Huffman on Recruiting: Washington’s QB clarity, Utah hits Idaho and Oregon goes national

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 analyst for Rivals/On3. He submitted the following report on April 10 …

QB dominoes start to fall

The commitment of four-star quarterback Blake Roskopf to Washington could be the domino that prompts other quarterbacks to begin to find their landing spots.

Roskopf’s pledge to the Huskies makes it unlikely in-state standout Sione Kaho joins him on Montlake. With Kaho having official visits set to Oregon, Cal and Stanford, it’s more likely that he ends up in the Golden State.

That’s largely because Oregon remains well positioned for the nation’s No. 1 quarterback, Will Mencl, from Chandler (Arizona). But the Ducks aren’t putting all their eggs in the Mencl basket. The No. 2 quarterback nationally, Jake Nawrot from Illinois, visited earlier this week.

Cal wants Kaho, but the Bears are pushing for Dane Weber from Chaparral High School in Temecula.

So, too, is UCLA.

Another Cal target, Kamden Lopati, is now trending towards Michigan. If he ends up in Ann Arbor, Weber could set his sights on UCLA.

Stanford may land Kaho, however. That would unite a current Tacoma quarterback with a former Tacoma quarterback: Cardinal head coach Tavita Pritchard.

Utah continues inroads in Idaho

After securing the No. 1 prospect in Idaho in 2026, Kelvin Obot, the Utes went back to the Gem State and corralled a commitment from edge rusher Jack Henderson from Boise.

Utah has had great success in Idaho. The Utes landed three-year starter Tao Johnson from Idaho Falls, starting lineman Tanoa Togiai and NFL linebacker Jonah Elliss.

One of their all-time greats is from Idaho, as well: Offensive line coach Jordan Gross, who was a first-round NFL Draft pick, coached Obot at his alma mater, Fruitland High School.

Bruins in the trenches

UCLA had one of its biggest recruiting weekends since the Jim Mora era with more than 100 recruits attending the first Saturday practice of Bob Chesney’s tenure.

The Bruins landed a commitment from Jackson Hill, an offensive lineman from nearby Chaminade HS, but their biggest in-state recruiting win to date came this week.

UCLA reeled in a pledge from defensive lineman Montana Toilolo, who is from Long Beach but plays for Mater Dei.

Toilolo was trending heavily towards Notre Dame, while Miami and Penn State were also in pursuit. But his second visit to UCLA this week swung momentum. He announced his commitment to Chesney, giving the Bruins their second Mater Dei player in their five-man class.

Fresno State with big pickup

While not the biggest player in the class, receiver Demaje Riley may be the top playmaker in California’s Central Valley.

The 5-foot-9 Riley was a UCLA target initially and committed as a sophomore. He stuck it out through a series of coaching changes.

But when Burl Toler III was not retained as wide receivers coach, Riley opened up his recruitment. That allowed Fresno State, bound for the new-look Pac-12, to jump on him.

On Thursday, the Bulldogs landed the dynamic Riley, who has played a little bit of everything: receiver, quarterback and running back, plus defensive back and basketball, too.

Bulldogs coach Matt Entz has made it clear he wants to own the Central Valley and landing Riley continues his plan.

Here come the Ducks

Remember a week ago, when USC flipped an Oregon target from Southern California and trolled the Ducks on social media?

Be careful what you wish for, because Oregon has more gravitas when it comes to national recruiting. The past week validated that, with the Ducks landing a pair of Rivals100 prospects from the Southeast — both top-10 in the country at their positions.

The Ducks went to North Carolina for the No. 8 edge rusher nationally and the No. 5 recruit in the state, Rashad Streets.

A couple days later, they returned to the region and secured a commitment from the top-ranked player in Alabama, cornerback Ai’King Hall.

Hall is ranked the No. 39 overall prospect nationally by Rivals.

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