Quarterback recruiting is far from settled in the Pac-12, as only a handful of teams are set at the position and programs are chasing a number of prospects in the 2017 class. Here is a look at how the position is shaping up in the Pac-12 South.
The Wildcats held a commitment from ESPN Junior 300 prospect Braxton Burmeister, but lost that pledge not long after taking a commitment from dual-threat quarterback Rhett Rodriguez, the son of head coach Rich Rodriguez. The Wildcats signed a potential difference-maker in the 2016 class, in four-star dual-threat quarterback Khalil Tate. It will be interesting to see if the Wildcats go after a second quarterback in the 2017 class.
The Sun Devils have done well with quarterbacks over the past few recruiting cycles and added the nation’s No. 8 pocket-passer, Dillon Sterling-Cole, in the 2016 class. This year, the Sun Devils could try to get into the mix for in-state prospect and Oregon commit Ryan Kelley, but they’ve also extended offers to ESPN Junior 300 dual-threat quarterbacks Lowell Narcisse and Tua Tagovailoa, as well as California quarterbacks Chase Garbers, Tyler Lytle and Jack Sears.
The Buffaloes signed No. 24 dual-threat quarterback Sam Noyer in the 2016 class and have extended offers to several 2017 prospects, including Burmeister, Sears and Lytle. Colorado also is in on Chase Cord, as his lone Pac-12 offer, and had him on campus this past weekend. The Buffaloes have done a good job in finding productive players at this position recently, but they can’t afford to miss a year while continuing the rebuilding process.
The Bruins were already looking to develop depth behind Josh Rosen last year and did a good job bringing in four-star prospect Devon Modster and Matt Lynch, the nation’s No. 17 pocket-passer. In the 2017 class, the Bruins are all in on ESPN Junior 300 prospect Tua Tagovailoa. If they miss on him, there could be some scrambling to find another target, though there are several locally in Sears, Garbers and Lytle.
After signing Matt Fink, the nation’s No. 3 dual-threat quarterback, in the 2016 class, the Trojans are again going in the dual-threat direction in 2017. After chasing Tate Martell before he committed to Texas A&M, the Trojans -- like the Bruins -- have put everything into the Tagovailoa basket. As of early March, USC held the lead for Tagovailoa, the nation’s No. 6 dual-threat prospect, so closing that race this summer, when Tagovailoa plans to announce, would be huge for the Trojans, as he is also looking at UCLA, Washington and several SEC schools.
Utah is another Pac-12 program that did well at the position in 2016, as former Washington commit Troy Williams joined the program as the No. 2 dual-threat junior college quarterback. The Utes also signed a top-20 dual-threat high school prospect in Tyler Huntley. Utah is another Pac-12 program that has offered Burmeister. Two names to keep an eye on are in-state prospect Taylor Katoa, as well as Sears, who attends the same high school that produced former Utes quarterback Travis Wilson.