The Hotline is delighted to provide 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. 15 …
What’s a Ute?
With Utah projected (by the media) to win the Big 12, coach Kyle Whittingham is starting to do what Kyle Whittingham does best: Win recruiting battles for in-state kids.
No recent commitment was bigger than beating arch-rival Brigham Young for four-star offensive tackle Aaron Dunn, the No. 2 ranked player in the state in the high school class of 2025.
But the Utes also beat Oregon, UCLA and USC for Dunn.
The 290-pounder was a huge victory for Whittingham, who has cleaned up with the in-state linemen the last few years.
The Utes also took advantage of long-standing recruiting success in Texas. With several Lone Star State teams now considered Big 12 rivals, Utah’s ability to land Texas safety Nathan Tilmon was significant.
Tilmon chose the Utes over Texas and SMU, which are joining new conferences — and expected to immediately contend in the SEC and ACC, respectively. Instead, he’s leaving the state for Utah.
Ducks keep quacking
For years, the pipeline from Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana to USC was well known and seemingly uninterrupted.
Bruce Rollinson, the legendary Monarchs coach who retired after the 2022 season, was a former Trojan. Many of his players starred for the program, including Heisman Trophy Winner Matt Leinart.
But since Mario Cristobal took charge of Oregon’s program late in the 2010s — and continuing into the Dan Lanning era — the Ducks have been problematic for USC when it comes to Mater Dei.
In fact, the last few years have tilted decidedly towards the Ducks.
Last year, they reeled in a top-50 recruit from Mater Dei, defensive lineman Aydin Brelan, and Under Armour All-American receiver Jack Ressler.
This year, they already hold pledges from edge rusher Nasir Wyatt and running back Jordon Davison.
And now the Ducks have added their first 2026 commit from Mater Dei: offensive tackle Kodi Greene, the No. 3 player in California (the fourth-highest rated player at his position nationally).
The No. 1 player in California in 2026 is Mater Dei receiver Chris Henry Jr., who has been committed to Ohio State for over a year.
But Henry said no school recruited him as intensely as the Ducks. And instead of spending the one-year anniversary of his commitment to the Buckeyes in Columbus, Henry attended an Oregon football camp in Eugene.
(Greene, the offensive tackle, said during his announcement on 247Sports’ YouTube Channel that Henry is the No. 1 target he hopes will join him at Oregon.)
Making things even better for the Ducks: Jonas Williams, a top-10 quarterback nationally in the class of 2026, has committed, as well.
Oregon has four prospects pledged for 2026, all of them carrying four-star ratings from 247Sports.
Trojans bounce back
After a much-maligned summer in which three commits to USC from the Southeast reversed course, the Trojans recovered to corral two prospects from the region.
Last weekend, four-star safety Kendarius Reddick from Georgia flipped his commitment from UCF to the Trojans.
Reddick is the 13th-rated player at his position in the country, according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings.
Of course, that was the second de-commitment from Reddick. He was originally pledged to Auburn before switching to UCF. Now, he’s committed to the Trojans, who must monitor him closely.
He’s not the only former Auburn commitment now in USC’s class. Offensive tackle Carde Smith, a four-star prospect from Mobile, committed to the Tigers in late July before flipping that pledge to the Trojans.
Golden State resurgence
The West Coast hasn’t churned out the expected number of top-tier recruits in recent years. But the 2027 class is righting the ship.
247Sports released its initial top-100 prospects among current high school sophomores, and 12 players from the Golden State made the cut, including five of the top 20.
There’s depth and high-end talent.
247Sports recruiting analyst Greg Biggins addressed the situation this week in a column titled: “Golden year for the Golden State? California’s 2027 class projects as one of its best.”
Some names to remember: Sierra Canyon edge rusher Richard Wesley (the No. 2 overall prospect nationally); Mater Dei tight end Mark Bowman (No. 5); and Huntington Beach quarterback Brady Edmunds (No. 14).
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