BleedGopher
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Per Morales and Meek:
In leaving L.A. for Ann Arbor, Charbonnet joined an exodus of California players who departed the state for greener pastures. In the classes of 2019 and 2020, 43 of the top 50 prospects in California signed with schools in other states, including the top two picks in this year’s NFL Draft (Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud), the No. 5 pick in last year’s draft (Kayvon Thibodeaux), the current starting quarterback at LSU (Jayden Daniels) and five-star quarterback DJ Uiagalelei, who signed with Clemson and now plays at Oregon State.
“If you were a national recruit, it was hard to stay home on the West Coast with the exception of the Nike-fueled uniforms of Oregon,” said Ben Hall, Charbonnet’s stepfather. “Pete Carroll rode the wave before the new TV package and kept all that talent home, but after that, I just felt like the national recruits all went to the SEC and the Big Ten, largely.”
In Charbonnet’s case, the move was temporary. The COVID-19 pandemic and Michigan’s “speed in space” experiment created unforeseen challenges, and Charbonnet transferred back home to finish his career at UCLA. The decision paid off, as he rushed for nearly 2,500 yards in two seasons and became a second-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks.
Prospects in Charbonnet’s shoes will have a different set of choices once USC and UCLA join the Big Ten in 2024. The decline of the Pac-12 as a national power prompted many California prospects to look east for the chance to play on the biggest stage. Now USC and UCLA can offer the chance to compete in one of college football’s two most powerful conferences — plus the advantages that come with playing in a major media market.
“If they keep up and play this new-world game of NIL, I think those two schools become a real threat from a recruiting standpoint,” Hall said.
California has been a major exporter of football talent for the past decade, with roughly 55 percent of its top-100 prospects leaving the state since 2014. For every top-100 player from another state who signed with a California school during that stretch, there were two top-100 prospects from California who signed elsewhere.
In recent cycles, Ohio State and Michigan are the Big Ten programs that have benefited most from the free-for-all in California. Michigan has signed 13 players from California since 2014 and Ohio State has signed five, including Stroud, wide receiver Chris Olave and offensive lineman Wyatt Davis. If anything, those schools are likely to intensify their recruiting efforts in California now that L.A. is becoming a part of the Big Ten footprint, which sets the stage for more head-to-head battles with USC and UCLA.
theathletic.com
Go Gophers!!
In leaving L.A. for Ann Arbor, Charbonnet joined an exodus of California players who departed the state for greener pastures. In the classes of 2019 and 2020, 43 of the top 50 prospects in California signed with schools in other states, including the top two picks in this year’s NFL Draft (Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud), the No. 5 pick in last year’s draft (Kayvon Thibodeaux), the current starting quarterback at LSU (Jayden Daniels) and five-star quarterback DJ Uiagalelei, who signed with Clemson and now plays at Oregon State.
“If you were a national recruit, it was hard to stay home on the West Coast with the exception of the Nike-fueled uniforms of Oregon,” said Ben Hall, Charbonnet’s stepfather. “Pete Carroll rode the wave before the new TV package and kept all that talent home, but after that, I just felt like the national recruits all went to the SEC and the Big Ten, largely.”
In Charbonnet’s case, the move was temporary. The COVID-19 pandemic and Michigan’s “speed in space” experiment created unforeseen challenges, and Charbonnet transferred back home to finish his career at UCLA. The decision paid off, as he rushed for nearly 2,500 yards in two seasons and became a second-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks.
Prospects in Charbonnet’s shoes will have a different set of choices once USC and UCLA join the Big Ten in 2024. The decline of the Pac-12 as a national power prompted many California prospects to look east for the chance to play on the biggest stage. Now USC and UCLA can offer the chance to compete in one of college football’s two most powerful conferences — plus the advantages that come with playing in a major media market.
“If they keep up and play this new-world game of NIL, I think those two schools become a real threat from a recruiting standpoint,” Hall said.
California has been a major exporter of football talent for the past decade, with roughly 55 percent of its top-100 prospects leaving the state since 2014. For every top-100 player from another state who signed with a California school during that stretch, there were two top-100 prospects from California who signed elsewhere.
In recent cycles, Ohio State and Michigan are the Big Ten programs that have benefited most from the free-for-all in California. Michigan has signed 13 players from California since 2014 and Ohio State has signed five, including Stroud, wide receiver Chris Olave and offensive lineman Wyatt Davis. If anything, those schools are likely to intensify their recruiting efforts in California now that L.A. is becoming a part of the Big Ten footprint, which sets the stage for more head-to-head battles with USC and UCLA.
California is becoming Big Ten country. How will it change college football recruiting?
USC and UCLA joining the Big Ten will alter recruiting in talent-rich California. Could the Trojans and Bruins invade the Midwest too?
theathletic.com
Go Gophers!!
