Pac-12 preseason superlatives for 2024 NFL Draft: USC’s Caleb Williams headlines stellar QB prospects

USC opens the Pac-12’s season on Aug. 30 against San Jose State. The conference sports some of the most talented, experienced quarterback play in the nation. Fans should expect a closer look at top NFL Draft prospects in competitive environments this season. 

Rather than outright ranking the conference’s best preseason NFL Draft prospects this year, we’ve decided to try something different. Here are some draft-related superlatives for the conference entering the 2023 campaign:

Best quarterback: Caleb Williams, USC

Williams is the odds-on favorite to be the No. 1 overall selection in next year’s draft. The one-time Oklahoma transfer followed head coach Lincoln Riley and his Heisman campaign never skipped a beat. Williams has a creative style of play and an ability to make plays off platform similar to Patrick Mahomes. 

Williams threw for 4,537 yards, 42 touchdowns and just five interceptions last season with an additional 10 touchdowns on the ground. According to TruMedia, Williams did have the most time (2.87 seconds) of any quarterback before pressure arrived last season.

Oregon’s Bo Nix and Utah’s Cam Rising would be in competition for the next best, followed by Washington’s Michael Penix Jr., who had a resurgent season after transferring in from Indiana.

Best non-quarterback prospect: EDGE Bralen Trice, Washington

Trice has great size that will translate to the next level. He recorded 10 sacks as a stand-up edge rusher for the Huskies. From his waist bend at the high side of his rush to his ability to turn speed to power, there is a lot to like about Trice’s game. First-step quickness is one area where he can improve as he looks to assert himself as a first-round pick this season. His 70 pressures were the most of anyone in college football last season, according to TruMedia. Could he follow in the footsteps of Joe Tryon-Shoyinka in becoming a first-round pick out of the program?

Best running back: Michael Wiley, Arizona

It is not exactly a banner class of running backs for the conference. Wiley had a 38.4% tackle avoidance rate (tackles avoided per rush), last season, according to TruMedia. He is a personal favorite because of his contact balance and pass-catching production. Wiley has NFL feature-back size and a lot of wear left on his tires as a result of getting just 266 carries over a four-year period. Top-end speed is a question mark but he has fumbled just once over the last three years. 

UCLA’s Carson Steele, USC’s MarShawn Lloyd and Oregon’s Bucky Irving are a few of the other names to know in the conference.

Best wide receiver: J. Michael Sturdivant, UCLA

Listed at 6-foot-3, 205 pounds, Sturdivant is one of the most intriguing pass catchers in the nation, let alone the Pac-12. Buzz has already been building about the type of testing performance he could produce at the NFL Combine. As a California Golden Bear, the Texas native caught 65 passes for 755 yards and seven touchdowns last season. 

Washington’s Rome Odunze and USC’s Dorian Singer were also considered. Singer, an Arizona transfer, is already accomplished in the Pac-12, having caught 66 passes for 1,105 yards and six touchdowns last season for the Wildcats. 

Best offensive lineman: Jordan Morgan, Arizona

The Pac-12 has some intriguing offensive linemen. Washington’s Troy Fautanu, Oregon State’s Joshua Gray and Oregon’s Ajani Cornelius could all be selected in the first two days of the NFL Draft. However, it is Morgan who gets the nod. He is far from a finished product but has positional flexibility. TruMedia credits him with having allowed 10 pressures and one sack all season. Those raw figures are comparable to TCU’s Steve Avila, who was taken No. 36 overall by the Rams. 

Best pass rusher: Bralen Trice, Washington

Trice’s claim as the conference’s best non-quarterback is far from a runaway competition. His primary competition — edge rushers Laiatu Latu and Zion Tupuola-Fetui — have also donned the Purple and Gold of Washington. Latu transferred to UCLA after initially medically retiring due to a neck injury. Latu had 10.5 sacks last season but, more importantly, he contributed three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He was a maniac that always found himself around the football. Latu was fifth in pressures (65) last season; tied with eventual No. 3 overall selection Will Anderson Jr.

After missing half of the season due to injury, Tupuola-Fetui returned to contribute 4.5 sacks.

Best in coverage: S Calen Bullock, USC

The Pac-12 does not possess an upper-echelon cornerback like it did a year ago with Oregon’s Christian Gonzalez. They do have two of the best safeties in the nation with USC’s Calen Bullock and Utah’s Cole Bishop. Bullock was 11th in the nation with five interceptions. 

Fresno State safety transfers Patrick McMorris and Evan Williams landed at California and Oregon, respectively. They are two instinctive playmakers who have been infused into the conference.

Best incoming transfer: OL Ajani Cornelius, Oregon

Cornelius is more refined as a run blocker at this stage of his development. He does a great job of playing the angles and has great eyes to anticipate stunts and twists. His physical style of play essentially negates any chance of defenders playing through him. It is easy to envision some teams looking at his body type and projecting him to be a dominant guard at the next level. 

All of the players under consideration are at either USC or Oregon. In addition to Cornelius, the Ducks have linebacker Jestin Jacobs (Iowa) and edge rusher Jordan Burch (South Carolina). The Trojans welcome offensive tackle Michael Tarquin (Florida).

Best senior prospect: Bralen Trice, Washington

If there were actual trophies, Trice would be cleaning up as a three-time winner. The Pac-12 is littered with senior talent, however. Beyond Trice, Latu, Nix, Morgan, Fautanu, Tupuola-Fetui and Gray, who have all been previously mentioned for other categories, there is Stanford tight end Benjamin Yurosek, UCLA pass rusher Gabriel Murphy and Washington wide receivers Rome Odunze and Jalen McMillan. 

Breakout candidate: TE Jalin Conyers, Arizona State

Conyers had a respectable 2021 season but it all happened at once. Over the final five games, he led all tight ends with 346 receiving yards. His five touchdowns were also the most during that time. His 5.70 air yards per target were the 18th lowest in the nation among-non running backs, per TruMedia. 

The Pac-12 also has a pair of former 5-star defensive line recruits. USC’s Korey Foreman was the No. 2 overall recruit in the 2021 recruiting class, according to the 247Sports Composite. Foreman has just 2.5 sacks to this point in his career. South Carolina defensive lineman Jordan Burch landed at Oregon this offseason. The former No. 8 overall recruit had 4.5 sacks in his career with the Gamecocks. Oregon head coach Dan Lanning did a good job developing Oregon edge rusher DJ Johnson in one year so perhaps Burch is on a similar trajectory.