Recruiting: Breaking down the top offensive transfers for Pac-12 legacy schools
The Hotline is delighted to provide West Coast fans with a regular dive into the recruiting process through the eyes and ears of Brandon Huffman, the Phoenix-based national recruiting editor for 247Sports. He submitted the following report on Feb. 20 …
With the transfer portal closed, here’s a look at the top offensive additions for each of the Pac-12 legacy teams (with each player’s previous school).
Arizona: TE Cole Rusk (Illinois)
One of the top tight end transfers in the class, Rusk was ranked No. 5 in the 247Sports Portal Rankings. He should add a receiving dimension to Arizona’s offense and make himself a key target for returning quarterback Noah Fifita. A former Mackey Award watch list member, Rusk heads into his senior campaign with the Wildcats.
Arizona State: QB Cutter Boley (Kentucky)
One of the original dramas from the 2025-26 portal cycles started with Sam Leavitt leaving Tempe and coach Kenny Dillingham not panicking. That’s because the Sun Devils had a good plan in place and pulled in Boley, the former Wildcat. He’s a true dual-threat quarterback and should be an immediate upgrade over Jeff Sims, who took over for the injured Leavitt. With Boley, the Sun Devils should avoid having to lean on a true freshman.
Cal: WR Chase Hendricks (Ohio)
Hendricks started 26 games the last two seasons for the Bobcats. As a junior in 2025, he produced 1,037 receiving yards and seven touchdowns and was an all-MAC second-team selection. He should give sophomore quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele a nice downfield threat under first-year head coach Tosh Lupoi.
Colorado: WR DeAndre Moore (Texas)
Moore originally committed to play for Brennan Marion when Marion was the receivers coach at Texas. Now, he reunites with Marion, the new offensive coordinator at Colorado. He was productive in Austin, with 77 catches for 988 yards and 11 touchdown catches the past two seasons, and will instantly upgrade the Buffaloes’ passing game for quarterback Juju Lewis.
Oregon: QB Dylan Raiola (Nebraska)
Put a pin in this one, because the Ducks likely won’t get much from Raiola until 2027 — and that’s by design. With starter Dante Moore returning in 2026, Raiola follows a similar path to Moore, who transferred to Oregon after being a starter at UCLA and was content being a backup initially. Raiola will continue working his way back from a leg injury suffered in November and likely will be QB1 for the Ducks in 2027.
Oregon State: WR Aaron Butler (Texas)
Another former Texas receiver, Butler was heavily recruited by first-year OSU coach JaMarcus Shephard when he was the receivers coach for Washington. Now, the Southern California native will return to the West Coast and finally play for Shephard.
Stanford: WR Nico Brown (Yale)
Speaking of a return to the West Coast: Brown grew up in Southern California and received his degree from Yale. He should be an immediate contributor to first-year head coach Tavita Pritchard’s offense. Brown caught 71 passes for 1,085 yards and 11 touchdowns, with seven 100-yard games for the Bulldogs in 2025.
UCLA: RB Wayne Knight (James Madison)
For having a running back as a head coach (DeShaun Foster), UCLA received very little productivity from its backfield the last two seasons. That should change with new coach Bob Chesney bringing his star from JMU. Knight was an All-American all-purpose player for the Dukes in their playoff season but figures to make his greatest impact as a running back. The leading rusher in the Sun Belt a year ago, Knight had over 2,000 all-purpose yards last fall.
USC: WR Terrell Anderson (NC State)
The Trojans had two starting receivers declare for the NFL Draft, including Biletnikoff Award winner Makai Lemon. And while they have some talented youngsters on the roster (e.g., Tanook Hines), the veteran Anderson arrives from ACC country following his most productive season (39 receptions for over 600 yards). At USC, he’ll likely get on the field immediately.
Utah: WR Braden Pegan (Utah State)
Pegan started his career at UCLA but barely saw the field, then made the move to Utah State. Once there, he flourished with 60 receptions for 926 yards and five touchdowns. He’s staying within the Beehive State and heading back to a Power Four school where he’ll be an immediate contributor for first-year head coach Morgan Scalley and new offensive coordinator Kevin McGiven.
Washington: RB Jayden Limar (Oregon)
Limar originally shunned his home-state Huskies in favor of Oregon and saw significant action early in the 2025 season before taking a more limited role. But the talent is clear, and with the graduation of starter Jonah Coleman — plus the surprising departure of Adam Mohammed — Limar returns to familiar ground and should be the starter in the backfield next to quarterback Demond Williams.
Washington State: QB Caden Pinnick (UC Davis)
The Big Sky is arguably the best FCS conference in the country, and Pinnick was the conference’s Freshman of the Year — a unanimous winner, in fact, and an FCS Freshman All-American. He makes the jump to the FBS in the fall, and Washington State is no stranger to players taking that route (see: Ward, Cam).
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