An inside look at recruiting for the 25 schools west of Texas. And sure, UTEP is technically farther west than four of these schools, but being in Texas, they are not considered to be part of the West for the purposes of this article.
(As of the end of Week 7)
Air Force
A talented team desperate for secondary help gets key pieces in Hemphill and Harley, but you will probably see them go hard after some experienced defensive backs in the Juco process. Everyone in Colorado Springs is hoping that Ted Blake can be the next Nico Kauffman.
QB Ted Blake 6-5 222 Fr Eaglecrest (Centennial CO) 1.0 of 4.0 [Scrambling]
ILB Simon Waddell 6-4 248 Fr Millard North (Omaha NE) 1.0 of 3.5 [Mike]
WR Cooper Humphrey 6-2 153 Fr J.K. Mullen (Denver CO) 1.0 of 3.0 [Speed]
CB Joshua Donohue 6-1 203 Fr Grand Junction (Grand Junction CO) 1.0 of 3.5 [Man Coverage]
SS Cameron Harley 5-10 216 Fr Elizabeth (Elizabeth CO) 1.0 of 4.0 [Man Coverage]
RB Bobby Crews 5-10 195 Fr Eaglecrest (Centennial CO) 1.0 of 3.5 [Power]
FB Elijah Peters 5-11 205 Fr Ainsworth (Ainsworth NE) 1.0 of 3.5 [Run Blocking]
CB Raekwon Hemphill 5-9 198 Fr Southwest (San Diego CA) 1.0 of 4.5 [Zone Coverage]
OLB Kameron Durham 6-3 218 Fr Alliance (Alliance NE) 1.0 of 3.5 [Blitz]
WR Benjamin Schuler 6-2 185 Fr Fontana (Fontana CA) 1.5 of 3.0 [Speed]
OLB Joel Decker 6-0 224 Fr D'Evelyn (Denver CO) 1.5 of 4.0 [Blitz]
Arizona
Not an elite class so far, with only one player with NFLHC potential. Arizona still has a couple of battles to fight and will need to win them to threaten the top half of the PAC-12. OLB Kieran Skaggs currently favors the offer from the Wildcats, but still has visits scheduled with both UCLA and Stanford.
TE Larry Cooke 6-6 199 Fr Hayfork (Hayfork CA) 1.0 of 3.5 [Receiving]
OT Bart Mahan 6-3 296 Fr Mountain Pointe (Phoenix AZ) 1.0 of 3.5 [Pass Blocking]
WR Zion Carroll 6-1 160 Fr East Fork Lutheran (Whiteriver AZ) 1.0 of 3.5 [Speed]
ILB Terrence McIntosh 6-1 255 Fr Holbrook (Holbrook AZ) 1.0 of 4.0 [Mike]
DT Bronson Epps 6-3 288 Fr Thatcher (Thatcher AZ) 1.0 of 3.5 [2-Gap]
DE Gavin Traylor 6-4 245 Fr Valley (Bakersfield CA) 1.5 of 3.5 [Contain]
KR Zaire Joyner 5-10 159 Fr St. Mary's College (Berkeley CA) 1.0 of 3.5 [Hybrid]
Arizona State
Arizona State has only signed one player, and while Kirksey is an elite talent, he can only play one position. The Sun Devils are going to be in trouble if they cannot add some depth to this class.
WR Deon Kirksey 6-3 204 Fr Argonaut (Jackson CA) 1.5 of 5.0 [Target]
Boise State
The Broncos have done what they needed to do with this class, and that is bring in depth across the board. Looking to Washington and California, Boise State was able to pull some players in that will help them stay relevant in the Mountain West. Snell will be a different maker along the defensive front. A key battle for them is developing with Oregon State over a quality RB in Jayden Frey.
ILB Micah Wahl 6-1 208 Fr Shelton (Shelton WA) 3.0 of 3.0 [Will]
SS Isiah Reid 5-10 193 Fr Decatur (Federal Way WA) 1.0 of 3.5 [Man Coverage]
SS Nasir Hayes 6-1 205 Fr Concrete (Concrete WA) 1.0 of 3.5 [Man Coverage]
OT Nathan Dozier 6-1 303 Fr Long Beach Polytechnic ( CA) 1.0 of 3.5 [Run Blocking]
QB Finn Lantz 6-4 190 Fr Capital (Boise ID) 2.0 of 3.5 [Pocket]
OT Richard Frey 6-5 315 Fr Filer (Filer ID) 1.0 of 3.0 [Pass Blocking]
CB Amir McNeill 6-0 196 Fr Charles Wright (Tacoma WA) 1.0 of 3.0 [Zone Coverage]
OG Cameron Adler 6-1 265 Fr Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks CA) 1.0 of 3.5 [Run Blocking]
DE Julian Marion 6-7 245 Fr Montesano (Montesano WA) 1.0 of 3.5 [Blitz]
FS Janoris Bush 6-0 198 Fr North Thurston (Lacey WA) 1.0 of 3.0 [Man Coverage]
RB Derrick Moffett 5-7 217 Fr Renton (Renton WA) 1.0 of 3.5 [Power]
DE Jon Snell 6-7 244 Fr Williams (Williams CA) 1.0 of 4.5 [Contain]
WR Jamir Ellington 5-11 158 Fr Madison (Rexburg ID) 1.0 of 3.0 [Speed]
BYU
One of the more surprising classes in the country, BYU has brought in a lot of quality talent. The Cougars landed a pair of mammoth receivers and three solid cornerback prospects along with several other players scattered around the roster to provide not only depth, but potential NFLHC prospects to start for them. If the Cougars do not sign another player, it is already a successful class for them.
CB Darrelle Booker 6-1 188 Fr San Juan (Blanding UT) 1.0 of 4.0 [Man Coverage]
K Leonard Denton 6-4 157 Fr Granite (Salt Lake City UT) 1.0 of 3.5 [Accuracy]
FB Albert Hacker 6-1 224 Fr San Juan (Blanding UT) 1.0 of 4.0 [Pass Blocking]
P Isaako Kini 6-0 197 Fr Boulder City (Boulder City NV) 3.0 of 3.0 [Power]
QB Steven Barber 6-3 225 Fr Pingree-Buchanan (Pingree ND) 2.0 of 3.5 [Scrambling]
ILB Joel Parish Jr. 6-3 264 Fr Woods Cross (Woods Cross UT) 1.0 of 3.0 [Mike]
OT Walter Mayer 6-1 321 Fr Payson (Payson UT) 1.0 of 4.0 [Run Blocking]
WR Richard Wyatt 6-5 227 Fr Tonopah (Tonopah NV) 1.0 of 4.0 [Target]
OT Ivan Dickey 6-6 293 Fr Gabbs (Gabbs NV) 1.5 of 3.5 [Run Blocking]
RB Adarius Galloway 5-10 211 Fr Provo (Provo UT) 1.0 of 4.0 [Power]
CB Jalen Lovett 5-11 185 Fr San Juan (Blanding UT) 1.0 of 4.0 [Man Coverage]
CB John Jordan 5-10 191 Fr San Juan (Blanding UT) 1.0 of 3.5 [Zone Coverage]
WR Justin Dobbs 6-5 234 Fr Judge Memorial (Salt Lake City UT) 1.5 of 4.0 [Target]
OLB Brayden Reeder 5-11 216 Fr Kearns (Kearns UT) 1.0 of 4.0 [Blitz]
California
The Golden Bears have been embroiled in several high-profile battles over some big-time recruits. The juice will certainly be worth the squeeze in landing Engel, a stud tackle to anchor their line. Cal dipped into Texas and pulled out a special teamer that could potentially play right away. Hightower was one of three marquee WR out of the state of California this year, and he committed early to Berkeley. Signing Engel and Hightower early in the process should free the coaching staff up to look after other recruits.
OT Philip Engel 6-2 301 Fr Golden Valley (Merced CA) 1.5 of 5.0 [Run Blocking]
K Patrick Kane 5-8 185 Fr Prestonwood Christian Academy ( TX) 3.0 of 3.5 [Accuracy]
PR Rafael Anaya 6-4 226 Fr Valley Christian (San Jose CA) 1.0 of 4.0 [Specialist]
FB Lorenzo Shearer 5-9 229 Fr Valley Christian (San Jose CA) 1.5 of 4.0 [Run Blocking]
WR Marcus Hightower 6-3 192 Fr Glendale (Glendale CA) 1.0 of 5.0 [Speed]
Colorado
The Buffs coaching staff has spread themselves all over the country this year, looking for talent. The returns so far are just four players, but ones that will help the program. Beck was considered by many as the best OG prospect in the country, while McCrary has won accolades as one of the nation’s top high school TEs.
DE Frank Hinson 6-7 238 Fr Munroe Day (Quincy FL) 2.5 of 3.5 [Contain]
OG Wyatt Beck 6-4 288 Fr Hilltop (Chula Vista CA) 3.0 of 4.5 [Run Blocking]
OLB Frederick Grant III 5-11 227 Fr Limon (Limon CO) 2.0 of 4.5 [Blitz]
TE Kameron McCrary 6-5 200 Fr Brookhaven (Brookhaven MS) 2.5 of 4.5 [Receiving]
Colorado State
Colorado State is another school that knows no borders in recruiting, having landed eight players thus far from seven different states. There are whispers that Reeves could be just as good, if not better than CSU’s all-time leading receiver Jeremy Scarborough. With David Barrow, who chose the Rams over Georgia Tech because the coaching staff was much more attentive to him, slinging the ball, Reeves may have a chance to approach some of Scarborough’s numbers. If the Rams are able to beat out Iowa for 4-star RB Davien Dickens, the offense in Fort Collins will be a force to be reckoned with. On the other side of the ball, Whalen teams up with Alexander Yeager and Milo Jewell to form a formidable linebacking corps. Not to be discounted, they also have two of the better names in the country signed as bookend offensive tackles, Ranoris Neru and Lagi Tagata.
OLB Peter Whalen 6-4 217 Fr Adams City (Commerce City CO) 2.5 of 4.0 [Coverage]
DT Jake Stout 6-4 304 Fr Friends (Wilmington DE) 1.0 of 3.5 [1-Gap]
OT Ranoris Neru 6-4 323 Fr Collinwood (Collinwood TN) 3.0 of 3.5 [Pass Blocking]
P Asher Goldsmith 5-7 163 Fr Bountiful (Bountiful UT) 1.0 of 3.5 [Accuracy]
OT Noah Gross 6-7 261 Fr Manti (Manti UT) 2.0 of 3.0 [Run Blocking]
QB David Barrow 6-1 225 Fr Brevard Christian ( FL) 2.0 of 4.0 [Pocket]
DT Noah Dotson 6-5 301 Fr Flatonia (Flatonia TX) 3.0 of 3.0 [1-Gap]
WR Marion Reeves 6-3 226 Fr Aspen (Aspen CO) 1.0 of 5.0 [Target]
OT Lagi Tagata 6-2 257 Fr Beau Chene (Arnaudville LA) 3.0 of 3.5 [Pass Blocking]
Fresno State
An impressive class on the defensive side of the ball, with Gilchrist, their star recruit at CB, and Alshon Wooten, who was sniped from Oregon late, coming off of the edge. The key to this class though may be Schultz, who fell into Fresno’s lap without any competition within the first couple of weeks. Future signal-caller Teddy Cagle will need some weapons around him, and will have a hard time replacing Ryan Harris, but fans of the Bulldogs will be thrilled with this class, which could be bolstered by the additional signings of DT Jared McCormack and WR August Kenney, among others in coming weeks.
WR Donovan Francis 6-2 196 Fr St. Mary's College (Berkeley CA) 1.0 of 3.0 [Speed]
QB Teddy Cagle 5-11 215 Fr Sonoma Valley (Sonoma CA) 1.0 of 4.0 [Pocket]
DT Phillip Britton 6-1 300 Fr Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland CA) 1.5 of 3.0 [1-Gap]
ILB Jon Baumgartner 6-3 228 Fr Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland CA) 1.0 of 3.0 [Mike]
OLB Calvin Heath 6-1 224 Fr Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks CA) 2.5 of 3.0 [Coverage]
DT Kahawai Konishiki 6-1 273 Fr Edison (Stockton CA) 1.5 of 3.0 [1-Gap]
DE Malik Goins 6-1 265 Fr Argonaut (Jackson CA) 1.0 of 3.0 [Contain]
CB Jason Raji 5-10 181 Fr De La Salle (Concord CA) 1.0 of 3.0 [Man Coverage]
OG Jeremy Oliveira 6-4 306 Fr Mission San Jose (Fremont CA) 1.0 of 3.0 [Pass Blocking]
OG Janoris Lemon 6-4 297 Fr D.S. Jordan (Los Angeles CA) 2.0 of 3.0 [Pass Blocking]
OG Raymond Sneed 6-5 276 Fr Serra (San Diego CA) 1.0 of 3.5 [Run Blocking]
WR Ajani Walker 5-10 195 Fr Mammoth (Mammoth Lakes CA) 1.0 of 3.0 [Speed]
ILB Garrett Schulz 5-11 240 Fr D.S. Jordan (Los Angeles CA) 1.0 of 5.0 [Will]
DE Alshon Wooten 6-6 269 Fr South (Bakersfield CA) 2.0 of 4.0 [Contain]
CB A.J. Gilchrist 6-1 184 Fr Temecula Valley (Temecula CA) 1.5 of 5.0 [Zone Coverage]
Hawai'i
I do not think anyone expected the Rainbow Warriors to be able to follow up last year’s bumper crop of recruits with another similar class. And while this class may be short on star quality, there are still some important pieces that have been added. The interior line will be anchored by Weathers and Edmondson, giving Hawai’i a strong presence up front. Hickman was one of the better OLB prospects on the west coast, and the team is trying to persuade ILB Shawn Mason to line up alongside him, though he currently is leaning towards Boise State.
OLB Mohammed Gregory 6-4 221 Fr Konawaena (Kealakekua HI) 1.0 of 3.5 [Blitz]
OLB Leon Hickman 5-11 220 Fr St. Mary's College (Berkeley CA) 2.0 of 4.0 [Blitz]
OG Jerraud Weathers 6-3 275 Fr Argonaut (Jackson CA) 2.0 of 4.5 [Run Blocking]
C Raymond Hutchins 6-1 273 Fr Orange Glen (Escondido CA) 3.0 of 3.0 [Run Blocking]
OT Marc Savage 6-1 275 Fr Kamehameha (Honolulu HI) 1.5 of 3.0 [Run Blocking]
OT Jaheim Parham 6-5 260 Fr Konawaena (Kealakekua HI) 1.0 of 3.5 [Run Blocking]
OG Kieran Edmondson 6-2 324 Fr Serra (San Diego CA) 1.0 of 4.5 [Pass Blocking]
FS Nicolas Bradford 6-0 198 Fr Argonaut (Jackson CA) 1.0 of 3.0 [Zone Coverage]
SS Evan Holman 6-0 187 Fr Mid-Pacific Institute (Honolulu HI) 1.5 of 3.5 [Man Coverage]
RB Kevin Little 5-11 192 Fr Konawaena (Kealakekua HI) 1.0 of 3.5 [Speed]
LS Luke Ocampo 6-0 244 Fr El Dorado (Placerville CA) 1.0 of 3.5 [Specialized]
Nevada
Nevada has struggled to get commitments from some of their targets, but those that have signed on are top-notch football players. Spangler could be a 4-year starter, while Bower and Livingston will team up to man the interior line for them in a few short years. A key battle for the Wolf Pack to keep an eye on is for RB Bronson Willingham. The blue-chip speed back out of Gabbs, Nevada, has waffled back and forth between Nevada and UNLV, and his decision might come down to the wire. The same two schools are fighting over OT Avery Drew and CB Kaden Hairston as well.
ILB Jacoby Spangler 6-0 235 Fr Seton Catholic (Chandler AZ) 3.0 of 4.5 [Will]
OG Greg Livingston 6-2 322 Fr Shadow Ridge (Las Vegas NV) 1.5 of 4.0 [Pass Blocking]
C Damien Bower 6-3 282 Fr Mt. Diablo (Concord CA) 2.0 of 4.0 [Pass Blocking]
New Mexico
What a difference a year makes. Last year, the Lobos enjoyed having a talent-rich state to themselves, and brought in a bevy of talented young players. This year, they have signed a punter and an undersized defensive end. Saving face with their alumni will be important, and stealing OLB J.T. Raji from Arizona could be a start for them.
DE Adam Myrick 6-0 253 Fr Thoreau (Thoreau NM) 1.0 of 3.5 [Blitz]
P Marshal Altman 6-1 161 Fr Crowell (Crowell TX) 1.0 of 3.5 [Accuracy]
Oregon
Having fought off Fresno State to win the services of Gaines, the Ducks have captured their first blue-chip OLB since 2015. The PAC-12 North arms race sees intense battles between Oregon and Cal over three different players, FS Carter Vareen, DE Jamal Dorsey, and TE Kahiau Alama. The Golden Bears appear to have the inside track on Alama and Dorsey. Perhaps the potential signing of DE Shia Abernathy has Dorsey concerned over playing time issues? The Ducks have been after several other LB prospects, currently positioning themselves in talks with ILB Robert Dodson and OLB Brody Aldridge. The commitment of McMedley gives the Ducks something to quack about, while Trujillo was one of a very select group of talented WRs on the west coast this season, so keeping him home was important. The recruitment of QB Savion Knox has been lukewarm, at best, but currently it seems like he prefers to wear neon.
ILB Bill Talbot 6-1 253 Fr Beaverton (Beaverton OR) 1.0 of 3.5 [Mike]
CB Kyle Stuckey 6-2 171 Fr Vernon Kilpatrick (Malibu CA) 3.0 of 3.0 [Man Coverage]
OLB Jacob Gaines 5-11 227 Fr Newberg (Newberg OR) 1.0 of 5.0 [Coverage]
WR Gael Trujillo 6-2 155 Fr Harrisburg (Harrisburg OR) 1.0 of 4.0 [Speed]
C Brian McMedley 6-3 304 Fr Kahuku (Kahuku HI) 1.5 of 4.5 [Run Blocking]
TE Carter Eubanks 6-3 237 Fr Dallas (Dallas OR) 1.0 of 3.5 [Blocking]
OT Lagi Esera 6-6 311 Fr Hayfork (Hayfork CA) 1.0 of 3.0 [Pass Blocking]
Oregon State
This is a surprisingly positive class so far for the Beavers, who coming off of an 0-12 season, have little to sell potential recruits on. The team has systematically added players that can come in and help the program. There are plenty of teams that would have wanted to add players like Baumgartner and Swain, and if Oregon State can bring home CB Dylan Talbert and RB Jayden Frey, the future of OSU Football will be much brighter than it was just a few short months ago.
CB Jordan Nunn 5-11 177 Fr Liberty (Bakersfield CA) 1.0 of 3.5 [Man Coverage]
TE Mason Hamm 6-6 193 Fr Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland CA) 1.0 of 3.5 [Receiving]
OLB Jacob Cotton 6-0 222 Fr Mission San Jose (Fremont CA) 1.5 of 3.5 [Blitz]
OT Nathan Baumgartner 6-3 267 Fr Harper (Harper OR) 1.0 of 4.0 [Pass Blocking]
OLB Jamir Burroughs 6-4 244 Fr Temecula Valley (Temecula CA) 1.0 of 3.5 [Blitz]
OLB Ronan Ulrich 6-2 236 Fr Lompoc (Lompoc CA) 1.5 of 3.5 [Blitz]
DE Larry Swain 6-1 242 Fr Blanchet Catholic (Salem OR) 1.0 of 4.0 [Blitz]
OG Brody Harvey 6-1 283 Fr East Bakersfield (Bakersfield CA) 1.0 of 4.0 [Pass Blocking]
San Diego State
After bringing in one of the best recruiting classes in the country last season, the Aztecs are at it again, landing several key pieces to their program. Spear is one of the top DT prospects in the country and fills a gaping hole in the Aztec defense. McBride was another much-celebrated signing for the program. San Diego State stole Doss from under UCLA’s noses, and he will pair with last year’s top WR recruit, Zion Payton, to form a dangerous tandem for QB David Edmondson. The Aztecs fought off Hawai’i to win the services of Haney, and beat out USC to grab Richard. There is still a little meat left on the bone for the Aztecs, as they target DT Jared McCormack to play alongside Spear, and are looking to sign a kicker in Aleksandr Vasiliev, to keep him away from conference rival Air Force, while adding depth at other positions.
WR Eddie Doss 5-10 172 Fr D.S. Jordan (Los Angeles CA) 1.0 of 4.0 [Speed]
OLB Joaquin Haney 6-3 224 Fr Williams (Williams CA) 1.0 of 4.5 [Blitz]
FB Liam Bearden 5-10 222 Fr Sonoma Valley (Sonoma CA) 1.0 of 4.0 [Run Blocking]
QB Rocco Duggan 6-1 192 Fr Golden Valley (Merced CA) 3.0 of 3.5 [Scrambling]
DT Graham Spear 6-4 289 Fr Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks CA) 2.0 of 5.0 [1-Gap]
OT Quinton Richard 6-3 325 Fr Oakdale (Oakdale CA) 2.0 of 4.5 [Run Blocking]
DE Larry McBride 6-3 259 Fr Chula Vista (Chula Vista CA) 1.0 of 4.0 [Blitz]
San Jose State
Not an exciting class by any means for the Spartans, but you have to start somewhere. The Spartans started by signing a player who many regarded as the top center in the country, Vaikauskas. A certain four-year starter, he will be the building block the program hopes to surround with talent. Clinton gives the team a ray of hope, but he will need weapons to be successful. Hargrove was one of the better CB available, and it is a bit of a surprise that he committed so early to San Jose State, when larger programs would certainly have been calling.
QB Travis Clinton 6-5 195 Fr Oakdale (Oakdale CA) 1.0 of 4.0 [Pocket]
DE Noel Mulligan 6-4 239 Fr Glendale (Glendale CA) 1.0 of 3.5 [Contain]
CB Jamari Hargrove 6-2 194 Fr El Dorado (Placerville CA) 1.0 of 4.0 [Man Coverage]
OT Kyle Brower 6-3 259 Fr De La Salle (Concord CA) 1.0 of 3.5 [Run Blocking]
DE Lavonte Fountain 6-1 243 Fr Oakdale (Oakdale CA) 1.0 of 3.0 [Contain]
OG Spencer Corbin 6-3 260 Fr Desert (Edwards CA) 1.0 of 3.5 [Run Blocking]
RB Nigel Stewart 5-8 176 Fr Mission San Jose (Fremont CA) 2.0 of 3.0 [Speed]
K Johnny Shaw 6-1 206 Fr Galileo Academy (San Francisco CA) 1.5 of 3.5 [Power]
CB Justice Strong 6-2 179 Fr Hayfork (Hayfork CA) 1.5 of 3.0 [Zone Coverage]
OG Ralph Kenney 6-6 286 Fr West Valley (Hemet CA) 1.0 of 3.5 [Run Blocking]
ILB Isaac Langston 6-4 242 Fr Mission San Jose (Fremont CA) 1.5 of 3.0 [Mike]
CB Byron Blake 5-10 184 Fr Mt. Diablo (Concord CA) 1.0 of 3.0 [Zone Coverage]
ILB Billy Gallagher 6-2 234 Fr Trabuco Hills (Mission Viejo CA) 1.0 of 3.5 [Mike]
C Nick Vaikauskas 6-3 293 Fr Lompoc (Lompoc CA) 3.5 of 5.0 [Pass Blocking]
WR Martin Collazo 6-3 153 Fr Powers (Powers OR) 1.5 of 3.0 [Speed]
UCLA
It is hard to come down on a program after signing one of the top 10 QBs in the country, but aside from the obvious stroke of good fortune in signing Harden, this recruiting season has to be considered a failure thus far by the Bruins. UCLA has not been able to ink any other impact players. OT Shane Reese may be signing soon, but I feel like the Bruins will need to get a commitment from OLB Kieran Skaggs in order to save face. They have invested heavily in his recruitment, and are neck-and-neck with PAC-12 rival, Arizona on getting his signature. The Bruins have several other players they are talking to, but few are seen as future NFLHC prospects.
C Elki StJohn 6-2 273 Fr St. Mary's College (Berkeley CA) 1.0 of 3.5 [Pass Blocking]
WR James Dye III 6-4 212 Fr Chula Vista (Chula Vista CA) 1.0 of 3.0 [Target]
DE Shiloh Rowe 6-0 257 Fr Vernon Kilpatrick (Malibu CA) 1.0 of 3.5 [Blitz]
P Alex Kern 6-3 204 Fr Southwest (San Diego CA) 1.0 of 3.5 [Power]
QB Aaron Harden 6-3 218 Fr Fontana (Fontana CA) 1.0 of 5.0 [Scrambling]
UNLV
The tale of the 2020 UNLV recruiting class has yet to be written. Whether this story ends with a happy ending for the Runnin’ Rebels will depend on the three key standoffs they have with in-state rival, Nevada. The decisions made by RB Bronson Willingham, OT Avery Drew, and CB Kaden Hairston will decide the fate of the Rebs. Should the team be able to secure the signings of those three, UNLV will prove they are able to eat from the same table as their bigger brother, and will put together a solid class. Should the Rebs lose out on Hairston, they may still be able to land Chad Manuel, another 6’2” CB that the team covets. Of those already signed, Lockhart gives them a quality LT candidate down the road.
CB Kai Hawthorne 5-10 176 Fr Las Vegas (Las Vegas NV) 1.5 of 3.5 [Zone Coverage]
QB Aleki Pita 6-0 193 Fr Glendale (Glendale CA) 1.0 of 3.5 [Hybrid]
QB Richard Vick 6-4 187 Fr Southwest (San Diego CA) 1.0 of 3.5 [Scrambling]
ILB Daniel Sharpe 5-11 216 Fr Jackpot (Jackpot NV) 1.0 of 3.5 [Will]
ILB Jeffrey Jennings 5-11 211 Fr Acalanes (Lafayette CA) 1.0 of 4.0 [Will]
OT Kevin Lockhart 6-5 319 Fr Jackpot (Jackpot NV) 1.0 of 4.0 [Pass Blocking]
OT Enrique Ferreira 6-2 315 Fr McQueen (Reno NV) 1.0 of 3.5 [Run Blocking]
USC
Los Angeles’ other team that seems to have really struggled in recruiting this season. Sure, they landed Garrett, a ready-made MLB that should be a four-year starter. But where is everyone else? The Trojans have allowed several other key players to be signed away from them, and now it appears that FS Jacob Donald may be headed to conference foe Arizona State. Where does the bleeding stop for the Trojans? If they can’t at least sign some depth, look for the team to struggle to maintain its status among the nation’s elite teams.
DE Terrell Francis 6-6 240 Fr East Fork Lutheran (Whiteriver AZ) 3.0 of 3.0 [Blitz]
ILB Nate Garrett 6-2 251 Fr Vernon Kilpatrick (Malibu CA) 3.0 of 4.5 [Mike]
Utah
On paper, this appears to be about the weakest recruiting class in the region. Zero impact players. Zero players that can step in and fill a role in the next couple of seasons. Utah needs to get OG Raymond Cuevas to choose them over Utah State, or else the alumni will be grumbling even louder.
DT Marlon Spencer 6-1 294 Fr Moon Valley (Phoenix AZ) 1.0 of 3.5 [2-Gap]
WR Lucas Ragland 6-3 228 Fr Bountiful (Bountiful UT) 1.0 of 3.0 [Target]
ILB Lamarr Tyler 6-1 212 Fr Bountiful (Bountiful UT) 1.0 of 3.0 [Will]
TE Julian Lanier 6-2 239 Fr East Fork Lutheran (Whiteriver AZ) 1.0 of 3.5 [Blocking]
Utah State
The Aggies identified their QB of the future in Kieron Farmer, went out and aggressively targeted him, and got him to sign early. After that, they have been opportunistic in signing marginal prospects that give them a foundation to build on. It is not an exciting way of building a program, but you need to lay the mortar before you start stacking bricks. Signing OG Raymond Cuevas would give them another blue-chip player, albeit at guard.
OT Marlon Jefferson 6-4 291 Fr Box Elder (Brigham City UT) 1.0 of 3.0 [Pass Blocking]
SS Kembrell Joseph 5-10 210 Fr Logan (Lgan UT) 1.0 of 3.0 [Man Coverage]
QB Kieron Farmer 6-5 220 Fr Bountiful (Bountiful UT) 1.0 of 4.5 [Pocket]
OG Hudson Wilkes 6-6 297 Fr Ganado (Ganado AZ) 1.0 of 3.0 [Run Blocking]
FS Darnell Harrison 5-10 215 Fr Grand County (Moab UT) 1.0 of 3.0 [Zone Coverage]
OLB Asher Hancock 6-0 217 Fr Moon Valley (Phoenix AZ) 2.0 of 3.0 [Blitz]
DT Tracy Humphrey 6-3 328 Fr San Juan (Blanding UT) 1.5 of 3.0 [2-Gap]
WR Leon Boston 6-4 229 Fr Desert Eagle (Scottsdale AZ) 2.0 of 3.0 [Target]
CB Preston Handy 6-1 170 Fr Payson (Payson UT) 1.0 of 3.5 [Zone Coverage]
K Ronan Snow 5-10 208 Fr Willow Canyon (Surprise AZ) 1.0 of 3.5 [Power]
SS Jonathan Branch 6-0 210 Fr Sahuarita (Sahuarita AZ) 3.0 of 3.0 [Man Coverage]
FS D'Andre Kemp 5-11 207 Fr South Summit (Kamas UT) 1.0 of 3.5 [Man Coverage]
Washington
D.D. Dyson. Learn the name. One of the more bitter recruiting battles in the country ended with the Huskies landing the 6’0” receiver, and UCLA coming away with nothing. Washington will pair the talent receiver with Jake Davis and hope to put up prolific numbers in the passing game. So far, Washington has been fairly quiet in signing other talent due to the amount of time they needed to invest in Dyson. Now that D.D. has put pen to paper, we will see what else the Huskies can do to add to their talent pool.
FB Louis Drummond 6-0 202 Fr Shorecrest (Seattle WA) 1.0 of 3.0 [Run Blocking]
CB Kaden Carmichael 5-10 194 Fr Vernonia (Vernonia OR) 1.0 of 3.0 [Zone Coverage]
WR Felipe Flores 5-9 164 Fr Brackett (Brackettville TX) 1.0 of 3.5 [Speed]
CB Jaylin Coates 5-11 191 Fr Salem Academy (Salem OR) 1.0 of 3.0 [Man Coverage]
WR D.D. Dyson 6-0 197 Fr Hayfork (Hayfork CA) 1.0 of 5.0 [Target]
TE Bart Gregg 6-1 204 Fr Richland (Richland WA) 1.0 of 3.5 [Receiving]
OLB Mario Jarvis 6-4 225 Fr Bothell (Bothell WA) 1.0 of 3.5 [Coverage]
LS Bobby Heaton 6-2 271 Fr Decatur (Federal Way WA) 1.5 of 3.5 [Traditional]
Washington State
While their in-state rivals battled over one player, the Cougars collected signatures from several Top 300 players. Rucker will be a difference maker in both the running and passing game. Groves is going to be really, really good as a road-grading guard. Seay is one of the better run-blocking fullbacks in the country. Noticing a theme here? McMullin should be a solid passer, and if the team is able to have balance, should continue their winning ways. On the defensive side of the ball, Wazzu stealing Thomas Gay off the islands is a coup for them, and the team is still looking for poach some special teams help from Hawai’i as well.
QB Matthew McMullin 6-5 221 Fr Renton (Renton WA) 1.0 of 4.0 [Pocket]
TE Ezekiel Rucker 6-1 218 Fr Capital (Olympia WA) 1.0 of 5.0 [Blocking]
SS Thomas Gay 5-11 200 Fr Mid-Pacific Institute (Honolulu HI) 1.0 of 4.5 [Zone Coverage]
FB William Seay 5-9 252 Fr St. Joseph (Brownsville TX) 2.5 of 4.5 [Run Blocking]
WR Raphael Perdue 5-9 160 Fr Montesano (Montesano WA) 1.0 of 3.5 [Speed]
OG Kaden Huggins 6-5 264 Fr Williams (Williams CA) 1.0 of 4.0 [Pass Blocking]
QB Quinn Benson 5-10 217 Fr Bothell (Bothell WA) 1.0 of 3.5 [Pocket]
CB Ousmane Earl 6-0 171 Fr Oak Mountain (Birmingham AL) 1.0 of 3.5 [Man Coverage]
OG Will Groves 6-6 316 Fr Eastlake (Chula Vista CA) 2.0 of 5.0 [Run Blocking]
Wyoming
It is hard to knock the Cowboys for trying. They lost a bitter, uphill battle on CB Raekwon Hemphill to Air Force. With so much of their resources spent on that losing battle, Wyoming will lick its wounds and have to be happy with a decent TE. If they could somehow wrestle away DT Mateo Evans from Cal in the next few weeks, it would soften the sting of not getting their top target and provide them with a quality run-stuffer.
QB Dominic Barragan 6-1 210 Fr Cambridge (Cambridge ID) 1.0 of 3.5 [Scrambling]
TE Jay Contreras 6-2 233 Fr Eastlake (Chula Vista CA) 2.0 of 3.5 [Blocking]
