West Spotlight: Storylines to watch in October
Rivals.com national recruiting director Adam Gorney takes a look at some of the most intriguing storylines in the West region as the calendar flips to October.
RELATED: October storylines to watch in the Southeast | Mid-South storylines | Midwest storylines | East storylines
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1. Will Julian Sayin prove to be the No. 1 QB?
There will be a hearty discussion after the season - and especially after the all-star events - about whether Alabama quarterback commit Julian Sayin should move to No. 1 at the quarterback position, and maybe No. 1 overall in the 2024 class.
The Carlsbad, Calif., standout would have to leap over Georgia commit Dylan Raiola but an argument could be made for that to happen, especially if Sayin continues to play so well this season.
Through six games, all of which have been wins by double-digit margins, Sayin is completing nearly 80% of his passes for 1,246 yards with 15 touchdowns and maybe most importantly, no interceptions.
Sayin has always been a phenomenal decision-maker and so savvy running the offense and now he’s added a physical element to his cerebral game. He should be a perfect fit in the Crimson Tide’s offense.
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2. Can Texas flip Auburn commit DeAndre Carter?
After multiple visits to Auburn and especially for the Big Cat Weekend this summer, Carter announced his commitment to the Tigers over Michigan State, Texas and many others.
The Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei four-star standout is massive and could play offensive guard in college but at arguably the nation’s top high school team, he plays left tackle. Texas commit Brandon Baker plays right tackle and what makes this most interesting is that last weekend Carter was back in Austin.
Could the Longhorns flip him? Auburn has always captured Carter’s attention and coach Hugh Freeze and that staff have done wonders getting him to commit, but Texas is not going to back off and his offensive line mate Baker is already committed there.
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3. What will the top uncommitted California DTs do?
Two of the top 22 prospects in the California state rankings remain uncommitted - and both are big-time defensive tackles.
Santa Ana Mater Dei’s Aydin Breland will announce his decision on Oct. 14, with Georgia, Miami and Oregon as his finalists. The Bulldogs have definitely been trending in Breland’s recruitment but the four-star is unpredictable enough that nothing is a lock yet.
The other top uncommitted defensive tackle is Fairfield (Calif.) Armijo’s Jericho Johnson, who had Washington highest on his list for a while, but a recent visit to Oregon could have changed things. The Ducks are definitely a main contender here now, so this could end up being a classic Pacific Northwest battle until Johnson’s commitment.
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4. Did Aaron Butler make the smart move?
Aaron Butler is a four-star receiver from Calabasas, Calif., that committed to Colorado in May after being a pledge to USC for nearly a year. He’s also taken an unorthodox approach to his senior season as Butler has decided to forego the second half of his year to focus on getting to college early.
Butler is reportedly taking four courses in person and four more online to get the necessary credits to leave early and be in Boulder for spring practice.
He’s his team’s leading receiver with 28 catches for 586 yards and five touchdowns through six games, so it must have been an incredibly difficult decision to stop playing with his Calabasas teammates to focus on getting to Colorado early, but it’s done now.
In the end, was it the right decision? It’s certainly unusual and something that might not be answered for some time.
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5. Should Isaac Wilson shoot up the rankings?
Currently ranked as the No. 21 pro-style quarterback in the 2024 class, Isaac Wilson has proven this season in the most important setting - games - that he could move much higher.
But how high is the question.
The Utah commit whose brother is now the starting quarterback of the New York Jets has completed 65% of his passes for 2,782 yards with 31 touchdowns and six interceptions. Wilson has also run 71 times for 545 yards and seven more scores.
Those stats are some of the best among quarterbacks in the 2024 class but let’s also remember that the Draper (Utah) Corner Canyon offense is designed for QBs to put up big numbers. It’s where Ohio State QB Devin Brown (not the starter) played and where Jaxson Dart, who has transferred from USC to Ole Miss, starred as well.
Wilson deserves a bump, no doubt. But how much will still be up for debate since Wilson has more than double the attempts of No. 1 Dylan Raiola and many other higher-rated QBs.