Arik Armstead Signing Would Bring Cal Pac-12 Championship

The thought of Cal winning the Pac-12 is not far from being a reality. They have benefited the most from USC's scholarship cuts, and are not far from reeling in a huge fish. 

By huge fish, I am referring to the 6'8", 290 defensive end Arik Armstead, who Joe Davidson of the Sacramento Bee is reporting will wait until National Signing Day (Feb. 1) to commit to a school. Now, as Davidson reports, Norte Dame, Auburn and Oregon are all on the list of possible destinations. 

But take a look at some of the standout recruits that Cal has already landed this year. 

Star ratings according to Rivals.

Player	Position	Stars
Shaq Thompson	DB	Five
Michael Barton	LB	Four
Cedric Dozier	ATH	Four
Bryce Treggs	WR	Four
Jordan Payton	WR	Four
Darius Powe	WR	Four
Freddie Tagaloa	OL	Four
Zach Kline	QB	Four

That is a loaded group of talent for a school that's, at best, the No. 2 football school in the state of California. Armstead would be another 4-star recruit, and the perfect kind of defender for the Pac-12. 

In the Pac-12, offenses are a big part of the game. Some teams run the pro-style offense, while others spread it out, but quarterbacks throw the ball a lot in the Pac-12. It's hard to throw the ball over a man who stands 6'8". Armstead's size will create a few big plays per game. With all of the offensive talent coming in, that's all Cal is going to need. 

Look at Cal's rivals in the Pac-12 North: Stanford is losing Andrew Luck, a year after losing head coach Jim Harbaugh; Oregon is losing quarterback Darron Thomas and running back LaMichael James, so there is a nice window for success. 

This recruiting class will put the Golden Bears in Pac-12 Championship games. They will win at least one of those games and become a BCS factor for the next four seasons.

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