The Hotline is delighted to offer Pac-12 followers with a weekly dive into the recruiting course of by means of the eyes and ears of Brandon Huffman, the Seattle-based nationwide recruiting editor for 247Sports.
The next data, in his phrases, was offered to the Hotline on April 6 …
The 2023 highschool quarterback class was robust.
The 2025 quarterback class out west is powerful.
The 2024 class on the coronary heart of the present recruiting cycle? Additionally robust. However the place does the Pac-12 determine in?
A 12 months after the convention landed a pair of five-star quarterbacks, one from Southern California and one from the Midwest, a top-50 passer from the Bay Space, a top-60 quarterback from Southern California and a top-75 signal-caller from Sacramento, can it repeat that success?
Thus far, the pattern traces aren’t good.
Three of the highest 4 quarterbacks within the nation name the West dwelling (and 6 of the highest 20).
Proper now, solely a kind of six is dedicated to a Pac-12 college: Garfield Excessive Faculty (Seattle) quarterback EJ Caminong, who has pledged to hometown Washington.
— In the meantime, Pinnacle HS (Phoenix) is dwelling to quarterback Dylan Raiola, the top-rated prospect within the nation at any place.
The one-time Ohio State commit opened up his recruitment and has been bouncing backwards and forwards between Georgia and USC.
Might the Trojans land a five-star quarterback for the second consecutive 12 months after signing Malachi Nelson from the category of ’23? That’s their hope, however Georgia, the two-time defending champion, looms massive.
Even Oregon is staying concerned with Raiola, who is about to go to Eugene on the finish of the month for the Geese’ spring sport.
— The No. 3 quarterback nationally is Santa Ana (California) Mater Dei passer Elijah Brown, who has misplaced only one sport in three years because the starter for the Monarchs. (He took over the job from Bryce Younger.)
Brown’s recruitment has a robust Pac-12 taste with Oregon, USC, UCLA and Stanford all concerned.
— The No. 4 quarterback nationally is from San Diego, however he’s already headed to the SEC: Carlsbad HS passer Julian Sayin, an Alabama pledge.
(The SEC additionally has the No. 2 quarterback in Arizona in Demond Williams, from Basha HS within the Phoenix space. He has dedicated to Mississippi.)
— One other quarterback who the Pac-12 has an actual likelihood to corral is Draper (Utah) Nook Canyon HS’s Isaac Wilson, the No. 5 passer within the area.
His father, Mike, performed at Utah, however his brother, Zach, starred at Brigham Younger earlier than going No. 2 within the 2021 NFL Draft.
One growth undermined the Pac-12’s collective pursuit of the highest passers within the area, albeit in a useful method: The reclassification of Folsom (California) quarterback Austin Mack, who would have been a top-10 quarterback nationally within the class of 2024.
As a substitute, Mack turned a part of the 2023 class and dedicated to Washington.
In different phrases, Caminong is the one certain factor dedicated to the Pac-12 (and Texas A&M has gotten concerned).
In any other case, the hopes of the convention are pinned on USC regaining momentum with Raiola, Utah lastly touchdown a Wilson, and Brown staying within the Pac-12 footprint.
Miss on these targets and the momentum in quarterback recruiting the convention gained in 2023 could have been squandered.
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