Three-Point Stance: Pac-12 recruiting, commits, odds and ends
Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell’s Three-Point Stance is here with thoughts on Pac-12 recruiting, some huge Pac-12 commitments and some random recruiting thoughts.
MORE MIKE FARRELL: Checking in on Big Ten recruiting | SEC | ACC
1. CHECKING IN ON PAC-12 RECRUITING
Let’s take a look at each conference over the next few weeks as we hit the summer lull in recruiting and see who’s been doing the best and who’s been struggling. We continue today with the Pac-12.
Dominating – Oregon – The Ducks continue their recruiting momentum from a year ago under Mario Cristobal and are leading the conference in points as well as four stars.
So Close – Washington – The Huskies have less commitments than Oregon but a higher average star ranking and could give the Ducks a run for their money by the end of the cycle.
Struggling – USC, UCLA, Utah – USC is taking guys it would never take in other years. I’m not sure why UCLA continues to reach for guys and aren’t as involved with the big names. Utah has only five commitments early.
Quietly Impressive – Cal, Colorado, Arizona – None of these classes will wow you but they are very solid especially for middle-of-the-pack programs in the Pac-12. Cal is 16 for 16 with three-stars, Colorado is 13 for 14 and Arizona is 7 for 8. Not bad.
Happy With Headliners – Arizona State – Chad Johnson Jr. leads the way for the Sun Devils' class as the clear headliner but is joined by some other solid players.
Small But Good – Stanford – The academic restrictions usually mean a slower start for Stanford but this is a high quality class despite its lack of numbers.
2. RECENT PAC-12 COMMITMENTS I LIKE
Commitments have come so quickly over the last few months that I’m going to break down the recent ones I like by conference continuing with the Pac-12 today.
OL Marcus Harper, Oregon – An athletic lineman who can play guard or tackle with his footwork. He's a good get from Illinois.
RB Sam Adams, Washington – Adams can play running back or wide receiver on offense and can be a safety on defense. He’s a huge in-state keep for the Huskies.
OL Myles Murao, Washington – An athletic lineman, Murao projects as a center but could play guard as well and is one of the best in the country.
ATH Trey Paster, Cal – Paster is a big, versatile athlete who will start his career on defense but could play safety or linebacker.
OL Drake Metcalf, Stanford – Metcalf has a nice frame to fill out, is very technically sound and could be a guard or center at the next level. He’s a nice in-state get for Stanford.
ATH Benjamin Yurosek, Stanford – The jumbo athlete could be an elite linebacker or tight end in college. Stanford does well producing both.
LB Jayland Parker, Colorado – Another nice Georgia pickup for Mel Tucker as he continues to use his connections in the Peach State.
DB Doneiko Slaughter, Arizona State – A nice get from across the country, Slaughter will likely be a strong safety in college and has a great work ethic that Herm Edwards will love.
ATH DeaMonte Trayanum, Arizona State – Trayanum is a big, physical running back prospect who could also do his college work on defense if needed.
RB Jalen John, Arizona – John is a big running back with good feet and excellent vision who does his best work bouncing things outside.
RB Nathaniel Jones, UCLA – A shifty running back who can catch the ball out of the backfield he could play all three downs.
3. RECRUITING ODDS AND ENDS
Some random recruiting thoughts…
Florida continues to impress with their geographical reach in this class with a commitment from Texas defensive back Jahari Rogers. The Gators now have in-state commitments as well as commitments from Texas, Virginia, Connecticut and Georgia with plenty of other prospects around the country showing interest. Yes, they’ve missed on some regional targets and some fans are upset with the ability of Dan Mullen and company to close, but reaching these other areas will only help down the road. Rogers joins Avery Helm as a four-star from Texas in this Florida class.
No one, except maybe Nick Saban, can claim to be on the level of Urban Meyer when it comes to recruiting but I never questioned Ryan Day’s ability to fill the big shoes left behind by Meyer and the commitment of Lathan Ransom is another example. The Rivals100 defensive back was rumored to be an Ohio State lean for awhile and finally pulled the trigger. Ransom could be a star for the Buckeyes down the road. He has the size, coverage instincts and willingness to be physical that should make him successful in Columbus. This should also help with running back Bijan Robinson, who also hails from Arizona and is the Buckeyes' top target at his position. Ohio State is now tied with Alabama for the No. 3 class in the country which is Meyer territory during his years at the helm.
Michigan is right behind Ohio State at No. 5 in the country thanks in large part to a very successful run of commitments from prospects who were on official visits. And some of the commitments that have received less attention like Kris Jenkins Jr., Roman Wilson and Eamonn Dennis could surprise and have better careers or bigger impacts that some of the higher-ranked guys. If that happens, Michigan will be in very good shape in a couple of years.
Oklahoma continues to add to a strong 2020 class with four -star in-state offensive lineman Andrew Raym and four-star Texas tight end Jalin Conyers. Raym is still raw from a technique standpoint but has a very good frame to add strength and weight and few programs have done better with offensive linemen than the Sooners in recent years. Conyers is athletic and will be a big target in the OU offense down the road.