Inside Pac-12 recruiting: ’23 signees to watch, best NIL setup, Deion’s impact

The Pac-12 finds itself in a very interesting position in the college football landscape. Recruiting, as a whole, is going well. Dan Lanning and Lincoln Riley landed top-15 classes at Oregon and USC, respectively, during the 2023 cycle. Utah brought in its best class ever. Deion Sanders has made Colorado relevant for the first time in decades. And there are good things going on elsewhere at programs such as Arizona, Arizona State and Oregon State.

But the Pac-12 also faces a daunting path with USC and UCLA moving to the Big Ten in 2024, and there is uncertainty with the league’s media rights deal — both of which could negatively impact recruiting.

To gain a grasp on where things stand recruiting-wise within the Pac-12, The Athletic spoke to seven coaches or staffers who are familiar with the league — and each one works (or worked) at a different school — about the most recent recruiting cycle, realignment, Sanders’ arrival at Colorado, who’s impressed, who’s flying under the radar and more.

They were granted anonymity in exchange for their candor.

• Coach 1: Assistant coach in the Pac-12
• Coach 2: Assistant coach in the Pac-12
• Coach 3: Assistant coach who spent the 2023 recruiting cycle in the Pac-12
• Staffer 1: Analyst in the Pac-12
• Staffer 2: Recruiting staffer in the Pac-12
• Staffer 3: Recruiting staffer in the Pac-12
• Staffer 4: Recruiting staffer in the Pac-12

Which Pac-12 recruiting class impressed you the most in the 2023 cycle?

Coach 2: (None). Being in (my former conference), looking at our classes and looking at the classes in the SEC and Big Ten, it’s not close as far as the pedigree of football players that schools are able to bring in. … The West is not enough anymore. You won’t win with just players from the West. You’re going to win with players from the East — from Texas all the way to Florida.

Staffer 1: Oregon … and I think Washington stands out too. I think (Washington) got some good players, (linebackers) Jordan Whitney and Deven Bryant.

Staffer 2: USC. But programs did a lot of great things with the transfer portal like Oregon State bringing in DJ (Uiagalelei) … so they’ll be a team to beat this year. Washington’s always going to have a good recruiting class. Arizona had another good recruiting class.

Staffer 3: I thought Utah did a great job. (Wide receiver) Mikey Matthews was a great steal. (Offensive tackle) Spencer Fano, good steal. (Offensive tackle) Caleb Lomu, good steal. I love their class. (running back) Dijon Stanley is a helluva player. I think (offensive tackle) Roger Alderman is going to be a good player. I think what Deion did late, overall, I don’t like the class, but what he did as far as coming in late and getting (cornerback) Cormani McClain, (running back) Dylan Edwards, I think Deion did a good job.

USC and Oregon, they’re national brands. They better be on top of recruiting every year in the conference or (the coaches will) be fired. When you’re a brand who can go anywhere in the country, you better out-recruit Washington, Utah and everyone else. You’ve got to remove them when you talk about Pac-12 recruiting as far as rankings.

Coach 3: Oregon. Dan Lanning, I know a couple of guys on his staff, he’s bringing a Southeastern Conference (mentality) to the Pac-12. I think they do a pretty thorough job. I know he’s a grinder and he’s all about ball. I think they do the best job.

Staffer 4: I like what SC did. I thought they could’ve done a little more, a couple of guys at the end there. But I thought they did a good job. If they get (five-star tight end) Duce (Robinson), that’ll be big time obviously. Pound for pound, I think Oregon State did a great job — (identifying) (four-star QB Aidan) Chiles early was a great job by them. Washington did a good job in its first high school class. Got some talent from all over the country and definitely hit it hard in California.

Utah did a really good job. (Cornerback) CJ Blocker’s great. He’s going to be another one in the long line of Utah DBs. Colorado salvaged some good (players). Arizona, I thought it was good, but I thought last year’s class was better.

What’s been the biggest surprise within the league this past recruiting cycle?

Coach 2: I like the new juice of Kenny (Dillingham at Arizona State) and Deion. I like what that brings to the Pac-12. Especially Deion, bringing attention, bringing the spotlight, bringing more eyes to the Pac-12.

Staffer 2: Colorado getting Deion. Now they can talk to anybody.

Staffer 3:  (Five-star QB) Dante Moore to UCLA. I think that’s a great get for UCLA.

Coach 3: I wouldn’t say surprise, but Deion just kind of saying: “I’m here.” Whether he’s signing the best corner in the country, the kids he brought with him from Jackson State, the transfers he’s getting. He passed up schools like Arizona, UCLA, Stanford (in the recruiting rankings). The Pac-12 is going to have to look out for this dude.

Staffer 4: Utah, they’ve picked it up in the past three or four years, but they did a really nice job with their class. They’re starting to recruit to where it correlates to their on-field performance. I think they get great fits for their program.

How do you think realignment will impact recruiting in the league?

Coach 2: In my opinion, I think the Pac-12 is finished. If you add SMU and San Diego State, that’s like trying to put a Band-Aid on in a swimming pool. That’s not sexy.

Staffer 1: From where we sit, I don’t think we’ve felt it at all. Initially it was like, “Well, are you guys going to end up in (another conference)?” That hurts the sell, but I haven’t felt it all. Everyone’s trying to understand it right now. It’s still cloudy for me.

Staffer 2: I don’t think it will impact recruiting until USC and UCLA actually leave.

Staffer 3: It hasn’t really come up.

Coach 3: I didn’t really see the effect of it. I think a lot of kids are chasing NIL and branding, I don’t know if they care about that other stuff really.

Staffer 4: We definitely felt it this summer. I think it steered some other guys away too.

Dan Lanning signed the No. 8 class nationally at Oregon in 2023. (Tom Hauck / Getty Images)

Which assistant coach in the league has impressed you in recruiting?

Coach 2: (Oregon cornerbacks coach) Demetrice Martin. I like (defensive end coach) Nick Williams at Colorado. I think he’s a stud. (Receivers coach) JaMarcus Shephard at Washington, I think he’s really d— good. I like the DB coach at Utah (Sharrieff Shah), he’s got a good personality. Good juice. (Tight ends coach) Zach Hanson at USC, heard good things about him. I’ll say (USC receivers coach) Dennis Simmons, too.

Staffer 1: Demetrice has been him and been steady Eddie and has been able to close. I don’t know if I’m impressed because that’s the expectation from Demetrice. You’re not surprised by that.

Staffer 2: (Defensive coordinator) Charles Kelly at Colorado.

Staffer 3: I think (Arizona defensive coordinator) Johnny Nansen does a good job. Of course, Demetrice Martin does a good job. That’s no secret. I think (Oregon State offensive line coach) Jim Michalczik does a good job of identifying what he needs. I think (UCLA receivers coach) Jerry Neuheisel is sneakily building a good name for himself.

Coach 3: Probably Demetrice Martin.

Staffer 4: I think (running backs coach) Mark Atuaia at Washington State has done a good job leveraging his connections where he has connections and getting on guys early. (Defensive ends coach) Lewis Powell at Utah always does a good job. He recruits his ass off. You know who is always a pain in our ass — (tight ends coach) Brian Wozniak at Oregon State. He does a really, really good job. Trent Brey, the DC at Oregon State, I think is great. Washington, JaMarcus Shephard made his presence felt for sure.

GO DEEPER

Which programs work the hardest? Who are the most impressive coaches? Inside ACC recruiting

Who do you think has the best NIL setup in the league?

Coach 1: USC.

Coach 2: Oregon has the best NIL setup, and it’s not even close. Oregon is the only school in the Pac-12 that’s to be feared from a national standpoint because Oregon can go to whatever region it wants to and come out victorious. That’s the bogeyman in the league. That’s Pac-Man in the Pac-12 from an NIL standpoint. Everybody else is child’s play.

Staffer 1: I think USC. Maybe Oregon. It’s just that USC is so visible in terms of (stuff like) Beats, the connection with Dr. Dre and the university itself. It’s visible when Caleb Williams is able to gift the entire team a set of Beats and that is his agreement. Then it’s hard to imagine that it wouldn’t be top dog.

Staffer 2: Oregon with Phil Knight. USC has a good one and because of the market it’s in.

Staffer 3: Of course, Oregon does.

Coach 3: This is all just hearsay, but I think Oregon. Whatever they’re doing, however they’re doing it.

Staffer 4: Top three are Washington, Oregon and USC. … UCLA is coming on tough. Washington is doing some legit s— for sure.

What have you made of Deion’s recruiting so far?

Coach 1: I think he’s doing a helluva job. Social media, he’s doing a great job with that. They’re getting better players than they’ve had. I think he’s put Colorado on the map.

Coach 2: Deion’s getting who he’s supposed to get. He’s going to get the kids who love the hype, the status, the clout, the fame, the fortune. He’s going to get those kids. I’m not worried about Deion. Until I start seeing big ol’ 290-pound defensive linemen committing to Deion, then I’ll be worried. You can have all those skill guys all you want, but if you don’t have anyone to block for them, what’s that going to do for you?

Staffer 1: I think (Deion) knows himself and goes about it in a way where he feels comfortable and confident. That’s his wheelhouse. That’s Prime. There’s always been some flash. He’s unique in his approach and attracting kids and attracting the kids and the personalities that are going to fit with him. He’s got a plan, so I’m not critical of it at all. He’s a sharp individual and he’s got sharp people around him. You’ve got to do something to flip that roster. It wasn’t a good team. It wasn’t a good roster.

Staffer 3: We’ll see. It’s a lot of hype right now.

Coach 3: I think he has a plan. He’s an interesting guy. He understands social media, but then when you hear him talk to the team, it’s old school. I think the combination of both is dangerous in a positive way.

Staffer 4: He’s killin’ it. It’ll be about if he can get everybody to buy in and be on the same page when issues come up because he’s going to have the talent. He could have the smallest support staff in the country and still have all these dudes because of his name and what he’s done.

Deion Sanders has made Colorado football relevant. (Ron Chenoy / USA Today)

Which program in the league is the hardest to recruit to?

Coach 1: I think Washington State is tough because of where it’s located. Cal, the inconsistency, it’s been up and down like a yo-yo. I don’t know if they have a lot of things to supply their student-athletes.

Coach 2: I’ve got a different opinion of Washington State, the Oregon States. Washington State, Oregon State have the pleasure of kids delaying gratification, which is huge. They’ve got more time with their prospects. It’s harder at USC because your turnover can be very fast. You have a receiver on the bench (at a big school) and if he don’t play, that motherf—– had 40 offers last year, somebody is going to take his ass. Versus you’re the backup receiver at Oregon State, it kind of works against you. “I don’t want this motherf—–. He was the backup at Oregon State.” You get more time with players at the non-sexier schools. Somebody might give USC one year …. Because a lot of those kids go to blue bloods and pull out that ruler early. The kid at Oregon State is not pulling out a ruler and seeing where he lines up and getting in his feelings.

Staffer 1: I would say Washington State. Because the NIL isn’t as strong. There’s a passionate fan base, but it’s remote and hours away from a major metropolitan city. It’s hard to get to.

Staffer 2: Probably Cal or Stanford. Stanford because of what they have to do academically. And Cal because you have to pass so many schools to get there and it’s hard for them to get kids in because of the (academic) system they’re in.

Staffer 3: Washington State. By far. I think Washington State and Cal. I don’t see anything positive come out of Cal.

Staffer 4: Oregon State and Washington State stick out to me. It’s tough with (Cal’s) admin, getting kids into school, price of living there has gone up a lot. It’s a tough place for sure. Stanford’s going to get to that (too). They don’t have an NIL situation, it’s hard to get kids into school there and they haven’t won recently.

Which 2023 recruit are you most interested in watching?

Coach 2: I want to see (USC quarterback) Malachi Nelson. We will see (USC wide receiver) Zachariah Branch. I want to see if he has a Jaylen Waddle impact on the game. If (USC) gets (edge) Braylan Shelby on the field, too.

Staffer 1: (Three-star offensive lineman) Tavake Tuikolovatu at UCLA. He was a late bloomer, but I think the sky’s the limit for him as he continues to progress. And I’m really intrigued by (linebacker) Leviticus Su’a and (defensive lineman) Dominic Lolesio. Both guys are going to Arizona. Dominic is long. He’s tall. He plays with good effort so I want to see how those guys develop too.

Staffer 2: The boys that went to USC. Malachi, Makai (Lemon) and Zach.

Staffer 3: Dante Moore (UCLA). Jaden Rashada (Arizona State). I think Jaden Rashada is No. 1 because of all the hype and hoopla. I hope he’s worth it. Dijon Stanley. Malachi Nelson.

Coach 3: The corner Deion got, Cormani McClain. And Oregon, the big kid from St. John Bosco, Matayo Uiagalelei. I think Demetrice Martin’s kid (four-star corner Cole Martin at Oregon) is going to be a good little nickel or if they move him to safety. I’m interested to see where he ends up.

Staffer 4: I’m happy (South Carolina signee) Nyckoles Harbor didn’t end up in (the Pac-12), but that would’ve been fun to watch. Duce Robinson if he goes to SC. That kid’s a freak. It’s going to be fun to see how Malachi Nelson progresses. Utah’s offensive line class (Spencer Fano, Caleb Lomu and Roger Alderman), that’ll be very interesting. Dante Moore, if he starts this year, that’ll be fun to see what he can do.

Which Pac-12 programs do you think recruit better than they get credit for?

Coach 1: Washington State. And Oregon State. Oregon State does a really good job recruiting there. Gosh dang, that’s a tough place to win.

Coach 2: Utah. They’re really consistent now with what they go for. They’re really thorough in their evaluations and they get out into Texas to try to bring some of those players in.

Staffer 1: Arizona has done a tremendous job of playing the long game and being able to attract to their program and hold onto commitments, especially in the Southern California region. Ultimately, what Oregon State does is the most impressive because of how they recruit and how they develop. They recruit to their program’s strengths and their systematic strengths.

Staffer 2: Oregon State. They recruit for their system. They’re not going to always wow you with stars or anything like that, but they’re going to recruit for their system and recruit at a high level for what they want and what they need.

Staffer 3: Oregon State’s staff is probably one of the best recruiting staffs based off having limited resources to work with. I think Jonathan Smith and that staff do a great job of ID’ing their guys and getting guys who fit what they do and their culture. They got Aidan Chiles … but they ID’d a kid who turned out to be one of the top quarterback prospects in the country. That kid is a program-changer for them. (Defensive lineman) Kelze Howard, that’s a great pickup for them. (Offensive tackle) Jacob Anderson from Montana, great pickup. (Cornerback) Andre Piper-Jordan Jr., he’s going to be a great player for them. He’s a guy who I wish we would’ve gone after more.

Coach 3: Oregon State, but to me that’s not recruiting, that’s evaluation. You’ve got to go with Washington State too. I’m looking at this list and Oregon State’s 10th (in the Pac-12 recruiting rankings) and Washington State is 11th, but they’ve both gone to bowl games the past two years. They do the best job evaluating and coaching.

Staffer 4: I think, naturally, Utah. The rankings don’t reflect what a good job they do (identifying) and stuff. I also think Oregon State does a really, really good job. Jonathan (Smith) has done an impeccable job there and been really, really good. They’ve done a good job recruiting and they stay consistent with their communication, graphics, staying on top of it with kids, all that. They’re always talking to these dudes, making sure they’re on point with their recruits.

(Top illustration: Sean Reilly / The Athletic)