Early Signing Day exuded plenty of excitement on Wednesday as all 12 Pac-12 football teams signed at least 10 high-school prospects to bolster their rosters for the 2023 season and beyond.
Here is one recruit you need to know at all 12 schools.
Arizona โ Raymond Pulido, OL
The Wildcats continue to recruit at a high level under Jedd Fisch and they were able to flip Pulido, a four-star recruit, from Alabama. The Apple Valley, California native will add much-needed size to an already improving offensive line. Pulido is listed at 6-foot-5, 325 pounds but is more than just a big body. 247Sports Composite Rankings peg him as the No. 397 player in the 2023 class and No. 26 interior offensive lineman.
Pulido could start at guard in his freshman season, perhaps next to star left tackle Jordan Morgan, who recently announced his return for his senior season.
“He’s going to be a tough run blocker, great in pass protection,” Arizona offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Brennan Carroll said in a signing day video. “He’s going to bring toughness, he’s going to bring smarts, he’s going to bring attitude, he’s going to be physical. Really excited to add him to our room.”
Coach @brennanpcarroll introduces our newest Wildcat!๐ปโฌ๏ธ pic.twitter.com/k33FDSsE5t
โ Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) December 22, 2022
Arizona State โ Ashley Williams, Edge
While new head coach Kenny Dillingham has put a major emphasis on landing in-state talent, especially in the Phoenix area, the Sun Devils’ top-ranked signee hails from the South.
Williams, a 6-foot-5 pass rushing specialist from Zachary, Louisiana, is four-star recruit who turned down offers from schools closer to home like Auburn and Florida State, according to Rivals.ย Analysis from ASU’s official website says Williams is a “talented pass rusher that uses his length and athleticism to overwhelm opposing offensive lineman. Effective run defender thanks to his power and ability to shed blocks. Can play with a hand in the ground or standing up in a linebacker.”
Williams’ high school teammateย Landen Thomas, an interior pass rusher, also signed with the Sun Devils. The duo formed a dominant defensive line at Zachary High School and will look to do the same in Tempe.
Heading west ๐@AshleyLWilliam4 is bringing the pressure!#ActivateTheValley | #02V pic.twitter.com/BdW8UrxP2O
โ Sun Devil Football (@ASUFootball) December 21, 2022
California โ Nyziah Hunter, WR
The Golden Bears already have a talented receiver room with J. Michael Sturdivant and Jeremiah Hunter who combined for over 1,700 yards in 2022. Their top-ranked recruit, Nyziah Hunter (no relation to Jeremiah), will give Cal yet another weapon to work with.
Hunter is a four-star recruit and top-400 prospect, according to 247Sports Composite Rankings. Cal lists him at 6-foot-2, 200 pounds. In his final two seasons at Salinas High School in California, Hunter caught 93 passes for 1,563 yards and 22 touchdowns.
โReally talented all-around athlete,โ said Cal head coach Justin Wilcox (via The Mercury News). โHeโs got good size and he can really run. We feel like heโs got a really high ceiling because of those physical tools and heโs just scratching the surface.โ
OFFICIAL โ๏ธhttps://t.co/IkLnyNHre9 pic.twitter.com/U7sefm4tb2
โ Cal Football (@CalFootball) December 21, 2022
Colorado โ Dylan Edwards, RB
Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders has wasted no time delivering on his promise that he will bring elite talent to Boulder, flipping Edwards from Notre Dame. A consensus four-star prospect, Edwards is the No. 11 running back in the country, according to 247Sports Composite Rankings.
Known for his scintillating speed, Edwards rushed for 6,426 yards and 95 touchdowns in his career at Derby High School in Kansas. He also caught 40 passes for 556 yards and seven touchdowns, returned 15 kickoffs for 521 yards and three touchdowns, and took three punts to the house.
In his senior season alone he totaled 2,127 all-purpose yards and 37 touchdowns.ย ย
That man is ๐๐๐จ๐ฉ fast ๐ฎโ๐จ
๐ฅ @dylan_edwards02 pic.twitter.com/HZd84prYDI
โ Colorado Buffaloes Football (@CUBuffsFootball) December 21, 2022
Oregon โ Jurrion Dickey, WR
Star quarterback Bo Nix is returning to Eugene for his senior season and he’ll have a new target to throw to in Dickey, one of the top talents in the 2023 class. A consensus top-10 wide receiver, Dickey is ranked as the No. 15 overall prospect by 247Sports.
Though he was injured in his senior season, Dickey he still finished his career with 140 receptions, 2,537 receiving yards and 42 total touchdowns โ 37 receiving, two as a rusher, two on kickoffs and one via interception. He averaged over 18 yards per catch and 79 yards per game.
“Dickey is quite the polished wide receiver prospect,” wrote Erik Skopil of DuckAuthority.com. “He is an advanced route runner capable of winning with short or intermediate routes as well with more vertical plays too. With his size and strength, he is also adept of winning jump balls in traffic despite not being overly tall at 6-foot-2. The desire to block and put defenders on their backside is just a plus, and makes him a winning player on every down.”
Elite addition to the receiver room.@JurrionDickey is Oregon bound!#GoDucks x #NSD23
โ Oregon Football (@oregonfootball) December 22, 2022
Oregon State โ Aidan Chiles, QB
On the heels of their first 10-win season since 2006, the Beavers signed one of the top quarterback prospects in the country. Chiles, a native of Downey, California, is a top-150 recruit and the No. 11 quarterback in his class, according to 247Sports’ rankings.
Chiles completed 73 percent of his passes for 3,350 yards and 38 touchdowns to just five interceptions in 15 games as a senior at Downey High School. He’s also capable of breaking for big runs.
“That’s been a long relationship,” OSU head coach Jonathan Smith said on Pac-12 This Morning. “Really talented. Had a phenomenal year winning a bunch of games in Southern California. can throw it, move around, smart, loves football. Leader. We feel that we got a complete quarterback, a guy who can compete right away. He’ll be here in January. A lot of these games, they start with the quarterback, and I think we got a really good one.”
“We feel that we got a complete quarterback.”@Coach_Smith discusses four-star quarterback Aidan Chiles signing with @BeaverFootball.#Pac12FB | #NSD23 pic.twitter.com/0cN1YTTc5n
โ Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) December 21, 2022
ย Stanford โ Myles Jackson, QB
Stanford will have a new quarterback to begin the Troy Taylor era as Tanner McKee recently declared for the NFL Draft. Jackson is young โ he was originally a 2024 prospect โ but has the pedigree to compete right away.
In his final season at Long Beach’s Millikan High School, Jackson passed for 3,620 yards and 47 touchdowns while also rushing for 476 yards and nine touchdowns, earning Moore League Offensive Player of The Year honors.
Rivals.com ranks Jackson as the No. 13 quarterback in his class and No. 18 prospect in California. Jackson committed to Stanford before Taylor was announced as the new head coach on Dec. 10 but should fit well in the new system.
“I love quarterbacks that have been highly-productive in terms of throwing a lot of passes for lots of yards and touchdowns because they’ve done it before,” Taylor said. “They’ve got that data in their head that they’ve seen it before, anticipation, all the things that go into playing quarterback. … I love that he has that experience of the throwing the ball where really the game is in his hands. … The game is going through him and if he doesn’t play well, they weren’t going to win. And that’s how our system is going to be, too. If our quarterback doesn’t play well it’s going to be difficult for our team to win.”
Our ’23 QB who is one of the best in the country!
โ๏ธ ยป @MylesTJacksonQB
โฐ ยป 7:04 am PT
๐ ยป Lakewood, Calif.
๐ ยป https://t.co/Y4ibH32XKJ #CardClass23 | #GoStanford pic.twitter.com/merlNHD1PSโ Stanford Football (@StanfordFball) December 21, 2022
UCLA โ Dante Moore, QB
Dorian Thompson-Robinson is in his final days as a Bruin after starting for five seasons. Moore very well could be his replacement. The Detroit native is the No. 3 player and No. 3 quarterback in the 2023 class, per 247Sports.
In his senior year at Martin Luther King High School, Moore completed 69 percent of his passes for 2,392 yards, 32 touchdowns and just three interceptions.
247Sports’ Allen Trieu called Moore’s skillset the “total package.”
“We had been recruiting Dante a while now. … I think he’s a really mature young man,” said UCLA head coach Chip Kelly. “I think he’s got tremendous upside. He’s a really skilled football player but I really think his mindset is what makes Dante special is he’s a driven young man that really wants to be special and works at it.”
B1G โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ Signing!
Welcome Home @dantemoore05!#GoBruins | #NSD23 pic.twitter.com/KSJJ5etq8A
โ UCLA Football (@UCLAFootball) December 21, 2022
USC โ Malachi Nelson, QB
Regarded as the top quarterback and overall prospect by ESPN, Nelson is an obvious candidate to succeed Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams who will be USC’s starter for at least one more season.
Nelson put up gaudy numbers at Los Alamitos High School in Southern California, completing 67 percent of his passes for 2,898 yards and 35 touchdowns to just four interceptions. He also rushed for 153 yards and a pair of touchdowns, helping Los Alamitos reach the CIF Southern Section Division 1 semifinals.ย
โMalachi, Iโve always thought was a really unique talent,โ said USC head coach Lincolnย Riley. โHis ability to throw the ball and process at a young age, heโs certainly well ahead of his years there and very, very impressive.โ
Guys like these are very, very tough to come by.
He’s the #1 QB in the nation and joins QBU and Heisman U… ๐
Welcome home, @Malachi ๐คโ๏ธ pic.twitter.com/B9MeSroiT0
โ USC Football โ๏ธ (@uscfb) December 21, 2022
Utah โ Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu, OTs
We’re going to break our own rules here and highlight two Utah recruits. The Utes signed a top-25 class for the first time ever and Fano and Lomu are big reasons why โ literally.
The No. 13 and 14 tackles in the country, respectively, per 247Sports, Fano and Lomu are both four-star recruits and listed at 6-foot-5.
Fano starred at Timpview High School in Spanish Fork, Utah. Lomu, a Gilbert, Arizona native, helped lead Highland High School to its second straight state title.
The Utes are known for dominating the line of scrimmage and it’s easy to envision a future where Fano and Lomu are paving the way for Utah’s robust running game.
Welcome to the #OBLOCK, @FanoSpencer! pic.twitter.com/nFF1CgB9mZ
โ Utah Football (@Utah_Football) December 21, 2022
Another one for Coach Harding and the #Oblock @CalebLomu51 pic.twitter.com/tu5vxN8VXR
โ Utah Football (@Utah_Football) December 21, 2022
Washington โ Caleb Presley, CB
The Huskies struck late to sign the top in-state talent. Presley, who starred at nearby Rainier Beach High School, is not only the No. 1-ranked player in Washington, he’s a top-200 prospect and top-20 at his position, per 247Sports.
UW has a long history of developing defensive backs and Presley could be the next great one.
“Natural football player with playmaking knack, physical tools, and instincts to play multiple roles around the secondary as needed,” wrote 247Sports’ Gabe Brooks.
Equally important is the difference Presley could make on UW’s recruiting efforts as head coach Kalen DeBoer enters his second season at the helm.
“A really cool thing for him to stay home,” DeBoer said. “He can make difference in our program, of course on the field, but really change and have an impact as far as showing guys next year and the year after that this is the place to be. You know, staying home here in Washington is what you’re supposed to do, so obviously a big-time player there.”ย
๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฅ๐๐ฒ, ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ โ๏ธ๐
Follow him, Husky Nation
๐@CalebPresley5#NoLimits23 pic.twitter.com/0PkeSUGrj5โ Washington Football (@UW_Football) December 21, 2022
Washington State โ Jaxon Potter, QB
The Cougars are counting on Potter, a three-star recruit, to be their quarterback of the future.ย As a senior at Santa Margarita High School in California, the 6-foot-4 signal-caller completed 68 percent of his passes for 2,640 yards and totaled 31 touchdowns โ 27 through the air and with his legs.
If his high school sounds familiar it’s because it also produced Cougar greats like River Cracraft, Riley Sorenson and Klay Thompson.
“In this world quarterbacking is everything and I think you always have to know who’s next and Jackson has always been next for us,” said WSU head coach Jake Dickert. “A big, long gunslinger. He’s had an amazing senior year… in one of the best leagues in California. We’ve really noticed his improvement. I think the sky’s the limit for him once he gets in a strength and conditioning program.”
๐ฎ๐พ๐๐๐๐นโ๏ธ
Weโve got ourselves a QB ladies and gentlemen. Welcome @jaxon2potter to the QB roomโผ๏ธhttps://t.co/83eCq8sPIZ#GoCougs | #WAZZU | #ToThePalou23 pic.twitter.com/aDt2QMIC4k
โ Washington State Football (@WSUCougarFB) December 21, 2022