This article covers the most important portal additions for each Pac-12 team heading into the spring ball season.
Arizona – Justin Flowe
In what was one of the bigger storylines of the off-season, former five-star linebacker Justin Flowe decided to take his talents to the Arizona Wildcats. He’s been rather productive while on the field, but his career has been significantly hindered by injuries. We’ll see if he can stay healthy in Tucson this upcoming season.
Arizona State – Drew Pyne
With Emory Jones taking off for Cincinnati, the Sun Devils will be introducing a fourth starting QB in three seasons. Drew Pyne started 10 games for Notre Dame last season. In those games, Pyne threw for 2,021 yards and 22 touchdowns. Not elite by any means, but he can be a serviceable QB for ASU until freshman signee Jaden Rashada develops.
California – Nohl Williams
Cal has a lot of holes to fill, but there likely isn’t one that is bigger than the hole in the secondary. Cal ranked 123rd in passing yards allowed last season, so they desperately needed a lockdown corner. They got just that in UNLV transfer Nohl Williams. Williams tallied 39 tackles, five deflections, and three interceptions for the Rebels in 2022. He has three years of starting experience as well. He is exactly what Cal needed to start repairing some holes defensively.
Colorado – Travis Hunter
Coming out of high school, Travis Hunter was the number one player in the 2022 class, and stands as the highest-rated cornerback of all time. That hype hasn’t died down, as he was rated as the number one overall prospect in the transfer portal for the winter window. As many people expected, he followed Deion Sanders to Colorado. This will be his first year at the FBS level, so we’ll see how he adjusts. Will Travis Hunter go down as one of the best ever to do it?
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Oregon – Jordan Burch
Jordan Burch was one of the most talented prospects on the defensive line this cycle. Under first-year head coach Dan Lanning, the Ducks struggled mightily on the defensive side of the ball, especially against the pass. Burch can help provide some pass rush, as well as be a force on the edge to keep runners at bay. He tallied 3.5 sacks and 60 tackles with the Gamecocks last season. We’ll see if he can keep that level of production in Eugene.
Oregon State – D.J. Uiagalelei
The former Clemson Tiger was one of the most highly touted QBs in the country coming out of high school. However, his career hasn’t exactly gone according to plan. He posted just north of 2,500 yards last year, and had a TD-to-INT ratio of 22:7. Although it was an improvement from 2021, it wasn’t enough, and DJ Uiagalelei was benched for true freshman Cade Klubnik in the ACC Championship game. Still, he has a ton of natural talent. The only question is, can he put it all together mentally for the Beavers in 2023?
Stanford – Gaethan Bernadel
Stanford didn’t get many players from the portal, but Gaethan Bernadel was a solid addition to the Cardinal. The former FIU linebacker racked up over 100 tackles last season, as well as 1.5 sacks. He has a chance to come in and be an anchor for Stanford’s defense early. Good pickup here.
UCLA – Collin Schlee
UCLA had one of the better transfer hauls in the conference. However, the most important piece is Collin Schlee. Although the Bruins have stud QB Dante Moore coming in, you typically don’t want to rely on a true freshman. If Moore isn’t ready, Schlee will be a great option for UCLA. If Moore does start from day one, however, it means that they’ll have a reliable backup option if Moore were to go down. Schlee threw for over 2,100 yards in 2022, on top of rushing for 492. At worst, Schlee will add much depth to the Bruins’ QB room.
USC – Mason Cobb
Mason Cobb had a breakout year at Oklahoma State last season. He was a bright spot in what was a rather mediocre defense, at least to start the year. He finished the season with 96 tackles, two sacks, a pick, and a forced fumble. He’s a very rangy guy that can make an immediate impact at USC. The Trojans needed some linebacker help pretty badly, so this was an important pickup for Alex Grinch.
Utah – Levani Damuni
Utah is fresh off of their second Pac-12 title in a row. This year though, they’ll be losing some guys on the defensive side of the ball. Stanford transfer Levani Damuni provides a lot of experience at the linebacker position and can help coach up some of the younger players at that position. He was rather productive for the Cardinal, tallying 204 tackles in the past three seasons. This is an underrated pickup for the Utes for sure, and I expect Damuni to be a leader come 2023.
The man in the middle ?#GoStanford | @LevaniDamuni pic.twitter.com/RLmVrtl4Wc
— Stanford Football (@StanfordFball) August 3, 2022
Washington – Jabbar Muhammad
Washington’s defense took a massive step back in 2022. The offense performed great though, and they ended up with 11 wins. They return a lot on offense, but the secondary was pretty bad last year, ranked 100th in passing yards allowed. Jabbar Muhammed will be a pivotal piece in helping the secondary improve. He racked up nine deflections and a pick in 2022 under a brand new defensive coordinator in Derrick Mason. Big pickup for the Huskies here that could springboard a potential Pac-12 title run.
Washington State – Ahmad McCullough
Washington State is coming off of a 7-6 season, one filled with ups and downs. The defense was well below average, to say the least, and Maryland linebacker Ahmad McCullough can help patch it up a bit. The former Terrapin tallied 45 tackles and a sack in 2022, bringing some much-needed depth and experience to the Washington State linebacker corps.
