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Pac-12 Championship: Recruiting breakdown

Colorado and Washington are headed to square off Friday night in the Pac-12 championship game. In preparation for Saturday’s showdown, we view the game through the recruiting lens, starting with a prospect both teams remain in contention for in the 2017 class.

MORE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME BREAKDOWNS: Big Ten | SEC | ACC

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TOP COLORADO VS. WASHINGTON RECRUITING BATTLE

There are surprisingly few crossover prospects who are seriously interested in both schools, but one prospect who could fall into this role is four-star tight end Josh Falo. The Sacramento (Calif.) Inderkum standout has shown some interest in Washington throughout his recruitment and a whole lot in Colorado especially since his brother, N.J., already plays for the Buffaloes. Colorado is definitely a serious contender in Falo’s wide-open recruitment, but if the Huskies step it up closer to National Signing Day or he decides to stay closer to home, then Washington might make sense.

COLORADO BREAKDOWN

HIGHEST-RANKED IMPACT PLAYER

One of the few four-star prospects on the Colorado roster, Fields has definitely backed up his ranking this season with 50 receptions for 819 yards and nine touchdowns. The former Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco standout, and one-time USC commit, has proven to be a tremendous deep threat, too, since Fields has a team-high 10 catches of 20-plus yards. His recruitment was definitely interesting as a late visit to Colorado sealed it for him. Cal, Boise State, TCU and others were involved as well. No doubt Fields will be tested by Washington’s outstanding secondary.

MOST UNDERRATED IMPACT PLAYER

Kenneth Olugbode is one of the biggest steals on Colorado’s team – and there are many of them. The former two-star San Jose State commit took a late visit to Colorado, fell in love with the place and decided that the Buffaloes were the right team for him. It has worked out so well as Olugbode leads the team by far with 116 tackles along with two sacks, three fumble recoveries and a forced fumble. Part of his low ranking coming out of San Jose (Calif.) Bellarmine Prep is that he played linebacker, tight end, running back and quarterback in high school and his position really wasn’t pinned down.

TOP CLASS OF 2017 COMMIT

The second-best prospect in the Colorado rankings, four-star offensive tackle Jake Moretti, had spurned the Buffaloes and many other programs to make an early pledge to Ohio State. But that changed in recent weeks as the nation's No. 12 offensive tackle flipped his pledge to Colorado. Moretti has the size and ability to make early contributions in Boulder. Earning his commitment speaks to the Colorado coaching staff’s ability to keep after him and with the Buffaloes’ success this year. Moretti felt it was better to stay home and play for the up-and-coming program.

BIGGEST REMAINING TARGET

A few things are working in Colorado’s favor when it comes to three-star Damion Daniels out of Dallas (Texas) Bishop Dunne. First, the Buffaloes need defensive linemen in this class and Daniels has the ability to come in early and earn playing time. Second, Colorado’s staff has done a tremendous job recruiting the state of Texas this recruiting cycle. And, lastly, Daniels has shown a ton of interest in Colorado so this could absolutely happen as his recruitment continues.

WASHINGTON BREAKDOWN

HIGHEST-RANKED IMPACT PLAYER

Browning had a prolific career at Folsom, Calif., where he broke all kinds of passing records and his ranking really shot up after we saw him in the state championship game. The four-star who was ranked as the third-best pro-style QB in the class has backed up that ranking and more. This season, Browning is completing 65 percent of his passes for 3,162 yards with 40 touchdowns and seven interceptions. The Pac-12 title game along with a possible spot in the College Football Playoff will put Browning and Washington’s high-powered offense on an even bigger stage.

MOST UNDERRATED IMPACT PLAYER

The top end of Washington’s receiving corps was underrated, especially former three-star John Ross, who leads the Huskies with 72 receptions for 1,071 yards and 16 touchdowns. Ross was even more undersized in high school and was super fast but has really taken it to another level during his time with the Huskies. That speed and playmaking ability are reasons why he’s also shooting up NFL Draft boards. Also undervalued was three-star WR Dante Pettis, who had no other Pac-12 offers. He, too, is putting up big numbers this season.

TOP CLASS OF 2017 COMMIT

Four-star cornerback Keith Taylor is the highest-ranked Washington commit at this point in a class littered with talented four-stars, especially on offense and guys like Salvon Ahmed and Connor Wedington, who are incredibly versatile on either side of the ball. Taylor is a big, long, physical cornerback who can shut down one side of the field and could be next in line after Sidney Jones and Kevin King to have a really special career with the Huskies.

BIGGEST REMAINING TARGET

Believe it or not, Washington seems to be picking up steam late in the recruitment of five-star offensive tackle Foster Sarell and the Huskies could continue to push for his commitment as his recruitment nears its end. Stanford was believed to be the clear front-runner and the Cardinal are still in good position for the massive offensive tackle but Washington is back in the picture as well. USC, Notre Dame and others are also involved, but it would be an absolute steal for the Huskies if they could keep him home and Sarell didn’t go to a Pac-12 foe.

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