The closer we get to the summer, the faster commitments are rolling in. Some national powers on the recruiting trail have yet to really make their move with top targets but other programs have begun to reel in some important additions for their 2025 recruiting class.
Here are five programs in the West region that are off to a surprising start to the 2025 recruiting cycle.
THIS SERIES: Programs off to strong starts in the East | Mid-South | Southeast | Midwest
USC
It’s not a surprise that USC has one of the best recruiting classes in the country since the Trojans routinely finish relatively high in the team rankings, but they have loaded up early with around half of their class already done.
And it’s really good.
USC is one of only three teams nationally – Ohio State and LSU are the others – with multiple five-star commitments already as the new Big Ten school has pilfered the state of Georgia’s elite players with pledges from five-star QB Julian Lewis and five-star DL Justus Terry.
High four-star DB Hylton Stubbs is also an elite player with five-star potential as the Trojans are going national with this recruiting class and so far having great success.
MORE USC: 2025 commit list
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ARIZONA STATE
The Sun Devils went 3-9 in coach Kenny Dillingham’s first season and Arizona State hasn’t had a 10-win season in a decade. But there is a feeling that the program is headed in the right direction and has a real spark with Dillingham in charge and a great group of assistants working as hard as ever to get quality players into the program.
Arizona State is off to a decently strong start in 2025 led by four-star quarterback Michael Tollefson – everybody knows him as “Butter” – who has tons of talent but has been running for his life in his high school career so he cannot necessarily show all his skills.
Offensive line and defensive back recruiting has come into focus as well early in the 2025 recruiting class. Big news came out of Tempe on Thursday when four-star QB Jaden Rashada hit the transfer portal and some other big names have left. But the Sun Devils are adding legit playmakers as well including RB Raleek Brown and DB Cole Martin.
MORE ASU RECRUITING: #Texas2Tempe is taking off | 2025 commit list
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STANFORD
Stanford has gone 3-9 for three-straight seasons, two under former coach David Shaw and last season in Troy Taylor’s first season with the Cardinal. That’s hard to believe considering from 2010-2018 it was one of the better programs in the country.
But Taylor is working on a rebuild there and it starts in the 2025 class with four-star QB Bear Bachmeier, who plans to team with his brother, Tiger, a former four-star WR as the two had phenomenal chemistry in high school. Three of Stanford’s five commits are from back East led by high three-star OL Joshua Williams.
The transfer portal is a little more difficult for Stanford as there have been some important departures and not many additions but that’s the lure of the school, especially for high school prospects: Even if the team has been struggling on the field, a Stanford degree is almost unmatched so finding the right fits will be important.
MORE STANFORD: 2025 commit list
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UCLA
The fact that UCLA has four commitments this early in the recruiting cycle is the first sign that there’s a new regime in Westwood – one that has been super aggressive in recruiting, getting players to campus and the Bruins’ Friday Night Lights event was a big success as players are feeling the love again.
That was not the case under former coach Chip Kelly, who saw recruiting as a nuisance and something that needed to be dealt with rather than embraced.
UCLA has two bulldogs committed in the front seven of its defense in three-star DE Scott Taylor and four-star linebacker Weston Port. Both play with an extreme edge. Two fast defensive backs in three-stars Chase Coleman and Kuron Jabari Jr. are also in the fold. There have been some important transfer departures but also some playmaking additions especially Notre Dame four-star WR Rico Flores Jr.
More than anything, UCLA is showing a pulse in recruiting again. There’s a lot to sell in Westwood and the Bruins are busy again.
MORE UCLA: 2025 commit list
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COLORADO
The situation at Colorado is so many things: Eventful, uneventful, surprising and unsurprising, and so much more. The Buffaloes have no commitments in the 2025 class, which is a little unnerving, but let’s not forget Colorado signed only eight players in 2024, the fewest of any Power Five school.
Coach Deion Sanders and his staff have seen a massive outflow of players to the transfer portal recently including former five-star CB Cormani McClain but the inflows are about the same as Sanders keeps trying to rebuild this program through the portal.
At the same time, No. 1 overall Julian Lewis, a five-star quarterback who’s committed to USC, is still serious about the Buffaloes. Many other high school prospects are visiting or have through spring ball. And a bunch of elite transfers are visiting this weekend including Tennessee’s leading tackler last season linebacker Elijah Herring.
There has been some talk that Sanders – at some point – wants to dial back how many players Colorado gets out of the portal to focus on developing high school talent. It doesn’t seem like the Buffaloes are there yet as it’s a program that never has a lack of surprises in store.
MORE COLORADO: 2025 commit list
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Adam Gorney, National Recruiting Director
