New 2019 State Rankings: West Region

The 2019 rankings release is complete with the release of state rankings across the country. Here are five storylines in the West as the summer approaches:

1. No rush for California five-stars

There are 21 five-star prospects so far in this recruiting class. Ten of those players are already committed. None from the West region. Defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux, athlete Bru McCoy and defensive back Chris Steele all remain open in their recruitment. Steele is planning to make his decision in early July, and it doesn’t seem Thibodeaux or McCoy are rushing to make a commitment.

For Steele, USC, Florida, Oregon, South Carolina and Oklahoma seem to be the five that have the best opportunity to land his pledge. Thibodeaux is a wild card since he could stay home and play at USC but Alabama and Florida State have also impressed him. Many believe McCoy will commit to USC at some point but Ohio State, Texas, Oklahoma and others are pressing as well.

2. Arizona purge continues

Over the years, the storyline in Arizona has been how top prospects were fleeing the state and it made it difficult for the Sun Devils and Wildcats to compete for Pac-12 championships. Since 2011, only five-star receiver N’Keal Harry signed with either Arizona or Arizona State.

That trend seems to be continuing this recruiting cycle even with new coaches (Kevin Sumlin at Arizona and Herm Edwards at ASU) in the fold.

The state’s top prospect, four-star quarterback Spencer Rattler, is headed to Oklahoma. Four-star speedy receiver Jake Smith and four-star tight end Brayden Liebrock have committed to Texas. Four-star quarterback Jacob Conover is committed to BYU. Defensive end Braxton Croteau and defensive back Ryan Puskas are headed to Cal.

There is still plenty of time for Arizona and Arizona State to reverse the trend but it remains an issue with top prospects from that state.

3. Oregon is the place to be

The state of Oregon is not loaded with high-end prospects this recruiting cycle but the Ducks are sure getting their fill by dipping into California and raiding that state of top players.

Oregon's top player is four-star quarterback Michael Johnson, Jr., and he has a nationwide approach to his recruitment. The Ducks’ only in-state pledge comes from four-star tight end Patrick Herbert, no surprise since his brother, Justin, is playing so well in Eugene.

Credit has to go to first-year coach Mario Cristobal and his aggressive, energetic staff for going into California and landing commitments from four-star defensive backs Mykael Wright and Jeremiah Criddell, four-star running back Sean Dollars, four-star defensive linemen Mase Funa and Keyon Ware-Hudson and three-star athlete Jayvaun Wilson.

4. Loaded Hawaii class being patient

This could be one of the most-loaded classes in Hawaii in recent memory - and no one is in a rush to make a commitment.

Four-star defensive tackle Faatui Tuitele leads the group and he’s not committed. Neither is four-star linebacker Maninoa Tufono and four-star offensive linemen Julius Buelow or Enokk Vimahi. The top four recruits in Hawaii remain wide open and some of them are still in the early stages of the recruiting process.

Washington is the one school that has hit it big on the Islands with pledges from massive lineman Sama Paama and three-star linebacker Miki Ah You, who made his commitment in recent days. Other than the Huskies, it’s been quiet in Hawaii.

5. Four-star California talent leaving home

There are currently 12 four-star commitments in California. How many are staying in their home state to play college football? One.

That’s right. The only prospect from California staying home is four-star offensive lineman Jason Rodriguez from Hesperia (Calif.) Oak Hills, as he’s committed to USC. The list going elsewhere is lengthy.

Quarterbacks Ryan Hilinski (South Carolina) and Hank Bachmeier (Boise State) are leaving. Oregon has a huge haul of California commitments. Running back Cameron Davis is off to Washington and receiver Braedin Huffman-Dixon is pledged to Colorado. Four-star linebacker De’Gabriel Floyd, a former USC commit, picked Texas.

There will be others that stay home. But UCLA just finally received its first commitment and USC is not loading up with four-star recruits as in years past.

RIVALS RANKINGS WEEK COVERAGE

Rival Views: Who is the top QB? | Who is the top RB?

Tuesday: New Rivals100 released | Five new five-stars | Farrell's Mind of Mike| Rival Views | Which prospect has the most important summer ahead?

Friday: DL rankings | LB rankings | DB rankings | ATH rankings | Ask Farrell: Team rankings predictions

Saturday: Team rankings breakdown