two most important things to the five-star receiver are his relationship with the position coach and the opportunity to see the field early. That should be what the Wildcats focus on mostly when recruiting him. Plus, four-star teammate Greg Johnson is already committed to Arizona. That might not be as huge a factor as first believed, but there are links there that could play into Lewis’ thinking. The five-star receiver is expected to take official visits to Arizona, Nebraska and Oklahoma so far.

Once committed to the Sun Devils, Perry is still seriously thinking about playing at Arizona State and it would be a huge re-commitment since the four-star is one of the best defensive backs in the region. Not only is Perry serious about Arizona State, but so are some other Las Vegas Bishop Gorman teammates plus his brother, Armand, is already on the team. For the Sun Devils to get Perry’s pledge, then lose it, only to be back in the ballgame again, would be huge for them because Perry is super talented and it fills a big need in this class.

Harris is committed to Alabama. The five-star running back has given no real indication he’s seriously looking elsewhere. But if the Antioch, Calif., has cold feet late in the recruiting process or coach Sonny Dykes and his staff can convince the second-rated player in this class that staying home is a better option, then it would be arguably the biggest “steal” in this class. Harris has all the tools to be special wherever he goes, a mix of Derrick Henry and Todd Gurley who has dominated nearly event he’s ever participated in. If Cal could land him, watch out Pac-12.

Four schools still seem to be seriously in the running at this point for the Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei three-star linebacker as Colorado, Arizona State, Louisville and Washington State are standing out most. The Buffaloes have had success recruiting Southern California since joining the Pac-12. If they hope to be competitive in the conference then they must keep landing prospects like Fa’avae, who is so productive from his linebacker position.

Redd has had a tremendous offseason by winning the illSPEED finals in Baltimore and looking great at the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge Presented by Under Armour in Atlanta. The four-star has been compared to Charles Nelson for Oregon fans and it looks like the Ducks are in good shape for Redd, who recently released a top group. There are other higher-ranked players on the board, but Redd could do so much, it would be a huge pickup for Oregon.

Recruiting across the offensive line is one of many priorities for Oregon State this cycle and the good news is there are a bunch of standout players at those positions to pursue. One top target is four-star Bainivalu out of Sammamish (Wash.) Skyline, who has been looking at the Beavers as his recruitment continues. The Beavers have already landed two three-star offensive linemen in this class, so that’s an impressive start but getting Bainivalu’s commitment would be huge.

There is no question Darnay Holmes and Foster Sarell are big-time Stanford targets this recruiting cycle, but we’re going with Little in this spot. The Houston (Texas) Episcopal recruit is serious about the Cardinal and would be a perfect fit for the tough, grinding offense that coach David Shaw employs. There are many other suitors for Little, but Stanford is right there and he would be a huge pickup along with some other marquee names in the West.

The top-rated prospect in the 2017 class seems to be serious about USC. He will visit the school and if things go well, then there’s no telling what could happen. The Trojans have never had a difficult time recruiting out-of-state prospects to Los Angeles and Wilson is good enough to be an early contributor. The five-star defensive tackle has seemed to talk a lot about USC and Oklahoma recently, but landing him won’t be easy for the Trojans. SEC schools and closer Big 12 schools are all over him, so it’s going to take a huge effort to land the top dog.

Holmes has been linked to Stanford and Nebraska and he’s planning official visits to Michigan and Ohio State among other stops, but UCLA has a very real chance of landing his pledge. The five-star could have an immediate impact in Westwood, but what’s playing the biggest factor here is Holmes’ relationship with defensive backs coach Demetrice Martin, who is a close family friend. Holmes’ dad, Darick, and Martin go back a ways and that connection, along with many other things at UCLA, will be a big deal.

In some ways, Sears is the last man standing, the only dual-threat quarterback in the top 11 not to be committed, although that should all be sorted out in the coming weeks. Utah went to San Clemente, Calif., a few years ago to land QB Travis Wilson and that worked out pretty well. The Utes are hoping to go back to that well for Sears, a talented recruit who recently narrowed his list to Duke, UCLA, USC and Utah. If the Utes could pull this one off, it would be huge.

At The Opening this past weekend, Sarell established himself as one of the best offensive tackles in the country and it would be big for the Huskies to keep him in-state. He’s also looking at Notre Dame and Stanford and now other schools, including Alabama, have piqued his interest. Sarell has the ability to be an immediate starter maybe at any program and definitely for the Huskies.

When one thinks of Washington State, it’s all about the playmakers on offense, but the Cougars also need to reload along the offensive line and Kirkland is a top priority. The Pacific Northwest is loaded with quality players at offensive tackle and Washington State has a strong shot at landing Kirkland, one of the biggest at 6-foot-7 and 305 pounds. Keeping four-star WR Isaiah Hodgins locked up is an absolute top priority for Wazzu’s class, too.