The Hotline is delighted to provide college football fans with a regular dive into the recruiting process through the eyes and ears of Brandon Huffman, the Seattle-based national recruiting editor for 247Sports. He submitted the following report on Aug. 30 …
With the 2024 season kicking off — and it’s one of the most anticipated in memory because of realignment and the expanded playoff — the recruiting process will take a secondary position, at least for prospects in the class of 2025.
The majority of the heavy lifting has been done. But each of the 10 former and two remaining Pac-12 schools has one key target it hopes to secure before the early signing period in December.
(That signing period, by the way, has been moved up two weeks, to the first Wednesday in December.)
Here’s an overview of each school’s top outstanding target.
The San Francisco product took just one official visit this spring, to Arizona, and pushed his remaining trips to the fall. That said, Arizona already holds commitments from two of his Archbishop Riordan teammates, fellow lineman Losipini Tupou and 2026 offensive lineman Michael Langi, who also happens to be his younger brother. That could be an ace in the hole for the Wildcats.
The Hawaii native took three official visits in the spring, to Arizona, Cal and UCLA, while also taking an unofficial visit to Washington in the summer. He hasn’t made a decision just yet, and Arizona State is working to get him to Tempe this fall. (One of ASU’s offensive linemen, Saga Tuitele, has ties to Muti.) He’s visiting Oregon this weekend, but the Sun Devils are positioned for an official and hope to make a late rally.
Leaipepetele was the Offensive Line MVP of the Under Armour Next Camp in Southern California in March, but his recruitment was relatively quiet. Cal is the exception — the Bears have been very active — and could be considered the leaders. They’ll have Leaupepetele on campus for an official visit but would like to close him up sooner rather than later.
It has been well documented that Deion Sanders prioritizes the transfer portal over high school recruitment. But when it comes to priorities, he’s been making a major push to flip Lewis, a longtime USC commitment and Under Armour All-American. Lewis has maintained that he’s still committed to the Trojans, using the phrase, “for now.” Part of that hedge is Colorado’s relentless pursuit.
With commitments from the No. 1 receiver in the country, Dakorien Moore, and the No. 1 safety in the country, Trey McNutt, the Ducks are trying to hit a trifecta. They want to add Terry, a San Antonio native who’s the No. 1 athlete nationally. Of course, Texas, which is just an hour away in Austin, is involved. So, too, is Nebraska. But the Ducks got Terry on campus the final weekend in July.
Henry has had quite the roller coaster recruitment, originally committing to Michigan as a senior in high school, then decommitting shortly after recruiting specialist, Courtney Morgan, left Ann Arbor for Alabama. So Henry spent one year at Oklahoma, then attended Cerritos College, where he committed to Mississippi State. Why is Oregon State listed here? Well, two days after he committed to MSU, Henry took a previously scheduled official visit to Oregon State. Given how his recruiting timeline has gone historically, the Beavers have reason for optimism.
There are five schools in play for Babalola: Stanford, which got his third official visit, plus Auburn, Michigan, Oklahoma and Missouri. The Cardinal used to win these battles for offensive lineman during the heyday of the David Shaw era but hasn’t been as successful in recent years. Coach Troy Taylor hasn’t backed down, however. Securing an official visit from the Kansas native, a five-star prospect ranked No. 3 nationally at offensive tackle, showed that Stanford is more than just a passing thought.
Madsen is one of the top track athletes in the West, a state champion thrower, and a jack-of-all-trades on the football field: He plays running back, linebacker, H-Back and tight end. UCLA sees him as a traditional fullback with H-Back skills. Don’t discount Brigham Young’s chances: Madsen is a member of the Church of Latter Day Saints and plans to serve his mission after graduation. Oregon, which has a slew of track athletes in the football program, is also involved. But the Bruins have been at the top of his list for some time.
The Trojans won’t have to wait long to find out what Bell will do: He’s slated to announce his commitment on Saturday. It’s down to the Trojans and Ohio State, which has had a nice run of receivers under Ryan Day. Bell is originally from Northern California but has spent the last two years in the Southland. One of his teammates, Dijon Lee, has already committed to Alabama over USC, so the Trojans are hoping they can keep Bell in the Golden State.
The No. 1 player in Utah, Myles was a one-time Mississippi commit but opened his recruitment in the early part of the summer. Now, the Rebels are completely out and he’s considering five schools: Texas A&M, USC, Georgia, Ohio State and Utah. He is expected in College Station this weekend for an unofficial visit and at USC next weekend for an official. Georgia has an official set for October, and Ohio State is working to set one up. Meanwhile, Utah will host him for several games and is trending in the 247Sports Crystal Ball. Not for nothing: His former Corner Canyon High School teammate, Isaac Wilson, is the Utes’ backup quarterback.
The four-star linebacker from Orange County has long maintained a final four of Notre Dame, Texas, USC and Washington. While the Irish have a lot of buzz, UW continues to loom and, in fact, hosted Faraimo for an official visit. JSerra, the high school that produced two former Husky stars, receiver Dante Pettis and lineman Nick Harris, would love to see a third alumnus spend his career on Montlake.
The Utah native was one of the few prospects who took an official visit to Washington State last spring and remains undecided. Hallock plans to take a few trips this fall, then move closer to a decision. Although the Cougars have the advantage of being the only official visit he’s taken, there is reason for concern. The more time that elapses and the more visits elsewhere he sets up, the tougher their pursuit becomes.
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