Pac-12 North Stars of the Class 

California
WR Carlos Strickland, 6-4, 195 – Cal was in the hunt for a lot of very good, very talented prospects, but always seemed to be a key second or third choice. Strickland, however, didn’t go to Alabama, Notre Dame or Ohio State and was – literally – a big get for the high-octane passing game with an intriguing set of skills. Tall and with the frame to potentially handle some good weight, he’s a physical target with great leaping ability and the skills to work inside or out. While he might not be a blazer, he has No. 1 target potential. 

Oregon
DE Canton Kaumatule, 6-6, 290 – It’s Oregon, so offensive weapons like RB Taj Griffin and WR Alex Ofodile will become statistical factors at some point, but Mark Helfrich got a defensive superstar who already looks the next-level part. Very big, very athletic, and very committed, he doesn’t stop and he’s always going to work to make plays. He needs a little time and a lot of seasoning, but he’s the type of rare talent who makes a defense his merely by being a different caliber of prospect. Everyone in the Pac-12 wanted him, Florida and Wisconsin tried, and Hawaii tried to keep the Honolulu native at home, but he was a Duck in November. 

Oregon State
LB Christian Folau, 6-1, 240 – Gary Andersen loves linebackers, and he was able to land a fantastic one. Built for the middle, he’s short but with a great base and excellent leverage, able to intimidate against the run and occasionally get behind the line. He’s not an outside defender and he’s not going to be a pass rusher, but funnel everything his way and he’ll eat it up – be stunned if he’s not one day the team’s leading tackler by far. Andersen plucked the Salt Lake City native away from BYU and Utah, and beat Wisconsin and Oklahoma State for his services. 

Stanford 
S Frank Buncom IV, 6-1, 195 – WR Trent Irwin was a terrific recruit, and running backs Cameron Scarlett and Bryce Love are outstanding gets, but Buncom fits with the ability to play anywhere in a secondary and excellent hitting skills. While he’s not going to blaze away enough be a star at corner, he has enough athleticism and pop to shine at safety or even move to wide receiver if absolutely needed. Cal, Notre Dame and Vanderbilt were the main players for his services, but the San Diego native is right for The Farm. 

Washington 
QB Jake Browning, 6-2, 205 – Does Chris Petersen have his leader and offensive star to build around? DE Benning Potoae has the name and the game to be the key defensive pickup, but it’s Browning who’ll have to make the eventual overall splash. He might not have NFL size, but he has the tools and a live arm – he looks the part in every way except he’s not 6-4, 220. However, he produces massive numbers and knows how to move an offense. Alabama and several Pac-12 schools wanted him, but he committed to UW early in the process. 

Washington State
S Shalon Luani, 6-1, 200 – The fantastic class is loaded with excellent defensive players including JUCO transfer DE Jeremiah Mitchell for right now, and S Kameron Powell for the near future, and Luani just makes the haul that much stronger. A huge hitter out of CC of San Francisco, he has an NFL combination of size, blow up intimidation and run-stuffing skills. Snagged away from Oregon State and Washington, it’s possible he becomes one of the team’s top tacklers right away – and a fan favorite. 

Pac-12 South Stars of the Class 

Arizona
DE Anthony Fotu, 6-2, 285 – OT Keenan Walker will eventually be the key pickup in this class with the ability to anchor the offensive front, but Fotu is a ready-made JUCO transfer who could step up and start instantly. With the prototype combination of skills, he fits any scheme as a possible interior pass rusher or a speed guy on the edge, even if he ends up working at around 290 pounds. Rich Rodriguez grabbed him away from a slew of Pac-12 rivals, Miami, Ole Miss and Mississippi State. 

Arizona State
LB Davon Durant, 6-2, 240 – You build teams through great recruiting classes of high school prospects, but you keep momentum going by landing JUCO transfers like Durant. The right size with the right toughness and the right skills, he can work on the outside as a pass rusher, or take over the middle with sideline-to-sideline range and put up big numbers. He can do it all, but that’s his only potential problem – can he work well in a scheme when he doesn’t have to do everything? It’s a great problem to have with a player of his talent. Florida State, Georgia and Ole Miss were also in the running for the South Carolina native. 

Colorado 
OG Tim Lynott, 6-4, 295 – The Buffs have to start rebuilding the foundation a bit stronger, and that’s where getting a big blocker like Lynott comes in, no matter where he ends up working. It might not seem sexy to work on the infrastructure, but he was the state of Colorado’s top prospect according to Scout.com, and he stuck around even with Oregon, UCLA, and other top Pac-12 schools calling. Miami, Penn State and Kansas State made a push, too, but he’s going to be a Buff with the athleticism to be tried out at right tackle and the toughness to hold down a spot at either guard job. 

UCLA
QB Josh Rosen, 6-4, 206 – The defense is getting the bulk of the stars in a tremendous class, but it’s Rosen who’s taking it to a whole other level. It was never close, and there was never any question about where he was going, being a part of the UCLA recruiting class from the start. It’s all there with size, quickness, arm, and the attitude and personality to be the same sort of face-of-the-program guy that Brett Hundley was. Polished, he might be in the mix for the starting job early on, and while reps are the only thing missing, consider it a shocker if he doesn’t turn into a Pac-12 superstar. 

USC
LB Osa Masina, 6-4, 233 – It’s USC, so it wakes up in the morning and gets four and five-star recruits by the truckload. WR Isaac Whitney going to be a star, CB Ykili Ross is special, and RB Ronald Jones will soon be the main man in the backfield. Masina is the one who could blow up into the signature star on the lot with great size, receiver athleticism, and the instincts and ability to shine as an outside linebacker or even move to the line from time to time as a pure pass rusher. Every top Pac-12 school wanted him, Notre Dame, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Wisconsin made a push. Now he’s the best of a great lot of Trojans. 

Utah
WR Cory Butler, 5-10, 175 – The Utes are getting lots and lots of receivers, including Kyle Fulks from the JUCO ranks, but it’s Butler who’s the blazer and the one who could become the offensive difference-maker from the start. Dangerous with the ball in his hands, the Los Angeles Harbor star was wanted by several Pac-12 teams, but he should be a weapon for the Utes as a kick returner, receiver and runner – the coaching staff will invent ways to get the ball in his hands, especially in the open field.