Amid conference realignment that is changing college football, we decided to rank the top 10 recruiting classes from 2010 to 2019 for each Power 5 conference.
We recently evaluated our recruiting class rankings, considering how player rankings translated into actual production and how well each class did in the win column over the course of four years.
Last week, we broke down the Big 12. This time, we go through the Pac-12.
Over the past decade, only two Pac-12 programs have reached the College Football Playoff, and no one recruiting class emerged as a clear-cut leader over the group. The Oregon Ducks, who in recent cycles have established themselves as the leader on the recruiting trail within the conference, unsurprisingly placed the most classes on this list. Stanford and Washington, which each won at least two conference titles over the 10 years, also had multiple classes represented on the list.
While USC currently undergoes another coaching search, the once-dominant program in recruiting has struggled, and that is represented here. Over this time period the Trojans won only one conference title and had only one class rank among the 10 best.
Here are the top 10 recruiting classes in the Pac-12 over the past decade.
1. Washington, 2015
Class of 2014 ranking: 28
Top offensive prospect: QB Jake Browning (No. 82)
Top defensive prospect: DT Benning Potoae (three stars)
This class was an example of Chris Petersen's strong recruiting that brought in a group of impact performers and strong contributors that helped deliver two Pac-12 titles and a CFP semifinal appearance. Browning was their top commit and quickly established himself as one of top QBs in college football, winning conference offensive player of the year honors, leading the Huskies to the playoff and setting several program season and career records, including yards (12,296) and TD passes (94). He was not the only offensive playmaker to arrive in this class, as RB Myles Gaskin immediately proved he was underrated as a three-star. The in-state product was the school's first true freshman to run for 1,000 yards and became the first player in conference history to rush for over 1,000 yards in all four seasons. Injuries sidelined him for a stretch, but when on the field, four-star Trey Adams was one of best left tackles in the conference. While offensive players defined this class, LB Ben Burr-Kirven was an example of a very good defensive addition to the program.
2. Oregon, 2012
Class of 2012 ranking: 18
Top offensive prospect: OT Arik Armstead (No. 24)
Top defensive prospect: S Reggie Daniels (four stars)
It's often said defense wins championships, and this Ducks class proved that, as this class included several impact defensive linemen that helped them win the conference title in 2014 en route to the first CFP championship game. Top signee Armstead was an immediate contributor and led Oregon in QB hurries during the 2014 season. DeForest Buckner developed from a three-star into another key player along their defensive line, leading the team with 13 tackles for a loss in 2014 and being the team's second-leading tackler as a senior. Both went on to become first-round NFL picks. In-state signee Alex Balducci was another strong contributor for the Ducks in the defensive trenches. ESPN 300 RB Byron Marshall was a versatile offensive weapon, racking up 1,000 rushing yards in 2013 and 1,000 receiving yards in 2014. Four-Star WRs Bralon Addison and Dwayne Stanford, as well as three-star TEs Pharaoh Brown and Evan Baylis, were also productive offensive contributors over their career with the Ducks.
3. Washington, 2014
Class of 2014 ranking: 45
Top offensive prospect: QB Kyle Carta-Samuels (No. 264)
Top defensive prospect: S Budda Baker (No. 122)
Washington is one of only two programs in the conference to have made the CFP. This class played a pivotal role in getting the Huskies into the 2016 semifinals. They missed on very few guys with a majority making significant contributions like top signee Baker. The No.1 player in-state stayed home, he quickly delivered as a freshman starter at safety, leading the team in tackles while being named a consensus All-American in 2016. The class also produced other strong contributors to the secondary in Sidney Jones and JoJo McIntosh. They landed two productive DTs out of California in Vita Vea, who in 2017 was named the conference's Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year, and Greg Gaines, a multi-year starter who was recognized as one of top defensive linemen in the league in 2018. Dante Pettis was a three-star pickup that became an immediate playmaker at wide receiver and in the return game.
4. Stanford, 2014
Class of 2014 ranking: 15
Top offensive prospect: OT Casey Tucker (No. 39)
Top defensive prospect: DE Solomon Thomas (No. 25)
The class finished second in the conference and 15th nationally, bringing in several key starters that helped deliver a conference title in 2015. The biggest addition was ESPN 300 ATH Christian McCaffrey, who proved to be a versatile weapon. He contributed as a freshman and elevated his game in his sophomore year by setting the NCAA single-season record for all-purpose yards (3,864), being named AP Player of the Year. He continued to post impressive numbers in his junior season before leaving for the NFL draft and becoming a top-10 pick. The top signee Thomas, a top-three draft pick in 2017, was a big contributor in the trenches for the Cardinal's conference championship team and one of the top defensive linemen in college football as a junior. Three-star Harrison Phillips contributed as a freshman and became another excellent player for the Cardinal on the defensive line. Stanford is known for producing tight ends and brought in a good one in Dalton Schultz, an ESPN 300 prospect out of Utah that was named All-Pac-12 as a senior.
5. Stanford, 2012
Class of 2012 ranking: 12
Top offensive prospect: OT Andrus Peat (No. 9)
Top defensive prospect: LB Noor Davis (No. 25)
Stanford had the Pac-12's top class in 2012, one that contributed to back-to-back conference title teams, while many also contributed to a third in 2015. A stellar O-line class on paper translated to the field too. Peat, No. 4 OT Kyle Murphy and No. 3 OG Joshua Garnett were all ESPN 300 prospects that played as freshmen and developed into some of the top offensive linemen in college football. Peat was a multi-year starter at LT and a first-round draft pick, Murphy was a part of three conference titles and a team captain in 2014, and Garnett was named the school's first Outland Trophy winner and a first round NFL pick. Three-star Graham Shuler was a starter along the offensive line that came from this class.
6. Oregon, 2011
Class of 2011 ranking: 14
Top offensive prospect: ATH DeAnthony Thomas (No. 16)
Top defensive prospect: LB Anthony Wallace (No. 147)
This class deserves recognition, as it brought in sleeper QB Marcus Mariota, a signee near the bottom of the Ducks' class with just two offers. The accurate and mobile QB led Oregon to the national championship game in 2014, setting several school records and becoming the program's first Heisman Trophy winner along the way. The speedy Thomas was a high-profile pickup who met expectations while in Eugene as a versatile weapon that contributed as runner, receiver and returner. This class also produced key contributors to their offensive line in three-stars Tyler Johnstone, a multi-year starter at LT, and Jake Fisher, who had starts at right and left tackle.
7. Oregon, 2019
Class of 2019 ranking: 6
Top offensive prospect: DE Kayvon Thibodeaux (No. 1)
Top defensive prospect: WR Lance Wilhoite (No. 85)
This class is still in action, but already amassing a strong résumé as a part of two conference title teams and helping put the Ducks in the hunt for their second playoff appearance. Always an important recruiting ground, they landed California's No. 1 overall player in Thibodeaux. An impact performer as a freshman, he notched a team-high nine sacks and 14 TFLs. He has developed into one of the premier edge defenders in college football and is the potential No. 1 overall pick in next spring's NFL draft. No. 2 CB Mykael Wright made an impact as a freshman on special teams, returning two kickoffs for TDs and last season leading the Pac-12 in pass breakups (9) while also earning first-team all-conference honors. Other top defensive signees that have performed well are LB Mase Funa, DL Keyon Ware-Hudson, DL Brandon Dorlus and CB DJ James.
8. USC, 2014
Class of 2014 ranking: 14
Top offensive prospect: ATH JuJu Smith-Schuster (No. 24)
Top defensive prospect: CB Adoree' Jackson (No. 9)
This was the top class in the conference in 2014 with high-impact talent. Five-star Jackson lived up to expectations, contributing in all three phases of the game as freshman, being named a finalist for the Hornung Award as a sophomore and winning the Thorpe Award as a junior. Smith was another highly touted local signee that delivered, becoming an immediate big play target as freshman and developing into one of the top wide receivers in college football. While those two would leave before the Trojans won their only conference title over this 10-year span, several contributors to that team came from this class. The offensive line was a group that benefited with starters Viane Talamaivao, Toa Lobendahn and Chris Brown, as well as contributor Jordan Austin all signing in this class.
9. Oregon, 2010
Class of 2010 ranking: 7
Top offensive prospect: RB Lacche Seastrunk (No. 40)
Top defensive prospect: CB Dior Mathis (No. 105)
The top two commits in this class would not go the distance with Oregon, but below them was a strong group, many of whom contributed to three conference titles over a five-season span. Josh Huff was a three-star out of Texas that exceeded expectations and contributed to their 2010 and 2011 Pac-12 title teams. He amassed over 1,000 all-purpose yards as a freshman. Three-star Hroniss Grasu developed into a four-year starter on the offensive line, was named first-team all-conference and was a key contributor for the 2014 playoff team. Keanon Lowe became best known for his off-field heroics when he disarmed an active shooter in 2019 at Parkrose High School in Portland, where he worked and coached. As a player, he was a consistent wide receiver, playing a role in their 2011 and 2014 conference title teams.
10. Utah, 2016
Class of 2016 ranking: 38
Top offensive prospect: OT Garett Bolles (JC50 No. 2)
Top defensive prospect: LB David Luafatasaga (JC50 No. 17)
This class helped produce a productive stretch on the field for the Utes, contributing to a pair of Top 25 finishes over four years and a 2019 season in which they pushed toward the CFP. A pair of key offensive weapons came in with this class in four-star QB Tyler Huntley and high three-star RB Zach Moss. Both out of Florida, Huntley was a three-year starter who threw for over 3,000 yards in 2019 and was a first-team all-conference selection. Moss rushed for over 1,000 yards in each of his three seasons and was the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year in 2019 with over 1,400 yards. The Utes also wisely used the junior colleges for some big gains. Bolles' stay was short, but he started 13 games at LT in 2016 and went to be a first-round draft selection. Lufatasaga was a two-year starter for Utah. One of the several strong signees out of Florida, three-star athlete Demari Simpkins, was a contributor over all four years and among the team leaders in receptions his senior year.
Best of the rest
Arizona, 2013
Class of 2013 ranking: 39
Notable recruit: QB Anu Solomon (three stars)
Arizona State, 2016
Class of 2016 ranking: 21
Notable recruit: WR N'Keal Harry (No. 22)
California, 2010
Class of 2010 ranking: 15
Notable recruit: ATH Keenan Allen (No. 33)
Colorado, 2017
Class of 2017 ranking: 27
Notable recruit: WR Laviska Shenault Jr. (three stars)
Oregon State, 2010
Class of 2010 ranking: N/A
Notable recruit: QB Sean Mannion (three stars)
UCLA, 2010
Class of 2010 ranking: 10
Notable recruit: ATH Anthony Barr (No. 102)
Washington State, 2012
Class of 2012 ranking: N/A
Notable recruit: WR Gabriel Marks (three stars)