McLaughlin: Pac-12 Must Keep Top Talent in West

> Spencer discusses the issue with John Garcia Jr., director of recruiting for Sports Illustrated

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  By Spencer McLaughlin of Locked on CFB for SuperWest Sports

   July 2, 2022

Over the last several years, some of the most highly touted QB recruits from the West (specifically, the State of California) have gone elsewhere to play their college football.

Jayden Rashada joins Bryce Young, CJ Stroud, and DJ Uiagalalei as elite signal-caller prospects who aren’t playing in the Pac-12 conference.

The conference was hoping that the presence of USC with Lincoln Riley and perhaps Chip Kelly’s success developing DTR can work to reverse that trend (and do have two years they in it).

On this episode of Locked On Pac-12, I’m joined by John Garcia Jr., director of recruiting for Sports Illustrated.

Rashada going to Miami in the ACC is a done deal, but two Pac-12 schools have a chance to keep a big-time recruit on the west coast in 5-star EDGE prospect Matayo Uiagalalei.

USC and Oregon both have real chances at the younger brother of Clemson’s quarterback, and he is the sort of player that the Pac-12 has to be able to keep on the west coast if they’re going to contend nationally.

Elsewhere on the recruiting trail, the Trojans are going after several big-time targets in the class of 2023—and might have to work to keep one of their top verbal commits.

Washington Football entered the month of June with four verbal commitments for the class of 2023.

Now at the end of the month, they’re up to 16, and they’ve shot up the national recruiting rankings into the top 20 including a recent QB commit.

New HC Kalen DeBoer has a tall task ahead of him, but these early recruiting returns are very encouraging for Husky fans.

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