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The foundation for recruiting success during the December signing window often is laid in the spring and summer, when on-campus visits are taken, shortlists created and verbal commitments made.
The Hotline is delighted to provide Pac-12 fans with a dive into the process through the eyes and ears of Brandon Huffman, the Seattle-based national recruiting analyst for 247Sports.
Huffman will relay news and insight into the latest developments and cast an eye ahead to upcoming events that will shape the 2022-23 recruiting cycle.
The following information, in his words, was provided to the Hotline on Aug. 1 …
Developments last weekend are cause for two Pac-12 schools to panic, largely because of unofficial visits taken by two of the most high-profile commitments in the conference: four-star receiver Jurrion Dickey (pledged to Oregon) and five-star quarterback Malachi Nelson (USC).
Nelson took an unofficial visit to Texas A&M, which is significant because it's clear the Aggies need a quarterback in the class of 2023 and because Nelson had seemingly been solid to USC.
The visit to College Station was reportedly cleared with Trojans coach Lincoln Riley, and it may be much ado about nothing.
But it probably should send a shiver down USC's spine to see its premier commitment taking an unofficial visit to a school like Texas A&M.
*** Meanwhile, Dickey took an unofficial visit to Miami.
Yes, it was quick. And yes, he was on a family vacation in Florida. But with Dickey having played on the Miami Immortals 7-on-7 team along with quarterback Jaden Rashada, who's committed to Miami, Oregon has reason to worry.
Dickey is the No. 2 receiver in the country and seemed locked to Oregon, with no plans to visit anywhere else.
It was recently reported that he won't be playing his senior season at Valley Christian High School in San Jose. There is no official destination, and the reports that he would attend Mater Dei have been refuted.
So that piece is to-be-determined and a situation to watch on two fronts:
— Dickey told 247Sports back when he committed to Oregon that he hadn't been interested in the Ducks' previous coaching staff, when Mario Cristobal was still there. But it seems like he's willing to consider Miami, which is coached by Cristobal.
— Also, he landed offers from Georgia and Texas A&M in the last week.
So those are certainly two developments to watch closely that could have a deep impact on the overall strength of the Pac-12's recruiting class in the 2022-23 cycle.
*** On the flip side, Terrance Green, a four-star defensive lineman out of Cypress, Tex., has officially committed to Oregon.
After losing some key targets in recent weeks, the Ducks bounced back nicely with Green.
They also hosted their so-called Saturday Night Live recruiting event and extended myriad new offers — the most significant being to four-star receiver Ja'Kobi Lane of out Red Mountain High School in Mesa.
*** Arizona got a nice boost on Tuesday when three-star edge rusher Tristan Davis from Lake Oswego, Ore., announced his commitment to the Wildcats.
Davis camped with Arizona and visited in June, and the Wildcats put on the full-court press.
A month later, they land a top-five prospect from the state of Oregon.
*** It will be interesting to see how the next few weeks play out with no unofficial visits, the NCAA dead period for the rest of August, the high school football season starting in much of the region, and college training camps underway.
But the Nelson and Dickey storylines are key ones to watch.
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Jon Wilner has been covering college sports for decades and is an AP Top 25 football and basketball voter as well as a Heisman Trophy voter. He was named Beat Writer of the Year in 2013 by the Football Writers Association of America for his coverage of the Pac-12, won first place for feature writing in 2016 in the Associated Press Sports Editors writing contest and is a five-time APSE honoree. You can follow him on Twitter @WilnerHotline or send an email at jwilner@bayareanewsgroup.com.
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