Washington Huskies

ESPN's Erik McKinney drops by to preview top West Coast prospects who will be at this weekend's Elite 11 and Oakland NFTC. McKinney also talks Pac-12 recruiting and why the conference has gotten off to a slow start in 2014 recruiting.

Inspired by Florida's "#ComePlayWRFortheJoker" campaign, our recruiting writers looked at other ways schools can sell themselves on the trail. Here's a look at recruiting pitches for the Pac-12:

Arizona Wildcats
What they're selling: Rich Rodriguez's offensive system worked wonders at West Virginia and introduced the nation to Denard Robinson at Michigan. In 2012, the explosive offense scored at least 34 points in 10 of the Wildcats' 13 games.
What they're missing: The Wildcats don't have the Territorial Cup, which went to Arizona State following a 41-34 victory last season. If Arizona is going to climb the Pac-12 ranks, it'll need to win at home and lock up local talent over the Sun Devils.

Arizona State Sun Devils
What they're selling: There's a new attitude at Arizona State, as Todd Graham took the Sun Devils from the most penalized team in the country to one of the least penalized in just one year. Installing that discipline and accountability has been a major selling point for recruits signing up to play with Graham.
What they're missing: The Sun Devils won their final three games of the season for the first time in more than three decades, but losses to UCLA and USC leave them looking up at the Pac-12 South leaders in the battle for national prominence.

California Golden Bears
What they're selling: One of the top public universities in the world, Cal will always be able to pitch its strong academics to recruiting. The new facilities and revamped California Memorial Stadium will help accentuate the package with a pretty bow.
What they're missing: Coach Sonny Dykes has recent Pac-12 experience, but his three years at Louisiana Tech took him completely out of the minds of West region recruits. In-state recruits, essential to Cal's recruiting success, are unfamiliar with what Dykes' systems look like in game action, although the Golden Bears will have a chance to make several statements this fall.

Colorado Buffaloes
What they're selling: The Buffaloes need playmakers at a multitude of position on both sides of the ball. Playing time and the ability to make an instant impact are certainly on the table for Colorado recruits.
What they're missing: Colorado was two points away from a winless season in 2012 and has very little on-field momentum heading into 2013. The Buffs have just four wins in two years in the Pac-12, and until that changes, it'll be difficult to win significant recruiting battles.

Oregon Ducks
What they're selling: The noisy uniforms and noisier Autzen Stadium provide the flash, but there is plenty of substance in the fast-paced offense the Ducks run. It's unlikely that will slow down under new coach Mark Helfrich.
What they're missing: Mostly obviously, they're missing Chip Kelly, which has left a slight cloud over how the program might change direction or continue unaltered under the new staff. But the possibility of looming NCAA sanctions means the Ducks can't sell completely smooth sailing to recruits in this class.

Oregon State Beavers
What they're selling: The Beavers can sell credibility, not just on the field, but with the coaching staff as well. Mike Riley and his staff have proven they can win in Corvallis and year after year, the Beavers' coach comes across as incredibly genuine to recruits.
What they're missing: In state, Oregon State is the decided underdog when it comes to flash and national appeal. The Beavers aren't often referred to as a "dream school" by recruits, so there is rarely a sure-fire commitment for coaches when they go out of state.

Stanford Cardinal
What they're selling: Arguably no school in the country has the combination of academics and athletics of Stanford. When you're recruiting student-athletes, that's a good place to start.
What they're missing: Despite the recent success, Stanford is never going to be able to put together the game-day atmosphere of some of its Pac-12 competition, including Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington.

UCLA Bruins
What they're selling: Jim Mora's staff has Southern California buzzing about the new direction UCLA is headed. That's a good thing for the Bruins, who have climbed out of the shadow of USC.
What they're missing: The Bruins had a chance to completely pass USC, but dropped their final three games of the season. There is still a question about whether they've jumped the Trojans for good and until that is settled on the field this season, the Trojans will likely get the benefit of the doubt, regionally and nationally.

USC Trojans
What they're selling: No Pac-12 program can fall back on tradition like USC. And now with the John McKay Center, old school meets new school in a much-needed facility upgrade.
What they're missing: Rumblings about Lane Kiffin's job security began after a 10-point loss to UCLA, grew louder after a loss to Notre Dame and became deafening after a Sun Bowl loss to Georgia Tech. Despite athletic director Pat Haden throwing his full support behind the coach, recruits and their families are having difficulty believing Kiffin and his staff are there for the long haul.

Utah Utes
What they're selling: Offensively, there is plenty of intrigue as to how co-offensive coordinators Dennis Erickson and Brian Johnson direct the attack. Overall, there is still the memory of what Utah was able to accomplish as a BCS spoiler in 2008, and Kyle Whittingham hopes to spark some of that magic in the Pac-12.
What they're missing: In two years, the Utes are below .500 in the Pac-12 and missed out on a bowl game last season. At this point, it's still an uphill climb in terms of convincing recruits they can cause an upheaval in the conference standings.

Washington Huskies
What they're selling: It's tough to find a coaching staff with more energy on the field or recruiting trail, starting with head coach Steve Sarkisian and moving to every assistant coach on the staff. It's a young group that relates incredibly well to recruits.
What they're missing: The Huskies have yet to win eight games in Sarkisian's three years in Seattle, so hitting that number would be a big step toward proving there is some growing on-field momentum.

Washington State Cougars
What they're selling: Mike Leach is still one of the most interesting personalities in college football, and despite some stumbles in his first year at Washington State, recruits are still interested to see what the Cougars can do this fall in his second year.
What they're missing: The Cougars need wins and they need them now. Washington State hasn't posted a winning record since 2003 and when it comes to on-field performance, it simply can't compete with a majority of Pac-12 teams.

This week's look at Pac-12 recruiting touches on Oregon-bound Morgan Mahalak, Joe Mixon, Nathan Starks and more.

In this week's edition of the Pac-12 Official Visit segment, West regional recruiting coordinator Erik McKinney joins Phil Murphy to discuss the latest decommitment for USC and a host of spring game visitors for UCLA, Oregon, and Washington.

#BlueChipBattles : RecruitingNation summoned its writers from around the country to outline the recruiting battles for the ESPN 150's top 10 prospects.

Plus, rank the battles in SportsNation.

#TopFBMixtapes: Athlete mixtapes are all the rage in this highlight-crazed era of sports. We reached out to our Twitter followers to find out which 2014 football stars had the best highlight reels on YouTube, then had our staff rank and comment on the top submissions.

Tom Luginbill writes : After talking to many coaches across the country and hearing their frustrations, here are their five biggest complaints about homemade highlight videos.

California prospects have made their mark on the Under Armour All-America Game over the past six years, but the game has earned something of a reputation for being top-heavy with talent from the southeast. That perception was largely shattered last year, when seven prep standouts from California -- including four of the state's top 10 players -- participated. And it will take another hit this January, as five of the Golden State's best are already committed to play in the annual showcase.

Those five -- all ESPN Watch List members who have a chance to be ranked highly in the state when the initial ESPN 300 is released later this month -- are quarterback Keller Chryst (Palo Alto, Calif./Palo Alto), athlete Adoree' Jackson (Gardena, Calif./Serra), athlete John "JuJu" Smith (Long Beach, Calif./Poly), athlete Michiah Quick (Fresno, Calif./Central) and tight end Tyler Luatua (La Mirada, Calif./La Mirada).

Chryst is one of five quarterbacks on the roster at this point, though it isn't much of a surprise to see a California quarterback headed to the Under Armour Game. At least one California quarterback has been on the roster for all six editions of the game, including three -- Jesse Scroggins, Chase Rettig and Nick Montana -- for the 2010 contest. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound pocket passer holds early offers from Stanford and USC, but he has been and will likely continue to be very guarded with the recruiting process.

In the 2011 game, just three California prospects took part. This year, the state is already set to match that number just with high-quality players at the athlete position. Jackson, Smith and Quick all have the ability to make a mark on the game and the next level on either side of the ball, though all three have claimed a fondness for offense.

The 5-foot-11, 183-pound Jackson, who holds 20 offers, said the decision to play in the Under Armour Game was an easy one.

"Growing up as a kid, I'd always see that game on ESPN," Jackson said. "I said as a kid that I was going to play in it."

Originally from Illinois, Jackson said he doesn't feel any pressure to represent California or the West region in the game. Rather, he's headed down there to prove himself against some of the top talent in the nation and represent himself as a player.

"I want to show I can get out there, show my talent and have fun," he said.

Coming at it from a different angle is Smith, who is closing in on 20 scholarship offers. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound two-way threat said he chose the game because of the tremendous NFL talent it has had throughout the years. He added that no matter how many California recruits wind up making the cross-country trek with him, they'll all be working down there together.

"I'm going down there to represent the West, my team, my community and who I am," Smith said. "The players that I'll be playing with, we will represent the West."

The book on the 6-foot, 170-pound Quick is right at the top of his offer sheet and scouting report. He is one of the handful of California recruits with an offer from Alabama and the first line of his evaluation reads: "This dude is an explosive jet of a weapon and might be one of the best skill position players this class has to offer -- and at more than one position."

Luatua, at 6-foot-3 and 243 pounds, is the state's most highly recruited tight end and one of its most-recruited players overall. Like Chryst, Luatua will be the latest in a long line of California standouts at his position to participate in the game, including Blake Ayles, Jalen Cope-Fitzpatrick and Marcus Baugh.

With the announced roster set to more than double by the time the final list is assembled, there will be an opportunity to add even more California standouts to the game. But as it stands now, with these five leading the charge, all indications are that California is back in the Under Armour Game in a big way.

 
ESPN's Todd McShay recently released his latest mock draft -- and there was a lot of movement involving the Pac-12 players projected to go in the first round.

And, for the first time, McShay taps into the second round. You can see the complete mock draft here .

One of the biggest movers was Oregon's Dion Jordan, whom McShay now projects to go second overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars. McShay had Jordan projected as the No. 6 overall pick last month.

Jordan is the top pass-rusher in this class, but that's not all he can do. His fluidity and range in coverage are rare for a DE/OLB prospect with his length. He wouldn't be a great fit in many 4-3 defenses, but his ability to get after the passer when turned loose upfield, as well as drop into coverage from a two- or three-point stance, is ideal for the scheme new head coach Gus Bradley and defensive coordinator Bob Babich are bringing to town.

The biggest drop was California wide receiver Keenan Allen -- who was No. 12 last month and checked in at No. 25 in the latest mock. McShay has him slated for the Minnesota Vikings.

Many of the players coming off the board in this area would make sense for the Vikings, who are in something of a sweet spot late in the first round. They can sit tight and be fairly certain of getting a player who addresses a need and is nearly top-10 quality but will cost far less. In Allen's case, that means a receiver with good body control and hands who could become a very good No. 2 receiver at the next level.

Another player dropping was Utah's Star Lotulelei, who went from No. 1 overall to No. 11. It's worth noting that McShay's projection came out before Monday's Salt Lake Tribune story that after testing, Lotulelei's heart showed "no evidence of dysfunction." So expect his draft stock to trend up with this news.

Washington cornerback Desmond Trufant jumps from first-round maybe to No. 21 and the Cincinnati Bengals.

Corner is a top need for Cincinnati on the other side of the ball, and now that Trufant has verified his top-end speed his suddenness, balance and closing burst give him the look of a very good man-cover corner at the next level. Scouts I've talked to are also impressed with his professional demeanor, and the bottom line is that teams can never have enough good cover guys in today's pass-happy NFL.

Players projected for the second round include USC quarterback Matt Barkley, Stanford tight end Zach Ertz (potentially reuniting with Jim Harbaugh in San Francisco), Oregon guard Kyle Long and USC wide receiver Robert Woods.

USC, Washington and Colorado are starting spring practices after each suffered through disappointing seasons. Ted Miller says each team has different priorities in order to move on from those disappointments.