Pac-12: Nothing new for USC
Rivals.com analysts rank the 2011 Pac-12 recruiting classes after National Signing Day. Check back Thursday for an in-depth, team-by-team breakdown of the league.
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1. USC: There was concern about De'Anthony Thomas flipping to Oregon late Wednesday night for good reason. He did it, and it cost USC the top spot in the nation. But it was still a great day for the Trojans, especially by getting Marqise Lee, Aundrey Walker, Christian Heyward and Lamar Dawson in the fold.
2. Oregon: Three-star lineman Jacob Fisher committed early and it was a relatively quiet day in Eugene. Until Thomas flipped from USC. That helped the Ducks forget that they lost out on Delvon Simmons.
3. California: The coaching staff did a phenomenal job signing five outstanding defensive linemen and the defense was bolstered when former Washington commit Kameron Jackson, a three-star cornerback, flipped to Cal.
4. Stanford: It could have been a recruiting meltdown when coach Jim Harbaugh left. But new coach David Shaw locked up many of the former commits and there were no major surprises in Palo Alto.
5. Washington: Four of the top five players in the Washington state rankings signed with the Huskies, a huge positive moving forward. Getting four-star running back Bishop Sankey to switch from Washington State last week was big.
6. Utah: There was not much action for Utah on signing day. There's a chance three-star cornerback Ryan Henderson could switch his decision. Four-star QB Michael Eubank considered the Utes, but stuck with his Arizona State pledge.
7. UCLA: The Bruins got a ray of sunshine on an otherwise dreary recruiting class when four-star defensive tackle Kevin McReynolds committed. Losing three-star offensive tackle Torian White to USC hurt.
8. Arizona: It was a bit surprising that three-star wide receiver Patrick Onwuasor committed to the Wildcats over ASU and Miami. Keeping four-star running back Ka'Deem Carey on board was crucial.
9. Oregon State: Junior college defensive end Rudolf Fifita was a nice late addition, as was Oklahoma athlete d'Vante Henry. The Beavers have a solid class of workhorses mixed with skill players who can make a difference.
10. Arizona State: Keeping four-star QB Michael Eubank in the class was crucial, especially after a string of bad news for the Sun Devils. There is word Utah has signed former ASU commit Quinton Pedroza, a three-star athlete, and that's not what the Sun Devils needed to hear.
11. Colorado: Running back Malcolm Creer committed to the Buffaloes and things are looking up after new coach Jon Embree got three-star defensive end Juda Parker out of Hawaii. Former Washington commit Paulay Asiata, Parker's high school teammate, is also heading to Boulder now.
12. Washington State: Some positive news: Four-star offensive guard Alex Mitchell is supposed to commit to the Cougars next week and three-star tight end Mansel Simmons committed on Wednesday. Some bad news: The Cougars still find themselves on the bottom of the Pac-10 rankings.
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