Pac-12 Spotlight: Three-stars to watch
Five- and four-stars are written about all the time, but there are plenty of three-star prospects that have committed to programs across the country that could make an early impact. Here is a look at some across the Pac-12.
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RELATED: Three-stars to watch in the Big Ten | ACC | SEC
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022: Top 100
MORE: Rivals Transfer Tracker
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LB Brandon Buckner, Oregon
Recruiting: Buckner, who had 53 tackles including 16 sacks last season after missing four games, picked Oregon over Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and others. The Ducks have raided the state of Arizona so far this recruiting cycle with four pledges.
Farrell’s take: Buckner is a big prospect who could be vastly underrated. He’s athletic and will fit right in with Justin Flowe and Noah Sewell down the line.
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QB Finn Collins, Arizona State
Recruiting: Collins, who threw for 3,500 yards and 39 touchdowns in his junior season, picked Arizona State in April over Oregon State and others. The Sun Devils have done really well with quarterbacks from California in the past, including current starter Jayden Daniels, and Collins could be next in line.
Farrell’s take: A tall passer from California, he’s important because the Sun Devils need to hit California as hard as ever with so many schools coming in to raid their home state.
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LB Easton Mascarenas, Oregon State
Recruiting: Mascarenas picked Oregon State over 10 other offers including Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, Washington and Washington State; his brother, Akili Arnold, already plays in Corvallis. Many top Oregon State players have come from California in recent years and Mascarenas has a chance to quickly move up the rankings with a big senior season.
Farrell’s take: An athletic linebacker, Mascarenas is a key get from Southern California where the Beavers would like to pull away some second-tier players.
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TE Lake McRee, USC
Recruiting: An early Texas commit, McRee backed off that pledge in February and by June he was committed to USC. Auburn, LSU, Washington, Penn State and Purdue were also high on McRee’s list of schools. Hitting Texas prospects has been a focus in this 2021 USC class as four-stars Quaydarius Davis and Brandon Campbell have already pledged.
Farrell’s take: McRae is another state of Texas commitment for USC as the Trojans hit the state hard. More talent has come out of Texas in recent years than in a long time and it’s a great time for USC to create more connections.
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QB Kai Millner, Cal
Recruiting: Millner took a visit to Cal right before the coronavirus quarantine. The Golden Bears always looked strong in his recruitment and he committed in April over Arizona, Arizona State, Miami and others. Two of eight Cal commits are from the state of Arizona.
Farrell’s take: This is a nice steal from Arizona for Cal as the Bears continue their out-of-state recruiting efforts. Arizona has become an important area for them.
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DB Joshua Moore, Stanford
Recruiting: Boston College, Duke, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Stanford and Syracuse were the final six for Moore, who chose the Cardinal in mid-May. The state of Georgia has been good for Stanford over the years, including last recruiting cycle with five-star OL Myles Hinton.
Farrell’s take: Prospects choose Stanford for academics, but landing talented players from across the country and especially in Georgia is nice for David Shaw. This kid can play and continues solid efforts in the Peach State.
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ATH Isaiah Newcombe, UCLA
Recruiting: Yet another top Arizona prospect who left the state, Newcombe committed to UCLA earlier this month over Nebraska, Washington, Utah and others. More than half of the Bruins’ class is from the state of California with Newcombe being the only one from Arizona.
Farrell’s take: Newcombe is a Nebraska legacy and yet another state of Arizona prospect plucked away. His speed and elusiveness is perfect as a wide receiver for Chip Kelly.
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LB Trey Reynolds, Utah
Recruiting: Reynolds committed to Utah in late May over UCLA, Michigan State, Oregon and others. He's another top recruit from Arizona that won’t stay in-state. The Utes have only four commitments with Reynolds the only one from Arizona.
Farrell’s take: Utah doesn’t have a great recruiting territory, so landing prospects like Reynolds from Arizona is big. Notice a trend here? Lots of talent is leaving the state of Arizona.
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DB Zakhari Spears, Washington
Recruiting: Spears committed to Washington over Cal, Oregon and many others in late January, citing his excellent relationship with new coach Jimmy Lake and others. From former coach Chris Petersen and now to Lake and his staff, California has been a huge priority in the Huskies’ recruiting and it continues to pay off.
Farrell’s take: Southern Cal is an important area for Washington to recruit and the Huskies do well landing good defensive backs from the state. Spears could be next in line.
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DL Xavier Young, Washington State
Recruiting: In May, Young committed to Washington State over Georgia Tech, Maryland and others. Washington State has had some success landing prospects from the state of Florida in recent years with seven currently on the roster.
Farrell’s take: Landing a big and athletic end from Florida is rare for Washington State but the Cougars like to continue to spot recruit the state more and this helps.