Which Pac-12 Program has the most 247 composite 4/5 Stars on their roster in 2022?
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Article by WestCoastCFB
1. Oregon - 49
On paper, the Ducks will possess the most talented roster in the conference with 49 players that were rated four or five stars out of high school. Despite a coaching change, Oregon managed to bring in twelve 4/5 star players this off-season, headlined by the signing of 5 star offensive lineman Joshua Conerly Jr. out of Seattle. Other notable recruits on the roster include former 5 stars Noah Sewell, Justin Flowe, Dontae Manning and Bo Nix.
2. USC - 37
After a dismal 4-8 season in 2021, the Trojans are experiencing a resurgence in national relevance under Lincoln Riley. Five star quarterback, Caleb Williams, followed Riley from Oklahoma to Los Angeles and instantly gives USC one of the top Quarterbacks in the nation. As a freshman, Williams threw for 1,912 yards, 21 touchdowns and just 4 interceptions. Given the talent on the roster, expect USC to be a strong contender to win the conference in 2022.
3. Washington - 30
Since Chris Petersen resigned, Washington's talent has steadily declined. Recruiting struggled under Jimmy Lake and that trend has continued with the hire of Kalen DeBoer as the Huskies posted the 95th ranked recruiting class in the country in 2022. UW still has some quality pieces on the roster but quarterback play will be key in order for the Huskies to reach a bowl this season.
4. UCLA - 25
Chip Kelly continues to rebuild the Bruins. After an eight win season in 2021, Kelly went out and landed nine 4 stars. Dorian Thompson-Robinson returns at Quarterback after a stellar season with 21 touchdown passes, 6 interceptions and 609 rushing yards.
5. Stanford - 22
Stanford hasn't won on the field recently but they continue to excel on the recruiting trail. In 2022, David Shaw brought in seven 4 stars and therefore continue to be one of the most talented teams in the conference. An outdated offensive scheme has seemingly held back the talent but you can't rule out the Cardinal making a resurgence in the years to come.
6. Utah - 15
The Utes develop talent better than any program in the conference. Kyle Whittingham's squad is the favorite to win the Pac-12 once again in 2022 and despite a lack of recognized talent out of high school, the Utes churn out NFL Draft picks. Kids should be lining up to play for Whittingham but they managed to only bring in four 4 stars for 2022. Regardless, Utah will turn their 3 stars into better players than other program's 4 and 5 stars.
7. Arizona State - 14
ASU was once seen as a program on the rise under Herm Edwards but recruiting violations have derailed that hope. The Sun Devils had the 103rd ranked recruiting class in 2022 and experienced a talent exodus headlined by former 4 star quarterback, Jayden Daniels, leaving for LSU. In the short term, ASU still has the pieces to make a bowl but the future looks far from bright.
8. Arizona - 11
Jedd Fisch has been a home run hire thus far for the Wildcats. After inhering a program that was thin on talent and coming off an 0-5 season, Fisch has excelled on the recruiting trail and transfer portal to make the Wildcats a competitive Pac-12 program once again. This past off-season, Arizona landed nine 4 stars and their biggest recruiting win came when they landed the 51st ranked player in the country, Tetairoa McMillan, over Oregon.
9. Oregon State - 7
Jonathan Smith initially built his roster on the transfer portal but hasn't found success in that regard in 2022. The lone 4 star entering the program is Jamious Griffin, a running back transfer from Georgia Tech. Oregon State reached their first bowl game since 2013 last season and it is expected they can do it once again in 2022 while returning 14 starters.
9. Cal - 7
Justin Wilcox has gone just 6-10 over the past two seasons but the Bears are competitive nearly every week. Despite a lack of talent, Wilcox has developed players on defense and consistently boasts one of the top units in the conference.
11. Colorado - 3
The Buffs are projected to be the worst team in the conference in 2022 according to most analysts. Many of their best players have either left for the NFL or transferred to other programs. Karl Dorrell brought in one 4 star this season after Tommy Brown announced he was transferring from Alabama to Colorado.
12. WSU - 0
The Cougs may not win on the recruiting trail but they get results on the field. WSU has now reached a bowl in six of the past seven seasons after completing a 7-6 campaign in 2021. Despite no players rated as a 4 star recruit out of high school, WSU does possess one of the top quarterbacks in the country in Cam Ward, which makes another bowl in 2022 likely.