The Hotline is delighted to provide college football 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 Sept. 26 …
Utah State’s future: uncertain yet stable
This has been another wild week in college football across the western third of the country. Utah State’s decision to join the Pac-12, starting in 2026, should provide a nice boost to the Aggies’ recruiting efforts.
Of course, the benefits are more likely to materialize next summer — and the year after.
The first order of business for the Aggies, who have just four commitments in the class of 2025, is identifying a head coach.
Following Blake Anderson’s mid-summer termination, and with Nate Dreiling taking over as the interim coach, the Aggies are just 1-3 on the field and in a holding pattern on the recruiting trail.
But once the leadership situation is sorted out and their membership in the Pac-12 begins, the recruiting should trend upwards for the Aggies and give them a chance to lure in-state prospects who don’t draw scholarship offers from Utah and Brigham Young.
Boise State’s chance to impress
Two weeks after announcing a move to the Pac-12, Boise State faces an opponent that it will see frequently in future conference matchups.
The Broncos welcome Washington State to the Blue Turf on Saturday night — a matchup that has College Football Playoff implications for both teams. (The former is competing for the automatic bid allocated to the Group of Five while the latter has a potential path through the at-large pool.)
Boise State had a slew of official visitors on campus last weekend and landed a pair of commitments (see below). It also will have several 2025 commitments in town for official visits.
The Broncos are planning to host the highest-rated uncommitted defensive player in Oregon: Mana Tuioti, the son of Ducks defensive line coach Tony Tuioti. Boise State is battling Arizona for his signature.
The Broncos will have two other Northwest recruits in town — both have committed to the program — in receiver Gavin Packer and safety Josiah Alanis, a pair of top-10 players in Washington.
There will be plenty of underclass targets there, as well.
UCLA’s late night shot
After a much more inspiring performance, albeit a loss, against LSU, the Bruins return to the Rose Bowl for their latest home kickoff in 30 years. They host Oregon at 8 p.m.
A large number of recruits will attend, from both the 2025 commitment list and their 2026 targets.
The commitments planning to take in the environment are Bay Area edge rusher Jewelous Walls and safety Jadyn Hudson.
UCLA will also host explosive 2026 playmaker Kenneth Moore III, a three-star receiver from Stockton, before he takes four other game day visits this fall.
Another prospect expected to attend the game: Four-star linebacker Talanoa Ili, who is UCLA’s top 2026 defensive target in Southern California. He’s the teammate of current UCLA pledge Nehemiah Johnson.
Plus, the Bruins will host the top quarterback in the West in the class of 2027, Brady Edmunds from Orange County. He’s the only ’27 quarterback to have received a scholarship offer from coach DeShaun Foster thus far. His top schools are Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State and Texas.
USC returns to the Coliseum
After a heartbreaking last-minute loss on the road at Michigan, the Trojans return to the Coliseum for their first Big Ten home game.
They host Wisconsin, which has lost its last four games in Southern California (all in the Rose Bowl).
Cornerback Davon Benjamin, one of the top-100 recruits in the class of 2026, is expected to attend while receiver Demare Dezuern, a top-100 prospect in the 2027 class, will join him.
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More importantly for USC, Salesi Moa, the second-highest rated player in Utah and a top-50 prospect nationally, will also be in attendance.
Coming on the heels of landing the No. 1 player in the state of Utah in 2025, five-star receiver Jerome Myles, the Trojans would love to make it back-to-back years of elite recruits from the Beehive State.
Commitments of note
Around and about:
— Arizona State landed a pledge from the 2026 class, and it came from Texas — a state that second-year coach Kenny Dillingham has hit hard since taking over at his alma mater. Jake Fette, a four-star quarterback from El Paso, committed to the Sun Devils just 10 days after Dillingham watched him play following ASU’s win at Texas State.
— Cal dipped into its backyard to land a 2025 commitment from San Francisco athlete John Tofi. The development could pay long-term benefits, as well: His younger brother, offensive lineman Tommy Tofi, is the No. 1 recruit in the Bay Area in 2026 and a top-100 player nationally.
— Washington flipped Iowa State offensive line commit Jack Shaffer, the No. 2 recruit in North Dakota in the 2026 class.
— Boise State’s two commitments from last weekend were Texas running back Brendon Haygood and offensive lineman Stewart Taufa, an unheralded starter for Bishop Gorman High School, the Las Vegas powerhouse.
— San Diego State picked up a pair of in-state commits in edge Jeremiah Tuiileila and athlete Kaimana Tufaga.
— Colorado flipped a commitment from Penn State: Antonio Branch Jr., a three-star safety from Florida.
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