It’s time to head out west and look at the best recruits for each Pac-12 school. Although there’s one heavyweight program on this west coast trail we’ll also see plenty of other interesting players scattered throughout the conference. But first, the club no one wants to be in.

No 5-Star Loser Club

Arizona
Utah
Washington State

Arizona has been recruiting shockingly well despite their terrible on-field play in recent years. Case in point, incoming freshman wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan (0.9779) from Servite High School in Anaheim is the highest rated player ever for the Wildcats.

Utah came close to signing a 5-star a couple cycles ago with Notre Dame targeted corner Clark Phillips (0.9744) as their best ever signee. He’s been playing really well for the Utes, too.

Michael Bumps (0.9693) at wide receiver from 2004 is as close as Washington State has gotten to 5-star glory. He’d have a nice career with 2,022 receiving yards.

The Top Recruits for the Pac-12

Stanford – OT Kwame Harris 2000-02 (0.9978)

We’re going way back to 2000 for Kwame Harris who was the No. 6 overall recruit and top tackle in the country. He was an often-used backup as a true freshman who became Stanford’s starting right tackle in 2001-02 while winning the Pac-10 award as the best offensive lineman and picking up some All-American honors.

Harris became the 26th overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers where he started 44 games over 5 seasons before being released. The Raiders would sign him to a 3-year deal but he was cut after just 1 season and has been out of the NFL ever since. Harris is one of the few former NFL players who has come out as gay.

UCLA – DE Jaelan Phillips 2017-20 (0.9989)

Phillips was the No. 1 overall recruit in the Composite for 2017 and played 2 injury-riddled seasons for UCLA. In 10 games, he was productive with 8 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks but abruptly retired following the 2018 season. Phillips then enrolled at Miami, sat out the 2019 due to transfer rules, and notched 15.5 tackles for loss and 8 sacks for the Hurricanes in 2020.

Staying in Miami, he was drafted 18th overall by the Dolphins last spring while signing a 4-year deal worth $14 million. So far, Phillips’ pro career has been promising with 8.5 sacks in 5 starts across 17 games.

Colorado – RB Darrell Scott 2008-11 (0.9980)

Scott was the top running back in the country for 2008 and only surpassed in the overall rankings by Julio Jones, Terrelle Pryor, and Da’Quan Bowers. That makes Scott the 8th highest rated running back since 2000. After a back and forth battle with Texas, he would ultimately decide to play for Colorado.

He’d only get 110 carries in a little under 1.5 seasons at Colorado before frustration set in and he announced his intention to transfer. After sitting out a year, Scott played at USF for 2011 and ran for 33 yards on 12 carries in *that* opener against Notre Dame in South Bend. He’d finish his career with the Bulls totaling 814 yards and 5 touchdowns before going undrafted by the NFL in 2012.

Oregon State – OG Isaac Seumalo 2012-15 (0.9876)

I was surprised Oregon State had a 5-star in their history, too. Seumalo is the only one for the Beavers with quarterback Derek Anderson (0.9827) and running back Stephen Jackson (0.9743) falling 4 spots and 32 spots short of 5-star status respectively, both in the 2001 class together.

Seumalo himself was the 28th overall player in the 2012 class and 10 spots away from the last 5-star in his class. He was born in Hawaii but grew up in Corvalis so sticking with the hometown Beavers made sense. He’d start as a true freshman at Oregon State and eventually was picked 79th overall by the Philadelphia Eagles. Seumalo has played in 64 games for the Birds, signed a contract extension in 2019, but has missed 21 games over the last 2 seasons with a knee and then foot injury.

Oregon – DE Kayvon Thibodeaux 2019-21 (0.9987)

Just a few cycles ago Oregon signed their highest-ever recruit as Thibodeaux finished the 2019 class as the No. 2 overall player. He lived up to the hype with 35.5 tackles for loss and 19 sacks in 30 career games in Eugene. At one point, he was the consensus No. 1 overall pick for this upcoming NFL Draft although most have him going somewhere later in the top 10 now.

California – S Keenan Allen 2010-12 (0.9949)

Allen was actually listed as a safety in the Composite rankings but would’ve topped the receiver rankings just one spot ahead of USC’s Kyle Prater. For what it’s worth USC’s Robert Woods (3rd overall) was listed as an athlete but was really the highest rated wideout from 2010.

Allen would dominate at Cal where he totaled 205 receptions, 2,570 yards, and 17 touchdowns in just 33 games. Hobbled by a PCL injury from his junior season, Allen turned pro but had a lackluster Pro Day which dropped him all the way to the 3rd round and 76th overall by the Chargers.

It’s worked out for all parties involved! Allen just completed his 5th straight Pro Bowl season and despite missing nearly all of 2016 with an injury, he’s produced 730 catches, 8,535 yards, and 48 touchdowns with the Chargers. Now turning 30 for the 2022 season, Allen has 3 years left on a $80.1 million contract signed early in the 2020 season.

USC – RB Joe McKnight 2007-09 (0.9997)

There was stiff competition for the top recruit ever at USC and it goes to running back Joe McKnight out of John Curtis high school in New Orleans. He was the top overall recruit of 2007 (just ahead of Jimmy Clausen), tied for the 12th best overall recruit since 2000, and is the top running back ever just slightly ahead of another Louisiana native in Leonard Fournette.

McKnight was good in college but walked into the shadow of Reggie Bush and never became an elite player. After 3 short years marred by injuries and eligibility violations he’d finish his career with a respectable 2,213 yards and 13 touchdowns.

He’d be picked in the 4th round by the Jets but came into camp out of shape. McKnight played minimally in 3 seasons for New York before being cut prior to the 2013 season. He’d briefly appear for the Chiefs in 2014 but that was it for his career. In total, just 505 rushing yards and no touchdowns scored.

McKnight would be tragically killed in a road rage incident in 2016 with the killer currently awaiting a re-trial in Louisiana.

Arizona State – LB Vontaze Burfict 2009-11 (0.9935)

In the 2009 class, Burfict trailed only Manti Te’o as the highest rated inside linebacker and came in as the 11th best overall recruit in the nation. Originally a USC commit, Burfict switched to Arizona State on National Signing Day before barely qualifying academically to play in 2009.

Across 3 seasons, Burfict was productive with 228 tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss, and 7 sacks but his penchant for dirty hits and a less than stellar reputation off the field dropped him down draft boards. He would bomb his workout at the NFL Combine then go undrafted.

Signed as a free agent by the Bengals, he played 7 seasons in Cincinnati even making the Pro Bowl in 2013 after leading the NFL with 171 tackles. However, through a collection of fines and injuries he really only played 2 full seasons for the Bengals. After a shortened season with the Raiders–in which he was suspended again–Burfict has not played in the NFL over the last 2 seasons. His career is seemingly over with 622 tackles, 35 tackles for loss, and 8.5 sacks.

Washington – S Shaq Thompson 2012-14 (0.9978)

Thompson was the No. 4 overall player in the 2012 class, the highest rated safety that year, and the 3rd best safety prospect since 2000. A hybrid player from this freshman season, Thompson played safety, nickel, linebacker, and running back in college. After 3 seasons he turned pro having totaled 232 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 5 interceptions, and 456 rushing yards at 7.5 yards per carry.

Scouted as an outside linebacker, Thompson was the 25th pick in the 1st round by Carolina where he’s spent his entire 7-year career to date. So far he has 574 tackles, 44 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks and just restructured his original $54.4 million contract signed after his rookie deal that has 2 years remaining going into 2022.