Ted Miller, ESPN Senior Writer 11y

Pac-12 recruiting wrap: South Divison

We're reviewing hits and misses in Pac-12 recruiting, starting with the South Divison.

ARIZONA

Needs filled: The Wildcats have two incoming quarterbacks -- USC transfer Jesse Scroggins, who's already in school, and Anu Solomon -- who will be in competition to replace the departing Matt Scott. The class includes five linebackers, a need position. Don't be surprised if running back Pierre Cormier gets touches behind Ka'Deem Carey. It seems that coach Rich Rodriguez stocked up on athletes -- receivers and defensive backs.

Holes remaining: The Wildcats' biggest weakness in 2012 was the defensive line -- they ranked last in the Pac-12 in sacks and gave up more than 200 yards rushing per game -- and this class of 23 includes just two defensive linemen. Who's going to rush the passer in 2013?

ARIZONA STATE

Needs filled: The Sun Devils needed receivers and defensive backs. They signed five receivers and and five defensive backs -- and one athlete, who could play either. Defensive tackle Marcus Hardison, the nation's No. 5 junior college player, should help bolster a poor run defense.

Holes remaining: The Sun Devils lost QB Joshua Dobbs to Tennessee on signing day, which means they haven't signed a quarterback in two consecutive classes. Nine JC transfers means the Sun Devils are counting on immediate impact rather than long-term development. That approach can be a gamble, though four of the juco recruits have three years of eligibility instead of two.

COLORADO

Needs filled: The Buffs have a lot of needs, as they were last in the Pac-12 in scoring offense and scoring defense in 2012. The class includes six offensive linemen, and quarterback Sefo Liufau, 6-foot-4, 215-pound product of Bellarmine Prep in Tacoma, Wash., is a guy Buffs fans should be excited about. Considering the poor production at the position last season and the fact that there's a new scheme, he might get into the mix this fall.

Holes remaining: This is a fairly balanced class but there isn't a single interior defensive lineman. The Buffs gave up 226 yards rushing per game last season. The Buffs did, however, sign nine defensive linemen last year. While Liufau is the star of the class, this crew is lacking pizzazz and will rank last in the Pac-12, which is not surprising for a 1-11 team that fired its coach.

UCLA

Needs filled: Jim Mora said his top needs were offensive line, defensive back and linebacker. He signed seven offensive linemen, four defensive backs -- highly rated safety Priest Willis is still pending -- and three linebackers. As for the offensive line, two are ESPN 300 prospects and a third is a four-star lineman. Including Willis, who is expected to sign with the Bruins, two defensive backs are ESPN 150 players, a third is an ESPN 300 recruit and the fourth is rated with four stars. As for linebacker, two are ESPN 150 players.

Holes remaining: The Bruins signed the Pac-12's top-rated class and had a great final week. There is little not to celebrate, other than defensive tackle Eddie Vanderdoes picking Notre Dame. The most obvious hole is running back, where there's no obvious replacement for Johnathan Franklin. Craig Lee had committed to the Bruins but hasn't signed, so there's no true RB in this class.

USC

Needs filled: USC lost three of four starters from a secondary that underperformed last year, so signing two of the top three safeties in the nation -- Su’a Cravens and Leon McQuay -- as well as the No. 11 cornerback in Chris Hawkins is a pretty nice haul. The Trojans also added a pair of elite running backs in Ty Isaac and Justin Davis, the nation's No. 3 DT in Kenny Bigelow and the No. 2 quarterback in Max Browne. All three spots were need areas.

Holes remaining: The story of this class, as good as it is, is the handful of decommitments. In November, this was the No. 1 class but fell out of the top 10. Bigelow is the only defensive lineman; there are only two offensive linemen. In November, the question was how was USC going to finagle its way to just 75 scholarships, per NCAA sanctions. That's no longer an issue.

UTAH

Needs filled: With the graduation of RB John White and three voids on the defensive line, those were two need spots addressed by this class of 23. The Utes signed five defensive linemen, including three defensive tackles. They also signed four running backs, including JC transfer Devontae Booker.

Holes remaining: One bit of bad news for the defensive line is that DT Lowell Lotulelei, younger brother of Star and the Utes' highest-rated player, didn't sign because he's going on a Mormon mission right out of high school. This is a balanced class but it includes just two offensive linemen. The Utes also didn't get great linebacker play last season and this class only includes one, Uaea Masina.

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