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 Seattle-based national recruiting editor for 247Sports. He submitted the following report on Aug. 22 …
With Week Zero games spanning from Ireland to Hawaii and the high school season getting underway around much of the country, football is back.
The recruiting dead period ends Aug. 31, with the contact period beginning the following day.
Much of the heavy lifting for the 2026 recruiting classes is complete. Only four of the top 100 prospects in California remain uncommitted, for example, and every four- or five-star prospect out West in the 2026 class has made his decision.
So the fall will be critical for the 2027 and 2028 prospects, with recruits visiting campuses and attending games. Some 2029 recruits might even be involved.
With that in mind, here are the five biggest West Coast games of the season for recruiting:
Ohio State at Washington (Sept. 27)
For the second straight year, UW welcomes the defending national champions to Husky Stadium.
Last year, the Buckeyes started three Washington natives; this season, there are no Evergreen State products on the two-deep.
But there will be plenty of in-state targets in the stands, including the top recruit in the ’27 class, defensive lineman Tevita Nonu from nearby O’Dea High School in Seattle. Also expected to attend: four-star ’27 quarterback Sione Kaho, the top passer in the Northwest in his class.
The No. 1 tight end in the country, Tytan McNeal, from the class of ’28, will be in the stadium, as well.
Michigan at USC (Oct. 11)
The Trojans’ first loss of the 2024 season was in Ann Arbor. This fall, they welcome their frequent Rose Bowl opponent back to town — the first matchup of the storied programs in Southern California since Jan. 1, 2007.
The Coliseum will be packed with the top prospects from California, including Nevada’s top ’27 recruit, Hayden Stepp, a 247Sports composite five-star cornerback and the latest star from Bishop Gorman High School.
He’s not the only elite cornerback expected. The top-three prospects from California in the ’27 class are all cornerbacks, and all three will attend: Duvay Williams, Aaryn Washington and JuJu Johnson.
Utah at Brigham Young (Oct. 18)
The best rivalry on the social media platform X is Utah fans against BYU supporters. (And by best rivalry, we mean the most heated rivalry.)
After a polarizing game in Salt Lake City in 2024, the scene shifts to Provo this fall, where the Cougars host their hated rivals.
BYU will also be hosting most of the premier players in the state — it’s a chance for both sides to make their impression on the Beehive State recruits.
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No prospect in the stadium will be more significant than Krew Jones, the No. 1 in-state recruit in the ’27 class. An edge rusher, Jones has already been selected to both the Under Armour All-America Game and Polynesian Bowl.
He’ll be joined by Bode Sparrow, the versatile two-way standout ranked No. 3 in the state in ’27, plus several more top Utah talents.
USC at Oregon (Nov. 22)
The headliner for this game will be Sacramento tight end Rahzario Edwards, the No. 3 ranked tight end in the ’27 class and the No. 1 player in Northern California that year. Edwards has one former Grant teammate playing for Oregon, defensive back Kingston Lopa, and another Grant product at USC, offensive lineman Alani Noa.
The Trojans and Ducks have been two of Edwards’ top choices for quite some time, but Oregon has been making the biggest surge for him over the last year.
The state’s No. 1 recruit in ’27, four-star cornerback Josiah Molden, will also be there. Molden is the son of former Duck star and NFL first rounder Alex Molden.
Krew Jones, Utah’s No. 1 prospect in the 2027 class, is expected to attend. The same goes for Sione Kaho, the four-star quarterback ranked No. 2 in Washington in ’27.
Arizona at Arizona State (Nov. 28)
While the Territorial Cup doesn’t necessarily get the same attention as other rivalries, make no mistake: These programs don’t like each other.
The role reversal has added an element of intrigue. It looked like Arizona was trending in the right direction heading into 2024, with Arizona State predicted to finish last in the Big 12. But they went the opposite way, culminating in the Sun Devils throttling the Wildcats in Tucson.
This year, the game returns to Tempe, where the defending Big 12 champions will be hosting several of the top in-state recruits. (The underclassmen are giving ASU the level of attention it hasn’t received from in-state kids in ages.)
The headliner will be edge rusher Jalanie George, from nearby Goodyear. He’s the No. 1 defensive player in the country in the ’28 class and the No. 2 overall recruit.
His teammate, four-star Zerek Sidney, will also be there. And DaJohn Yarborough, the No. 4 prospect in Arizona in 2027, who just moved to Chandler from Minnesota, is also expected.
Utah’s No. 3 prospect in 2027, Bode Sparrow is also planning to be in Tempe.
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