Breakout Candidates: 2 defensive players from each Pac-12 team that will be household names in 2023
As we enter the month of June and inch closer to the start of the college football season, it’s going to become more common to see some preview articles start to pop up around the media landscape.
While the offseason has been dominated by recruiting and the transfer portal, now it’s becoming time to start looking at the rosters that will take the field this fall and go head to head in an insanely loaded Pac-12 conference, working toward a potential College Football Playoff berth.
We know who the star players will be, whether it’s any number of Heisman-worthy quarterbacks or the top-notch wide receivers that they are throwing to. We even have an idea of who some of the top defenders will be in the conference, many of whom found a new home via the transfer portal this offseason.
Those are not the names that we are interested in for this exercise. Rather, I want to take a look at some of the players who you may not be familiar with at the moment, but will likely become household names in the conference by the time December rolls around. On Saturday, we looked at the offensive candidates that are primed and ready for a breakout; now let’s shift gears to the defensive side of the ball.
This is not an article for the Jordan Burchs or Best Alexanders of the world, but instead for someone like Khyree Jackson or Jeffrey Bassa.
So who are the defensive players on each Pac-12 team that will have a breakout in 2023? Here are my predictions:
Arizona Wildcats — LB Jacob Manu
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Collegiate Stats
12 Games | 54 tackles, 4.0 TFL, 1.0 sack, 1 PBU
Former Recruiting Rating: 3-star (84)
National Ranking: No. 919
Analysis: In his first full season with the Wildcats, Manu had a solid year, getting into the backfield a bit and racking up an impressive number of tackles. If Arizona can be better on defense in 2023, he might be a part of it.
Arizona Wildcats — LB Leviticus Su'a
Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY Staff
Collegiate Stats
None
Former Recruiting Rating: 4-star (90)
National Ranking: No. 415
Analysis: Leviticus Su’a was one of the top recruits for Arizona this past cycle, and he should be able to work his way up into a contributing spot for the Wildcats. I wouldn’t be shocked if he jumps onto the scene this year.
Arizona State Sun Devils — EDGE Clayton Smith
Cheryl Evans-Arizona Republic
Collegiate Stats
7 Games | 8 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 1 FR
Former Recruiting Rating: 4-star (97)
National Ranking: No. 38
Analysis: As a former high-end 4-star recruit who was rated as the No. 38 player in the 2022 class, Smith transferred from Oklahoma to Arizona State where he hopes to be one of the pillars of their defense.
Arizona State Sun Devils — S Xavion Alford
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Collegiate Stats
12 Games | 35 tackles, 3 INT, 3 PBU
Former Recruiting Rating: 4-star (93)
National Ranking: No. 139
Analysis: Coming over from USC, there is a hope for the Sun Devils that Alford is going to step up in the secondary and be an impact player for Arizona State right away. I wouldn’t be surprised if the change of scenery is just what he needs to continue an already strong start to his career.
California Golden Bears — CB Patrick McMorris
(Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)
Collegiate Stats
30 Games | 162 tackles, 6.5 TFL, 5 INT, 15 PBU
Former Recruiting Rating: 3-star (80)
National Ranking: No. 3,178
Analysis: Patrick McMorris had a long and successful career at San Diego State, and is now trying to cap it off with a strong season at the Power 5 level where he can up his NFL draft stock.
California Golden Bears — LB Jackson Sirmon
Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
Collegiate Stats
39 Games | 251 tackles, 13.5 TFL, 3.5 sacks, 2 INT, 5 PBU
Former Recruiting Rating: 4-star (91)
National Ranking: No. 415
Analysis: Jackson Sirmon is close to already being a household name in the Pac-12. Because of how long he has been in the conference — both with Washington and Cal — many people already know who he is, but another year as a veteran leader in Berkley will likely make that a certainty.
Colorado Buffaloes — CB Cormani McClain
Collegiate Stats
None
Former Recruiting Rating: 5-star (98)
National Ranking: No. 13
Analysis: Among the best recruits in the nation this past cycle, and among the biggest early wins for Deion Sanders at Colorado, real college football fans are very familiar with Cormani McClain. However, I feel confident that he will be known by all Pac-12 fans before long.
Colorado Buffaloes — LB Demouy Kennedy
Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
Collegiate Stats
11 Games | 8 tackles, 0 TFL, 0 sacks
Former Recruiting Rating: 4-star (97)
National Ranking: No. 35
Analysis: Deion Sanders was also able to get a transfer from Kennedy, who was among the best players in his recruiting class and has a lot to prove after struggling to see the field much in Alabama.
Oregon Ducks — CB Nikko Reed
Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Collegiate Stats
18 Games | 49 tackles, 3.0 TFL, 1 sack, 3 INT, 8 PBU
Former Recruiting Rating: 3-star (81)
National Ranking: No. 1,940
Analysis: Following the Christian Gonzalez path, Nikko Reed is transferring from Colorado to Oregon and working to be a mainstay in the defensive secondary. Duck fans didn’t get to see him this spring, so he could be a breakout for all fans involved.
Oregon Ducks — LB Jestin Jacobs
Collegiate Stats
19 Games | 63 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 1 INT, 3 PBU
Former Recruiting Rating: 3-star (93)
National Ranking: No. 152
Analysis: Duck fans are excited about what Jestin Jacobs can bring from the Big Ten to the Pac-12, and it feels like he has what it takes to be a huge impact-player on the Oregon defense this season.
Oregon State Beavers — DL Kelze Howard
James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
Collegiate Stats
None
Former Recruiting Rating: 4-star (93)
National Ranking: No. 169
Analysis: As one of the top-rated players in Oregon State’s 2023 recruiting class, Howard has the potential to step up on defense and be a really solid contributor right away.
Oregon State Beavers — S Ryan Cooper
Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
Collegiate Stats
12 Games | 45 tackles, 3.0 TFL, 1 sack, 3 INT, 11 PBU
Former Recruiting Rating: 3-star (83)
National Ranking: No. 85 (JUCO)
Analysis: Ryan Cooper didn’t get a lot of shine conference-wide a year ago, but in his one season with the Beavers, he has been an incredibly productive defensive back and that should continue going forward.
Stanford Cardinal — LB Gaethan Bernadel
James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
Collegiate Stats
22 Games | 147 tackles, 11.5 TFL, 2.5 sacks
Former Recruiting Rating: 3-star (83)
National Ranking: No. 1,239
Analysis: Transferring from Florida International, Bernadel has put up some impressive stats before and has a chance to come in and be a solid member of Stanford’s defense. However, it’s unclear how prominent and successful the Cardinal will be this year, so saying he will become a household name might be a bit of a stretch.
Stanford Cardinal — LB David Bailey
Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports
Collegiate Stats
10 Games | 43 tackles, 7.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks
Former Recruiting Rating: 4-star (97)
National Ranking: No. 34
Analysis: David Bailey only played a single season at Stanford, and as a former highly-rated recruit, he impressed a ton and showed that he could be one of the premier defenders in the league going forward.
UCLA Bruins — S Jordan Anderson
Harrison Barden-USA TODAY Sports
Collegiate Stats
36 Games | 180 tackles, 11 TFL, 1.5 sacks, 5 INT, 20 PBU
Former Recruiting Rating: 3-star (83)
National Ranking: No. 1,968
Analysis: After a great career at Bowling Green, Anderson is looking for one more season in college to up his draft stock before heading off to the NFL. It feels like he could be one of the better defenders in the Pac-12 this season.
UCLA Bruins — LB JonJon Vaughns
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Collegiate Stats
27 Games | 85 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 2 INT, 5 PBU
Former Recruiting Rating: 4-star (90)
National Ranking: No. 345
Analysis: JonJon Vaughns may be another player who is almost too well known in the conference to be on this list, but it feels like he still makes the cut. After a great career at UCLA, he will look to cap it off with another solid season.
USC Trojans — EDGE Braylan Shelby
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Collegiate Stats
None
Former Recruiting Rating: 4-star (96)
National Ranking: No. 60
Analysis: The Trojans have been notoriously porous on defense as of late, but they did try to change that this year with some big-time defensive line additions. Shelby is one of them, as a highly-rated recruit who could find his way into quick playing time in Los Angeles.
USC Trojans — DL Anthony Lucas
Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports
Collegiate Stats
7 Games | 10 tackles, 1.0 TFL
Former Recruiting Rating: 5-star (98)
National Ranking: No. 32
Analysis: It’s no shock that USC was able to land some great players out of the transfer portal, and while most fans may know about Bear Alexander and what he brings, don’t be shocked if former 5-star DL Anthony Lucas stands out right away.
Utah Utes — EDGE Hunter Clegg
Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports
Collegiate Stats
None
Former Recruiting Rating: 4-star (92)
National Ranking: No. 216
Analysis: Hunter Clegg is among the top recruits for Utah this past cycle, and he is talented enough to step up and make a difference as a freshman. I wouldn’t be shocked if he can make some waves right away.
Utah Utes — LB Levani Damuni
Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
Collegiate Stats
31 Games | 204 tackles, 9.0 TFL, 3 sacks, 2 INT
Former Recruiting Rating: 3-star (89)
National Ranking: No. 486
Analysis: Getting a transfer from Levani Damuni was a major win for Utah, as the former Stanford linebacker had a great career with the Cardinal and is now looking for one final year at a higher level before heading off to the NFL. I think being able to produce for a more successful team will definitely put him more on the map.
Washington Huskies — CB Jabbar Muhammad
Collegiate Stats
21 Games | 71 tackles, 1 TFL, 0.5 sacks, 1 INT, 12 PBU
Former Recruiting Rating: 3-star (86)
National Ranking: No. 1,060
Analysis: The Huskies got a big-time transfer from former Oklahoma State CB Jabbar Muhammad, who could be a big-time player for them in the secondary. He will need to be impactful, considering how strong the passing is in the conference.
Washington Huskies — S Dominique Hampton
Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Collegiate Stats
30 Games | 80 tackles, 0.5 TFL, 7 PBU
Former Recruiting Rating: 3-star (88)
National Ranking: No. 855
Analysis: Dominique Hampton is another defensive back who has been solid for the Huskies, but he could definitely take a step up in recognition conference-wide with some more solid play this year.
Washington State Cougars — LB Devin Richardson
Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports
Collegiate Stats
24 Games | 93 tackles, 4.5 TFL, 2.0 sacks
Former Recruiting Rating: 3-star (80)
National Ranking: No. 1,631
Analysis: Former Texas LB Devin Richardson was a solid player in Austin, and he could help step up for the Cougars’ defense in the wake of losing Francis Maugioa this offseason.
Washington State Cougars — DB Sam Lockett III
: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
Collegiate Stats
13 Games | 51 tackles, 1.0 TFL, 3 INT, 3 PBU
Former Recruiting Rating: 3-star (80)
National Ranking: No. 110 (JUCO)
Analysis: I could really see Sam Lockett having a big career at Washington State, and he could become more prominent this year after showing what he could do last year for the Cougars.
