The end of NCAA recruiting sanctions along with the strong work of head coach Steve Sarkisian and his staff have made for a USC Trojans recruiting class that ranks among the best in the nation and the Pac 12 Conference. Also showing well in the Pac 12 were the UCLA Bruins and Oregon Ducks. After those top three, however, the rest of the conference had classes that were somewhat underwhelming. Let’s take a look at how the Pac 12 rated for 2015 National Signing Day.
New Men of Troy
USC ranked best in the nation for its 2015 recruiting class at Rivals.com as well as at 247 Sports. The Trojans ranked third in the nation and best in the Pac 12 at ESPN. It is a sign that the program is about to bust out of its mediocrity of the past several years that followed the Reggie Bush sanctions and departure of head coach Pete Carroll to the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks.
Half of Sarkisian’s class this year was listed in the ESPN top 300. Five star cornerback Iman Marshall heads this stellar class. Now that the sanctions are lifted it is likely that Sarkisian and the Trojans will begin a long run of future recruiting dominance. Four star signees include tackle Chuma Edoga, running back Ronald Jones II, and quarterback Sam Donald.
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Rosen for a Rose Bowl?
USC’s crosstown rival UCLA Bruins also had a strong class on National Signing Day. UCLA’s class ranked 11th at 247 Sports and ESPN, while ranking 13th in the nation at Rivals. The Bruins picked up the top rated pocket passer in the country, quarterback Josh Rosen. Connecticut tight end Chris Clark is another four star pickup that should emerge as a solid target for Rosen. Four star defensive end Keisean Lucier-South should help shore up the soft and leaky UCLA defense. Head coach Jim Mora Jr. continues to impress with the buildout in Westwood.
Going Green
National championship runner-up Oregon had a solid recruiting class that ranked third in the Pac 12 Conference while ranking 15th in the nation at ESPN. Five star defensive end Canton Kaumatule headlines the Oregon class that also features a speedy four-star running back in Taj Griffin along with four-star, game-breaking wide receiver Alex Ofodile. Two four-star athletes, Kirk Merritt and Malik Lovette, are also impressive finds.
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ASU Snags another Top Quarterback
Arizona State ranked 20th at both 247 Sports and Rivals.com with a class that is headed by four-star quarterback Brady White. Head coach Todd Graham landed a total of seven four-star signees to a program that is on the rise. White has among the strongest arms of the 2015 national class.
Cardinal Close Strong
After a somewhat sluggish start the Stanford Cardinal had a strong finish to close at 18th in the nation at Rivals.com. Stanford finished with a total of six, four star recruits led by wide receiver Trent Irwin. Running back Bryce Love is another outstanding find that should maintain head coach David Shaw’s power running attack.
Petersen Fills Offensive Needs
Second-year head coach Chris Petersen landed a class that ranked 25th in the nation at 247 Sports. Four-star quarterback Jake Browning heads the class along with four-star running backs Austin Joyner and Chico McClatcher. Offensive tackle Trey Adams is another four-star signee that is expected to clear the way for that aforementioned skill.
The Pirate Goes on the Defensive
Washington State head coach Mike Leach was aggressive about shoring up his horrible defense that dragged down their bowl prospects in 2014. Four-star defensive tackle Thomas Toki and four-star inside linebacker Aaron Porter head the class.
Not the Life of Riley
New Oregon State Beavers head coach Gary Andersen ended up with the bottom ranked class in the Pac 12. Former coach Mike Riley left for Nebraska and the inability to attract top talent to Corvallis is a big reason why. Anderson left Wisconsin because of academic restrictions that prevented some of this top picks from getting enrolled. Ironically enough, Wisconsin finished with a 37th in the nation ranked class at Rivals.com compared to Oregon State’s final ranking of 70th.
