Pac-12 Football: Class of 2014 Recruiting All-Conference Team
Seven Pac-12 teams ranked No. 37 or better nationally by the end of signing day 2014, including four teams in the top 25. An influx of new talent should continue the conference's upward trajectory in the coming years.
There's no shortage of promising youngsters signed to Pac-12 programs, and the cream of the 2014 recruiting crop is especially star-studded. A bevy of 4-star prospects and a few 5-star blue-chippers headline this year's class.
The following are names to remember, as they will help shape the Pac-12 landscape—some sooner rather than later.
Kyle Kensing is the Pac-12 Lead Writer. Recruiting rankings and information obtained via 247Sports.com unless otherwise noted.
Pro-Style QB Keller Chryst, Stanford
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Highly touted local Palo Alto (Calif.) prospect Keller Chryst committed to Stanford early and remained a Cardinal through national signing day. The anticipation of his debut will build as he learns under returning Stanford starter Kevin Hogan next season.
Chryst is a prototypical pro-style quarterback, so he's a natural fit for Stanford head coach David Shaw's offensive philosophy. He also seems right for the Cardinal in another, more unique way—Comcast Sports Net Bay Area compared Chryst to former NFL quarterback and Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh.
Dual-Threat QB Morgan Mahalak, Oregon
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Might the Ducks have their next Marcus Mariota? Marin (Calif.) Catholic signee Morgan Mahalak is certainly capable of making the case.
Aside from the alliterative names, Mahalak's frame (6'3", 190 pounds) is similar to that of Mariota when he signed out of Honolulu St. Louis (6'4", 190 pounds). Like Mariota, Mahalak's size allows him to stand tall in the pocket when passing but also break off big gains on the ground when the defense gives him holes.
247Sports ranks him the No. 5 dual-threat quarterback in the 2014 class and a 4-star overall.
RB Royce Freeman, Oregon
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College football coaches from around the nation turned their attention to Imperial, Calif., a desert town of about 15,000 just west of the Arizona border.
Running back Royce Freeman was the reason, and the most coveted running back recruit of the 2014 class is trading desert for forest with his signing onto Mark Helfrich's Oregon Ducks.
Freeman was a juggernaut for Imperial High School, averaging better than 11 yards per carry and scoring 41 rushing touchdowns in 2013, per MaxPreps.com. At 6'0", 215 pounds, he's a deviation from the smaller style of running back typically playing at Oregon, but his physical style will be a welcome addition to the already-multifaceted Ducks attack.
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APB Christian McCaffrey, Stanford
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Stanford signee Christian McCaffrey is the son of former NFL wide receiver Ed McCaffrey, so he obviously comes to The Farm with a strong football pedigree. But McCaffrey also made a name for himself by scoring a Colorado state prep-record 128 touchdowns career touchdowns.
In setting that mark, McCaffrey certainly lived up to his billing as an all-purpose back. The Denver Post reports he scored in an astounding six different ways: 78 times on the ground, 44 receiving, four via punt returns, once passing, once returning a kick and once on an interception return.
WR Jalen Brown, Oregon
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Oregon's offense thrives by making the big play, and wide receiver Jalen Brown has the skill set to provide plenty such plays in the Ducks' passing game.
Brown caught 19 touchdowns for Phoenix Mountain Pointe in 2013 and surpassed 1,200 yards for the second straight season, according to MaxPreps.com.
A 4-star prospect per 247Sports, Brown rated an eight for hands, size and agility and a perfect nine for ball skills.
Athlete Budda Baker, Washington
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Local recruit Budda Baker's flip from rival Oregon to Washington was a major coup for new Huskies head coach Chris Petersen.
Baker's signing notched a considerable local victory for Washington's new regime, as the two-way standout played his prep football at Bellevue (Wash.)—the same school from which the Huskies lost 2013 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Myles Jack to UCLA.
Baker also gives Petersen options. He excelled both at defensive back and can play wide receiver or running back, making him this class' version of former Oregon star De'Anthony Thomas.
TE Bryce Dixon, USC
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New USC head coach Steve Sarkisian touted his use of the tight end as a pass-catcher during his introductory press conference in December, and he certainly landed the right recruit for that goal in January.
Bryce Dixon announced his commitment to USC at last month's U.S. Army All-American Game, giving Sarkisian his first high-profile pledge in what became a stellar class.
Dixon is an all-around talent, scoring sevens and eights across the board on 247Sports' ratings. At 6'4", he lacks the size of Sarkisian's All-American tight end at Washington Austin Seferian-Jenkins, but Dixon's pass-catching ability is more comparable to former USC standout Fred Davis, who flourished with Sarkisian as his offensive coordinator in 2007.
OG Damien Mama, USC
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USC has an impressive group of interior offensive linemen signed in its 2014 recruiting class, but none is more impressive than Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco star Damien Mama.
At 6'4", 370 pounds, Mama is a mountain up front. According to 247Sports, he uses that size to his advantage, scoring the highest marks possible on strength and punch. He also rates highly on pass blocking, a welcome skill for a USC offensive line that ranked No. 104 in sacks allowed a season ago.
OT Jordan Poland, Arizona
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The speed that is the signature of Arizona head coach Rich Rodriguez's spread offense starts with size and power up front, and offensive tackle signee Jordan Poland certainly has those traits.
At almost 6'7" and more than 330 pounds, Poland is a load up front. He's also a highly rated run-blocker, per 247Sports.com, which should make him right at home in Rodriguez's offense.
Originally a USC commit, Poland switched to the Wildcats in late December to give Arizona the face of an impressive class of offensive linemen.
SDE Solomon Thomas, Stanford
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Fearsome pass-rusher from Coppell (Texas) Solomon Thomas is seemingly a perfect fit for Stanford's tenacious style.
At nearly 6'3" and 260 pounds, Thomas already has college size. He combines that frame with a quick burst off the line, and the result is a sack machine—precisely what the defense that ranked No. 1 nationally in sacks each of the past two seasons seeks from its playmakers in the front seven.
Composite rankings from 247Sports give Thomas 5-star status, which makes him the most highly rated prospect in Stanford's stellar class.
WDE Connor Humphreys, Arizona State
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Defensive line play at Arizona State has been top-notch since Todd Graham took over as head coach in the 2012 season, and 4-star end Connor Humphreys promises to continue the trend.
Humphreys has incredible size for a prospect who has yet to even enter a college program's strength program, standing 6'3.5" and weighing in at 268 pounds. And according to 247Sports, he combines elite agility with that frame, which should work well in Sun Devils defensive coordinator Paul Randolph's blitz-happy game plan.
DT Ainuu Taua, UCLA
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What 4-star defensive tackle Ainuu Taua lacks in size—he checks in at 5'11.5"—247Sports estimates he more than compensates for in tenacity, rating Taua a perfect nine for his motor.
That will fit into UCLA's defensive philosophy well. The Bruins have emphasized an aggressive mentality since Jim Mora became head coach before the 2012 season.
MaxPreps.com reports Taua recorded seven sacks last season for Lompoc (Calif.), forced two fumbles and intercepted a pass.
ILB Zach Whitley, UCLA
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UCLA head coach Jim Mora scored a major recruiting win when he flipped one-time Alabama verbal commit Zach Whitley to the Bruins.
The Houston North Shore product could be an instant impact player for UCLA as well, as his early enrollment means he will get reps during spring practices. With inside linebacker Jordan Zumwalt leaving, the highly touted Whitley can be a first-year breakout like 2013 Bruins signees and Freshman All-Americans Myles Jack and Eddie Vanderdoes.
OLB Derik Calhoun, Arizona State
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His 6'0", 215-pound frame is not typical of an impact outside linebacker, but Derik Calhoun relies on his playmaking ability more than his size.
The 4-star prospect from El Cerrito (Calif.) scored nine points in 247Sports' ratings for lateral movement, reactive quickness and instincts, all of which are more difficult skills to instill in a recruit than bulking up in the weight room.
A former USC commit, Calhoun is the most highly rated player in Arizona State's class.
CB Adoree' Jackson, USC
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The USC secondary just got a lot more stingy. Adoree' Jackson is a 5-star, blue-chip recruit and the nation's No. 1 overall cornerback prospect, per 247Sports. With such praise, it's no wonder he was pursued by some of the top programs in the nation.
Sarkisian scored big by keeping the Gardena (Calif.) Junipero Serra product in Southern California, and Jackson could play an immediate role for the Trojans defense.
Jackson said on the ESPNU broadcast of his announcement on national signing day that he may play some offense, as well. Talk about making a splash.
S John "JuJu" Smith, USC
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John "JuJu" Smith completed USC's big-three sweep on national signing day, announcing his commitment after Jackson and Mama made their pledges to the Trojans.
Smith announced last, but he certainly isn't least. The multitalented, 5-star athlete could play either offense or defense, but his playmaking at safety is too valuable for him to not at least get a look in the secondary.
Combining Smith with 2013 freshman standout Su'a Cravens would give new USC defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox one of the most athletic secondaries in the Pac-12—if not the nation.
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