Gold: Who I wish was coming to Pac-12 Media Day
It’s time to pack your bags and your visors, Sin City beckons.
As the Pac-12 Media Day heads to Las Vegas for the first time, the league’s 12 teams — for now — will bring their best and brightest to put on full display, laid bare in front of a host of hungry media who are as excited to probe George Kliavkoff and the media rights deal that still hasn’t developed as they are the Strip’s prodigious buffets.
But that doesn’t mean all 12 teams made the right call with their attendees. Some of the league’s most interesting players will not be joining the fray. At least they’ll avoid the heat — in more ways than one.
Here’s a look at who I wish was coming to Pac-12 Media Day this week…
Arizona Wildcats
Who’s coming: QB Jayden de Laura & CB Treydan Stukes
Who I wish was coming: QB Jayden de Laura & LB Justin Flowe
Arizona got it half right, even if they might regret it.
Bringing de Laura both reveals Jedd Fisch’s confidence in the passing game and opens de Laura up to prodding about his questionable past. It says a lot about de Laura that he is willing to face the music in this way, especially considering the weight that is on his shoulders this season. The Wildcats are chasing their first postseason appearance since 2017, and de Laura’s improvement is key to their chances. After passing for 3,685 yards and 25 touchdowns last year in his debut season in Tucson, a 4,000-yard, 30-touchdown campaign might spell b-o-w-l.
Fisch is also bringing along with him long-time cornerback Treydan Stukes, a fine enough representative, and someone who can speak to the evolution of the Wildcats’ football program.
But this is a new day, and no one exemplifies that like Oregon transfer Justin Flowe, one of the most heralded recruits in Ducks history. The 5-star linebacker has not nearly lived up to his billing and went looking for a fresh start, landing in Tucson as one of the top transfers in the Pac-12. If he can tap into his talent, he makes for one heck of a story.
Arizona State Sun Devils
Who’s coming: TE Jalin Conyers & DB Jordan Clark
Who I wish was coming: QB Trenton Bourguet & DB Jordan Clark
It speaks volumes that first-year head coach Kenny Dillingham is bringing Conyers, a highly productive tight end, over Bourguet, the incumbent returning walk-on-turned-backup-turned-starter. If Bourguet’s status was set in stone in the face of highly touted transfers Drew Pyne and Jacob Conover, not to mention star recruit Jaden Rashada, he’d be in Las Vegas repping the Sun Devils new-look offense.
Clark is the obvious choice on the defensive side, as he is far-and-away the team’s top returning defender. As one of just 4 projected starters who played for ASU last season, much will be asked of Clark — both in Las Vegas and once the season starts.
Cal Bears
Who’s coming: OL Matthew Cindric & LB Jackson Sirmon
Who I wish was coming: QB Sam Jackson IV & LB Jackson Sirmon
Matthew Cindric … again? All due respect to the big-time Bears senior lineman, but did we need two straight years? With what are sure to be many of the same questions. After all, Cal is is in a very similar spot to last season. It would be much more interesting to hear from Jackson, the TCU transfer who is expected to seize the starting quarterback position this fall.
There’s no question Sirmon is the right choice, though, even if he is a year late. You could understand why Justin Wilcox went with former star safety Daniel Scott last year — he was undoubtedly the face of the Cal defense — but Sirmon fits the bill this year, while providing a fascinating narrative as the son of defensive coordinator Peter Sirmon.
Colorado Buffaloes
Who’s coming: QB Shedeur Sanders & CB/WR Travis Hunter
Who I wish was coming: QB Shedeur Sanders & CB/WR Travis Hunter
Well, this one is certainly a n0-brainer.
All eyes will be on the two highest-profile new Buffaloes — well, three, if you count Coach Prime. And how can you not? Deion Sanders might just be the single most compelling figure coming to Sin City. But his son, Shedeur, could go down as Colorado’s best quarterback in a generation, and he’ll need to be, if Colorado is to get out of the gutter. Their move from Jackson State was the story of the offseason, and the noise has barely ceased.
It’s going to take a lot more than Sanders Squared, though. The top high school recruit in the Class of 2022, shocking the world when he flipped his commitment to J-State, Hunter was the top transfer portal target as well, shocking no one when he chose to join Prime in Boulder. Depending on his usage, he could be an all-conference candidate in two positions.
Oregon Ducks
Who’s coming: QB Bo Nix & LB Jeff Bassa
Who I wish was coming: QB Bo Nix & DL Brandon Dorlus
Nix is another no-brainer after one of the best dual-threat seasons by an Oregon quarterback in history. While not quite at Marcus Mariota’s Heisman-winning level, Nix was sensational, with nearly 3,600 passing yards and 29 touchdowns and more than 500 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground. It’s going to be fascinating to dive into Nix’s relationship with Dan Lanning, but also his bond with Dillingham, his former offensive coordinator.
But Bassa over Dorlus, one of the conference’s top 5, maybe top 3, players? Bassa is going to be an impactful Duck, but he’s not a preseason candidate like Dorlus.
Oregon State Beavers
Who’s coming: WR Anthony Gould & DB Kitan Oladapo
Who I wish was coming: QB D.J. Uiagalelei & DB Kitan Oladapo
Oladapo, sure. Great player, great Beaver. All-conference pick.
And Gould is indeed another terrific representative for Jonathan Smith and the Beaver Way, a top-flight returner and solid wideout, as well.
But is there a more intriguing player in the Pac-12 than D.J. Uiagalelei? If you, like me, believe Oregon State was a passing game away from an 11-1 season, you’ve got to be fascinated by a former 5-star quarterback who inherited the keys to the Clemson car from one of the top college quarterbacks ever.
Stanford Cardinal
Who’s coming: WR John Humphreys & LB Tristan Sinclair
Who I wish was coming: RB E.J. Smith & LB Tristan Sinclair
Stanford does not have a ton of production returning on the defensive side of the ball (nor the offensive, for that matter), so there are worse picks than Sinclair, a 3-time Pac-12 All-Academic selection.
But either Smith, who was headed toward a monster season before being injured in Week 2 last year, or projected starting quarterback Ari Patu would be a more interesting option than Humphreys, who had less than 350 yards and one score last year.
UCLA Bruins
Who’s coming: OL Duke Clemens & DL/LB Laiatu Latu
Who I wish was coming: QB Dante Moore & DL/LB Laiatu Latu
Like it or not, college football is all about hype, something Chip Kelly just has not embraced during his time at UCLA. Despite being located in one of the top media markets in the world, on the verge of leaving for the Big Ten, the Bruins have done things like limit assistant coach availability and cancelled the spring game.
Well, now, with one of the top freshman quarterbacks in the country in Dante Moore — a player who has the potential be a true game-changer for the Kelly regime at UCLA — Kelly decides to bring an offensive lineman? I’m all for giving the hogs some glory, but come on.
Latu, a true candidate for Pac-12 DPOY, is a must-bring. In addition to major talent, he’s got a made-for-TV story.
USC Trojans
Who’s coming: QB Caleb Williams & ILB Mason Cobb
Who I wish was coming: QB Caleb Williams & S Calen Bullock
Heisman winner? Sure, may I have another? If Lincoln Riley even attempted to take any other offensive player than Williams, and it would have been malpractice.
But taking a transfer linebacker over one of the top defensive pro prospects in the country? Last year it made sense to bring Shane Lee — the Alabama transfer was going to be one of the fresh faces of the first year of the Lincoln Riley era. But this year, USC returns a contender for conference DPOY.
Utah Utes
Who’s coming: QB Cameron Rising & S Cole Bishop
Who I wish was coming: QB Cameron Rising & S Cole Bishop
Like their neighbors in Boulder, this is just the second set of obvious choices on the list. But it still says something that Rising is being put in the spotlight, just a half-year after tearing his ACL in the Rose Bowl. And Bishop is one of the clear-cut leaders of the Utah defense, so his presence is more than justified.
Washington Huskies
Who’s coming: QB Michael Penix Jr. & LB Edefuan Ulofoshio
Who I wish was coming: QB Michael Penix Jr. & DL Bralen Trice
Penix, like Nix and Williams, helps to make this media day one of the most star-studded affairs in the country. His ascension last year was one of the most fascinating stories to come out of the Pac-12. His presence, like his aforementioned fellow Heisman candidates, was a pre-requisite.
But while Ulofoshio is a fantastic player (when healthy) with a terrific story, Trice has simply performed at a higher level and with more consistency. Trice is the one who enters the season with all the accolades. He should be rewarded for that.
Washington State Cougars
Who’s coming: QB Cameron Ward & EDGE Ron Stone Jr.
Who I wish was coming: QB Cameron Ward & DL Brennan Jackson
It’ll be nice to see Ward, who had a good-but-not-great first season for Wazzu last year, repping the Cougars. About as logical a choice as Jake Dickert could have made.
But bringing Stone back for Year 2 seems like a bit of a miss. It’s not often players are chosen to attend multiple media days, and getting a bit of a different perspective would have been nice. Sophomore safety Jaden Hicks? Sure, maybe a bit too young. But Jackson, another potential all-conference first-teamer, would have made sense.