We all know that recruiting is an inexact science, and Arizona linebacker Scooby Wright III proves the point, as Wright's Twitter handle -- TwoStarScoob -- highlighted while the sophomore became a unanimous All-American and the nation's most decorated defensive player, winning the Lombardi, Nagurski and Bednarik awards.

That is the focus of this series. We'll run through each Pac-12 team and highlight a player who was low on star ratings when he arrived on campus but became a critical part of the team.

Up next: Colorado.

Two-star Scoob: linebacker Addison Gillam

Recruiting ratings: ESPN.com: no stars; Scout.com: two stars; Rivals.com: two stars.

Recruiting analysis: Gillam's path to Colorado is remarkably similar to Wright's. A linebacker from an area in Northern California that isn't known for producing much top-tier college football talent, he had one FBS offer coming out of high school. It came from Colorado coach Mike MacIntyre when he was still at San Jose State. Gillam signed with San Jose State in 2012, but grayshirted due to a shoulder injury and spent what would have been his true freshman year as a part-time student at Shasta College in Redding, California, while he rehabbed.

On campus? Also like Wright, once Gillam stepped on campus -- for Gillam, that was in the spring of 2013 -- he rose to the top of the depth chart before suiting up for a game. He became the first freshman to ever lead Colorado in tackles (119) and was named to several freshman All-America teams. Expectations grew significantly last season, but thanks to a string of injuries and a virus which that cause him to drop 20 pounds to 205 he was limited for most of his sophomore year. Still, he appeared in 11 games and finished second on the team with 79 tackles. The totals were noticeably down, but on a per-play basis his production didn't dip much (from 7.0 to 6.7 plays per tackle). Assuming he's back healthy next year, Gillam should be be considered one of the conference's top returning linebackers.