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Here are the top spring developments in the Pac-12 (Kyle Bonagura and David Lombardi contributed as noted below): 1. Starting quarterbacks out for the spring  The conference lost many of its best quarterbacks after last season to early entry or graduation, but this spring it lost a couple more. Washington’s Cyler Miles decided to take a voluntary leave of absence from Huskies football this spring for personal reasons, according to the university. It was stressed that Miles, who missed last spring due to a disciplinary suspension, chose to take this leave on his own and that it had nothing to do with school or team rules. He remains enrolled at Washington, but his absence on the football field is opening up reps for a handful of untested quarterbacks.
 Utah’s Kendal Thompson, who suffered a season-ending injury in the Utes’ loss to Oregon, hasn’t been cleared for contact this spring, so the main focus for him is timing with receivers, footwork and technique. He’s still technically competing for the starting job, but with Travis Wilson finishing out last season and being the top guy this spring, it seems Wilson is inching closer to cementing the spot. At this point, every inch matters, and any player who can take even a small step forward would be welcomed as a starter just for the sake of consistency for the offense.
2. Oregon gets boost at QB  Speaking of quarterbacks, Oregon got a major boost this spring when Vernon Adams Jr. announced his transfer from Eastern Washington. The dual-threat quarterback has thrived at the FCS level for the Eagles, and with the departure of Heisman winner Marcus Mariota, there are certainly FBS shoes that need to be filled in Eugene. Adams won’t be able to enroll at the school until this summer due to Eastern Washington’s academic schedule and because the Ducks open next season with EWU, so Adams has been forced to work out on his own this spring until he arrives at Oregon. He’s certainly the most experienced (from a game perspective) quarterback the Ducks have on their roster, and his abilities with his arm and his feet make him an intriguing prospect as Oregon maneuvers through life after Mariota.
3. USC’s first spring sans sanctions  As USC becomes whole again, the Trojans will be infused with an impressive collection of talented players -- arguably the most in the country. Of their recent signing class, ranked No. 3 in the country by ESPN.com, five players enrolled in time for spring practice; receiver Isaac Whitney, a junior college transfer, and linebacker Cameron Smith are the most likely candidates to make an impact in 2015. The others -- QB Ricky Town, OT Chuma Edoga and OL Roy Hemsley -- have the talent to play right away, but have a longer climb up the depth chart. With RB Buck Allen off to the NFL, USC has a good starting place with Justin Davis, but also expect Tre Madden back to go along with a diverse trio of freshmen added in the signing class. Offensive coordinator Clay Helton said all three -- Ronald Jones II, Dominic Davis and Aca'Cedric Ware -- likely will factor into the Trojans’ plans in 2015. Jones was the top-ranked back in the Class of 2015 and is the most complete of the group, but Davis’ speed and Ware’s power should give USC the ability to vary its looks. -- Kyle Bonagura
4. Cal’s loss is Stanford’s gain   For the past three seasons, sturdy line play has anchored Stanford’s conference-best defense. But graduation -- the Cardinal lost all three 2014 starters up front -- and a rash of injuries made the once-mighty unit look awfully fragile early in spring. At one point, only three defensive linemen dressed for practice, leaving the team literally devoid of depth at the position. The trio was forced to huff and puff throughout the entire session without any relief, and the defense leaked big runs as a result.
Two weeks ago, former Cal defensive end Brennan Scarlett announced his intentions to cross the Bay Bridge and enroll at Stanford as a graduate transfer. Assuming Scarlett is able to stay healthy (he's coming off an ACL tear that derailed his 2014 season), this transfer gives the Cardinal's starved defensive line a significant boost. With Aziz Shittu and Solomon Thomas also expected back from injury soon, the unit's prospects suddenly look manageable. This is still expected to be a major rebuilding year for the Stanford defense -- eight starters have departed -- but Scarlett's addition gives coordinator Lance Anderson a much-needed veteran presence at a critical position. A transfer between the archrivals also provides a potentially juicy 2015 storyline. -- David Lombardi 5. Cameron Smith undergoes surgery, is out for 2015 season  After Cameron Smith sat out the latter part of last season with knee pain, the Arizona State staff hoped rest would be the answer to his recovery. But early in spring practices, coach Todd Graham announced that Smith had undergone surgery and would be lost not only for the spring but also for the 2015 season. It was a huge blow to the Sun Devils, who were already trying to replace the Pac-12’s fourth-leading receiver, Jaelen Strong. D.J. Foster’s move to wide receiver figures to help alleviate some of that, but for Arizona State to lose its No. 3 receiver from a year ago and its best downfield threat for next season certainly is a major development for the Sun Devils and for the South Division/conference as a whole.
6. Rich Rodriguez loves him some Arizona basketball  Did any Pac-12 football coach have as much hoops fun as Rodriguez this year? The Pac-12 Blog thinks not.
If he wasn’t tossing chicken sandwiches to students attending Wildcats basketball games, he was sitting courtside at the Pac-12 men’s basketball tournament. 7. Oregon State makes offensive moves  When Gary Andersen was hired at Oregon State, it was obvious that the Beavers would look pretty different as they moved on from the Mike Riley era. But how different? And how quickly? And who would step into QB Sean Mannion’s shoes?
Andersen told the Pac-12 Blog in February that he wanted the Oregon State offense to be “wide open” and that “there will be carryover, but I would say it will be limited.” In early March, he took one big step in that direction as he cut Oregon State’s quarterback competition from the seven QBs on the spring roster to just three. No surprises here: It’s the three signal-callers who are also the most talented with their feet -- Luke Del Rio, Nick Mitchell and Seth Collins. The latter two are the better runners of the trio, though all three are considerably more mobile than Mannion. The move is an early indicator of how different the Beavs will look come fall with a new offense, new staff and new quarterback.
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