The Hotline is delighted to provide West Coast fans with a regular dive into the recruiting process through the eyes and ears of Brandon Huffman, the Phoenix-based national recruiting editor for 247Sports. He submitted the following report on Oct. 16 …
The Holy War
Utah against BYU is the most vitriol-filled rivalry in the West and, of course, has the word ‘holy’ in the nickname.
Quirky and controversial plays reign supreme.
Angry athletic directors speak out.
Fans hate each other all year long on social media.
Then the game happens.
This year, it happens in Provo, and the recruits in attendance will only add to the dense narrative accompanying a showdown of ranked teams.
It’s not just the committed players, like five-star quarterback Ryder Lyons, who has pledged to BYU.
It’s not just the official visitors, like former UCLA commit Ramzak Fruean, a three-star linebacker from the Tacoma area.
It’s also the underclassmen. The top two players from Utah in the class of 2027 are scheduled to attend: four-star athlete Bode Sparrow and four-star edge rusher Krew Jones, who have both already been to games at Utah.
The list includes Mataio Fano, as well. Fano is the No. 1 player in the state in the 2028 class and the brother of Utah edge rusher Logan Fano and offensive tackle Spencer Fano.
Utes coach Kyle Whittingham, a BYU alumnus in his 21st season at Utah, goes head-to-head against his former defensive coordinator, Cougars coach Kalani Sitake, and they will match wits with a pile of coveted recruits present.
In other words, the showdown isn’t just a Holy War on the field, but a Whole War of recruiting.
Dam breaks for Beavers
This is a difficult time to lead your alma mater and, coincidentally, a difficult time to be a head coach named Trent.
Oregon State fired Trent Bray, a former Beavers linebacker, last weekend after an 0-7 start.
He joins the growing list of coaches dismissed during the season — a list that includes Trent Dilfer, who was fired by UAB on Sunday.
And then there’s James Franklin (Penn State), DeShaun Foster (UCLA), Sam Pittman (Arkansas) and Mike Gundy (Oklahoma State) — just to name four more.
The signs were trending in the wrong direction for Bray all season, and the impact was clear in recruiting: longtime quarterback pledge Deagan Rose de-committed from OSU last week and flipped to Fresno State.
In the aftermath of Bray’s dismissal, two-way standout Lance McGee from Washington de-committed from the Beavers, as did Bay Area prospect Truly Bell.
And Oregon State’s highest-ranked commitment, three-star receiver Cynai Thomas, was offered a scholarship by UCLA and could be taking an official visit to Westwood this fall, where his 7-on-7 teammate, Kenneth Moore III, is already committed.
ASU’s shot to defend its Big 12 title
A year ago, Texas Tech handed Arizona State the first of two losses in Big 12 play, although that defeat didn’t prevent the Sun Devils from winning the conference in their first year.
The Red Raiders have never won the Big 12 despite being inaugural members (in 1996).
They are heavy favorites for the 2025 championship, but we don’t expect the Sun Devils to bow out meekly despite a disastrous performance at Utah last weekend.
The Devils haven’t lost in Tempe since November of 2023 (Kenny Dillingham’s first year), when quarterback Sam Leavitt was still at Michigan State.
The game of the year for ASU will unfold Saturday in front of a loaded section of recruits.
Several committed players will be there, along with Northwestern pledge Davis Kinney.
But the key recruits are underclassmen, like the top receiver in California in 2027, Quentin Hale; the top prospect in New Mexico, linebacker Colton McKibben; a key in-state 2027 target, Trey Smith; and a top-five player in the state in 2028, cornerback Nekhi Lambeth.
Also in attendance? The top-three 2027 recruits in the Top247 database from Texas Tech’s backyard: four-star offensive lineman Peyton Miller, four-star safety Jerry Outhouse Jr and four-star cornerback Montre Jackson.
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The Sun Devils have made a huge push into Texas under Dillingham. This game, with a win, could give them even more momentum.
Flip watch
We’re hitting flip season, when verbal commitments lose all meaning.
It started last week with Rose switching from Oregon State to Fresno State, his hometown school. He’s the highest-ranked quarterback to pledge to the Bulldogs since quarterback Derek Carr in the 2009 class.
This week, longtime Cal commit Jayden Crowder opened up his recruitment after being offered by USC. The Trojans feel good about Crowder, who happens to play for Santa Margarita Catholic, coached by a pair of former Trojans: quarterback Carson Palmer and offensive lineman Lenny Vandermade.
Cal hosts longtime Minnesota pledge Kai Meza one weekend after Colorado did.
Oregon is trying to flip longtime Michigan State pledge Braylon Hodge from Colorado; he de-committed from the Spartans just before his visit to Oregon.
And Boise State is making a move with Hodge’s teammate at Cherry Creek High School, running back Jayden Fox, who is currently committed to Connecticut but just took an official visit to Boise.
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