While USC remains unbeaten, Oregon and Washington are trying to keep pace in the Pac-12

The maneuverings on and off the field in the Pac-12 include the Pacific Northwest’s powers, specifically their attempts to build their programs against USC

It’s USC versus the Pacific Northwest in the Pac-12. Utah could join the fun by beating Oregon State this coming Saturday, but the story of September was that outside of USC, the Northwest was the one region of the Pac-12 which clearly delivered the goods.

Part of the PNW surge in the Pac-12 comes from Seattle. Michael Penix and the University of Washington had an easy game against Stanford in Week 4. One week earlier, they mashed Michigan State, 39-28, with Penix throwing for 397 yards and four touchdowns.

Oregon just did beat Washington State. One week earlier in Week 3, the Ducks easily handled BYU.

Both Pac-12 wins helped in recruiting, and not just for 2023, as recruiting analyst Brandon Huffman has noted.

The Oregon Ducks are courting the prospect in Idaho, four-star athlete Kenyon Sadiq.

They are pursuing three-star offensive tackle Fox Crader, a top-10 prospect in Washington state.

Washington is making a play for four-star receiver Rashid Williams and four-star defensive lineman Anthony James.

The Huskies are trying to keep elite in-state talent home. 2024 four-star running back Jason Brown is a particularly big target. Class of 2025 four-star tight end T’Andre Waverly is another UW point of focus.

One can’t ignore four-star cornerback Caleb Presley, the No. 1 player in the state of Washington in the 2023 class. He has been committed to Oregon since July, but he attended the Washington-Michigan State game in Seattle.

Jayden Limar is another name to take note of for the Huskies. He joined Presley for the Michigan State contest:

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