From the trenches to the secondary
Linemen have been the strength of Arizona and New Mexico, but not this year
Originally Published: August 3, 2012
By
Erik McKinney | RecruitingNation
Arizona is the only state in the country that produced a five-star offensive lineman in the 2011 and 2012 recruiting classes, with Auburn's Christian Westerman and Stanford's Andrus Peat, but this year the region is heavy with skill-position players on both sides of the ball. Defensive backs account for three of Arizona's top four recruits, and all three -- ESPN 150 safety Priest Willis (Tempe, Ariz./Marcos De Niza) and cornerbacks Jalen Ortiz (Peoria, Ariz./Centennial) and Cole Luke (Chandler, Ariz./Hamilton) remain uncommitted and chased by dozens of programs.
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States Of Recruiting

• Alabama: Recruits split -- Bama or Auburn?
• Arkansas: Top prospect leaving the state
• Arizona/New Mexico: Strong in secondary
• Calif. offense: Catching on in Golden State
• Calif. defense: USC cherry picking the elite
• Colorado: Battle to keep best at home
• Florida offense: Loaded with RBs, WRs
• Florida defense: Best group ever?
• Georgia: One of nation's top classes
• Hawaii/Alaska: Recruiters hit the Islands
• Iowa: Not deep, but getting better
• Illinois: Best class in recent memory
• Indiana: Getting a little better
• Kansas: More juco talent
• Kentucky: Louisville the hotbed
• Louisiana: Plenty of prospects
• Maryland: West coast invasion
• Michigan: U-M takes top talent
• Mississippi: Top recruits stay home
• Minnesota: ATH Onwualu leading the way
• Missouri: Tigers protecting borders well
• Nebraska: Quality over quantity
• Nevada: Hitting the jackpot in Las Vegas
• Northeast: Recruiters hitting area hard
(Conn., Del., D.C., Mass., Maine, Vt., N.H., R.I.)
• N.J./N.Y.: Bright lights, big recruits
• North Carolina: Prospects leaving home
• Ohio: Ohio State, Michigan battling
• Oklahoma: Sooners defending their turf
• Pacific Northwest: Ducks flying high
(Oregon, S.D., N.D., Idaho, Wyoming)
• Pennsylvania: WVU raiding the state?
• South Carolina: Surprisingly stocked
• Texas offense: Loaded with prospects
• Texas defense: Bigger and better
• Tennessee: Vols battling for local talent
• Utah: Loaded with linemen, as usual
• Virginia/West Virginia: Hokies capitalizing
• Wisconsin: Stocked with defensive ends
• Washington: Browne leads loaded QB crop
