8/20/2020 football Edit

Three-Point Stance: Pac-12 players, prospects to watch, Top 25

Mike Farrell • Rivals.com

Rivals National Columnist

Three-Point Stance is here with some Pac-12 players who really needed a football season for draft status, a look at some 2023 standouts early and his preseason Top 25 if the Big Ten and Pac-12 hadn't pushed their season back to the spring.

FACT OR FICTION: Jalen Milroe will be next Jalen Hurts at Alabama

CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State

CLASS OF 2022: Top 100

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1. TEN PAC-12 PLAYERS THAT NEEDED A SEASON

Tuesday I listed 10 Big Ten players I felt could have really used a fall season to their draft status and today I’ll name my 10 for the Pac-12. While we know players like Penei Sewell and Paulson Adebo have solidified their stock, these guys haven’t.

WR Tyler Vaughns, USC — The wide receiver group is deep in the 2021 NFL Draft and teammate Amon-Ra St. Brown already grades out high, so Vaughns needed a big year to jump into the first round discussion.

OL Walker Little, Stanford — I still think Little will be a first-rounder, but it would have been helpful to see how healthy is he coming off an injured season.

QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA — He showed some promising signs last year and has the NFL intrigued a bit, so now what does he do?

LB Hamilcar Rashed, Oregon State — Everyone wanted to see if last year was a fluke and how one of the best pass-rushers in the draft would look.

LB Kuony Deng, Cal — The Last Chance U star had everyone intrigued by his ability and a huge year could have catapulted him into top round discussions.

QB Jake Bentley, Utah — Bentley was expected to lead a strong Utah team this season and perhaps boost some very average draft stock.

RB CJ Verdell, Oregon — Verdell is overlooked a bit when it comes to national running backs, but he put together back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons and needed another.

RB Max Borghi, Washington State — Borghi has been trying to prove he’s an NFL caliber back and had a lot to show this season under a new offense.

LB Nate Landman, Colorado — Landman is a great player and, in an average linebacker draft, he could have raised his stock quite a bit.

LB Joe Tryon, Washington — The Pac-12 is loaded with linebackers and Tyron is an excellent edge rusher who could have pushed Rashed and others for sack numbers.

2. MORE PROSPECTS TO WATCH IN 2023

With our first numerical release of the Rivals250 for the class of 2022 this week, its way too early to rank the 2023 class based on freshman film and a very limited off season. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t elite players to watch. Here are a few I like a lot.

1. WR Brandon Inniss — It’s rare when a wide receiver dominates the conversation for the No. 1 prospect in the country, but Inniss could be that special.

2. QB Arch Manning — Put the name aside, there is a lot to like here from release to accuracy to smarts. OK, and let’s add the name. Mannings turn out OK.

3. QB Malachi Nelson — Nelson will push Manning for the top quarterback in this class and we could have a Justin Fields/Trevor Lawrence-like battle coming up.

4. DE Brenan Vernon — The Ohio State lean is an elite pass rusher already. It’s early, especially for defensive linemen, but he sure looks good.

5. OT Francis Mauigoa — California hasn’t produced elite tackles in recent years but this kid could change all of that.

6. DE Jason Moore — The Chase Young comparisons will be made for the young rush end from Dematha and he has the ceiling for it.

7. RB Reuben Owens — The 2022 class isn’t elite when it comes to running backs but Owens leads a strong group in 2023. He should be a star wherever he lands.

8. ATH Treyaun Webb — He could be an elite wide receiver or defensive back for Georgia.

9. DE Peter Woods — Alabama doesn’t go on too many prospects so early but Woods is worth it as a physical pass rusher.

10. DE Lebbeus Overton — The early hype is there and he’s a great looking prospect who simply dominates already.

3. FARRELL TOP 25

Let me to pretend for a moment, OK? Let me pretend that the Big Ten and Pac-12 didn’t throw in the towel so early on a fall football season. Let me pretend that I’m doing a real college football Top 25 as I always am around this time of year. Here’s what it would have looked like:

1. Clemson

2. Ohio State

3. Alabama

4. Oregon

5. LSU

6. Georgia

7. Oklahoma

8. Florida

9. Penn State

10. Notre Dame

11. Wisconsin

12. Auburn