Pac-12 breakdown: West stock report
Many prospects in the West have completed their 2016 season, and the postseason update to the classes of 2017 and 2018 rankings are near. Here is an early look at several regional prospects whose stock is moving either up or down.
STOCK UP
Recruitment: The former USC commit is still considering the Trojans along with Ohio State, Colorado, Arizona State, UCLA and many other programs as his recruitment continues to ramp up.
Analysis: Bolden is rated as the No. 15 safety in the class and that’s far too low based on his performances especially against big-time competition this season. The four-star had two interceptions and a bunch of nice tackles in Gorman’s win over Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas and he was excellent in a victory over Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco, too. Bolden is a big-time player who runs down plays, makes plays in the secondary and has some special qualities to his game.
Recruitment: Nebraska, Oregon and Oregon State look to be the finalists for the four-star receiver who is expected to announce on Nov. 19. He plans to enroll early. Hodgins had been committed to Washington State earlier in his recruitment.
Analysis: Hodgins has had a dominant senior season, continues to post huge numbers and with his size and pass-catching ability he’s starting to put himself up there with some of the best receivers in the West. So far, Hodgins has caught 76 passes for 1,281 yards and 17 touchdowns. Everybody knows he’s going to get the ball and nobody can stop him. Hodgins is averaging 17 yards per catch, too, which means he could be a special deep threat in any offense.
Recruitment: Johnson is committed to Arizona but is taking other official visits.
Analysis: Johnson has been dominant on both sides of the ball this season especially in a loaded offense that also features five-star wide receivers Joseph Lewis and Jalen Hall. The four-star prospect has been phenomenal at running back, dicing through defenders, showing excellent speed to the outside and the ability to catch the ball as well. On defense, Johnson is a lockdown corner who is physical and fast. He’s had an outstanding season and in college he has the physical ability to contribute all over the field.
Recruitment: Wacaser’s recruitment has been all over the place because so many new offers have come in through his senior season and he’s not expected to take many visits until after his senior season. Arizona, Cal, Oregon, UCLA, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Washington State and many others are involved.
Analysis: Wacaser only weighs around 260 pounds but he is surprisingly physical for his size and could only become more powerful as he adds weight going into college. He’s a versatile offensive lineman who can drive defenders to the ground, get up the field and block, and he does a little bit of everything to make the Saguaro offense run smoothly.
Recruitment: Wedington is committed to Washington.
Analysis: Another two-way standout, Wedington is lethal at running back as he has no problem breaking leg tackles, bouncing off defenders, squirming through the smallest space or bouncing the run outside for big gains. Once in the open field, nobody can catch him and that’s why he’s a big-play threat with the ball in his hands. On defense, the Washington commit is a fantastic corner who’s rarely tested. When he is, Wedington usually picks the ball off. He’s already rushed for 1,460 yards and 18 touchdowns and his team remains undefeated.
STOCK DOWN
Recruitment: Ohio State is the early front-runner for Jackson but Nebraska, Washington, Colorado and many other programs are still pursuing the 2018 four-star prospect.
Analysis: First, the positive: Jackson is one of the better-looking prospects in the West. He’s long, lean, athletic, he can cover a lot of ground and those things could help propel him into the college game. Plus, he was playing safety when we saw him and almost everybody is recruiting him to play outside linebacker. But Jackson seems downright disinterested at times, didn’t make a ton of plays at defensive back when there were opportunities and needs to find that constant eye-of-the-tiger mentality to really reach his maximum potential.
Recruitment: Krommenhoek is committed to USC.
Analysis: The West is absolutely loaded at tight end this recruiting cycle and one of the best ones is Krommenhoek, a 6-foot-5, 240-pound prospect who has an excellent frame and looks like he could dominate in the Pac-12. But he’s just not putting up huge numbers on his high school team and doesn’t have elite speed to separate from Pac-12 defenders. So far this season, Krommenhoek is averaging just about two catches per game and he has six touchdowns. At USC, Krommenhoek could shine but a four-star recruit should be doing more.
