Around The Pac 12 North: 2nd Year Players Who Will Breakthrough In 2020

Every year new recruits arrive on campuses around the country with high hopes and dreams of stardom. Fans are ready for them to take college football by storm and the recruits are ready to be the next superstar. Truth is not many true freshmen become impact players in their first season, and need time in the weight room and experience to have an impact. The next year new recruits arrive and last years class is no longer on fans minds. This feature will focus on recruits from the 2019 recruiting class who will breakthrough and make their mark in 2020. Note: All recruiting rankings are referencing the 247 Sports composite.

California

Makai Polk arrived at California a tall, skinny, three star recruit, but he made an impact as a true freshman. Polk caught 19 passes for 295 yards and 2 TD as a true freshman. The 6’3″ 185 lb Polk is still skinny but is starting to add muscle to his frame, he has plenty of room left to fill out. He is a long strider who chews up ground when he runs, he doesn’t always look like he’s going that fast but he is covering a lot of ground. He is an improving route runner who shows good hands. He uses his height and length well to shield off defenders. Polk needs to continue to develop but has the tools to be a major player in the Golden Bears offense.

Polk was third on the team in receiving yards last season. Leading receiver Nikko Remigio is back but second leading receiver Jordan Duncan has graduated. Polk should get more targets on the basis of his progression, but also because there are less proven options available. As Chase Garbers progressed last season so did the California passing attack. Polk should have many more opportunities in 2020 to make plays in the passing game. Opportunity and talent are a good mix for a young player to breakthrough, we think things are in position for Polk to have a big year in 2020.

Oregon

Mycah Pittman was a top 100 recruit in Oregon’s 2019 recruiting class. As a true freshman, Pittman caught 18 passes for 227 yards and 2 TD for the Ducks. The 5’11” 198 lb Pittman is a well built receiver who has good quickness and some vertical speed. Pittman gets in and out of his breaks well and creates separation with his sharp route running. He has a good feel for the game, things seem to come naturally to him on the field. Pittman catches the ball well and is excellent in jump ball situation. He uses his quickness and strength well to pick up yards after the catch. Pittman is polished for a young player and should only get better over the course of his career.

Oregon loses first round draft pick Justin Herbert at quarterback, fortunately, they have some options at quarterback including Tyler Shough who showed some promise as a reserve last year. We expect the Oregon offense to continue to play well in 2020 despite the turnover at quarterback. Oregon also loses second leading receiver Juwan Johnson who exhausted his eligibility. Pittman will see an increase in targets as he will see an increase in playing time this season. He is a polished player and should prosper with a larger role in the Ducks offense. Look for Pittman to breakthrough and have a big season this year.

Oregon State

Akili Arnold came to Oregon State as a three star recruit from California in the 2019 recruiting class. Arnold saw playing time at safety as a true freshman, collecting 17 tackles and .5 TFL last year. The 5’11” 190 lb defensive back has good athleticism, allowing him to cover a lot of ground as a safety. He has excellent ball skills and does a good job of high pointing the football to make the play. Arnold breaks on the ball well, he has a good feel for what is going on around him and plays with good instincts. He needs to continue to learn the position, but will be a year wiser now and should be ready to be a regular on defense.

Oregon State lost a lot of experience at safety from the 2019 team. Both starters from the season opener have graduated, and so has one of the two back-ups listed. There is an opportunity for a young defensive back to earn a lot of playing time. Arnold came on last season and got some time at safety, he should be in position to win the open job. Arnold is an excellent athlete and could be a real playmaker in the defensive backfield. The Beavers need impact players in the secondary and Arnold fits the bill. He is a candidate to have a breakthrough season in 2020.

Stanford

Austin Jones was top 150 recruit from California in the Cardinal’s 2019 recruiting class. He got run in a reserve role in 2019 picking up 45 carries for 227 yards and 1 TD. Jones also caught 14 passes for 108 yards. The 5’10” 193 lb running back is a complete player at the position. Jones has the vision to find running lanes and the acceleration to take advantage of them before they close up. He has good strength for his size and plays with excellent balance, making him difficult to tackle. Jones is a good receiver out of the backfield and can hurt the defense in many ways. He has all the skills to be a good running back at the college level and should be able to put it all together in 2020.

Cameron Scarlett was the starter for the Cardinal in 2019 but failed to reach 1,000 yards rushing. There was a lot that went wrong last season on offense including the injuries at quarterback. Scarlett is trying to find a spot in the NFL now, but with Davis Mills healthy and expected to be the quarterback and a good offensive line, there is an opening for a running back to burst on the scene. Jones was second on the team in rushing last season and should have a leg up to be the guy this year. With his complete package of skills Jones is likely the best choice for the job. Stanford needs a big time running back to help the offense, look for Jones to fill that void this season.

Washington

Asa Turner came to Washington as a four star recruit in the 2019 class. He played quite a bit as a true freshman and even earned a few starts. All told, Turner had 19 tackles, 2 TFL and 1 INT last season. The 6’3″ 187 lb Turner is a good athlete who has a diverse skill set. He is the type of kid you recruit and don’t worry about where he will play because he can do so much. Turner has adequate cover skills, but it also a good tackler. He has the frame to add good weight and could play in the box if needed. He is an instinctual football player who makes plays around the ball. Turner should be ready to find a home at safety for the Huskies this year.

Turner started at safety some last year and is the front runner to continue in that role this year. There should be continuity in the secondary despite Head Coach Chris Petersen’s departure. Jimmy Lake took over for Petersen and had coached the defense at Washington last year, so there shouldn’t be much upheavel. Turner got valuable experience as a true freshman and will be looked at to be a reliable player in the secondary. We think he will take it one step further and grow into a leader in the defensive backfield for the Huskies.

Washington State

Cosmas Kwete was three star recruit from Arizona in the Cougars 2019 recruiting class. He earned a good amount of playing time as a true freshman recording 20 tackles and 2 TFL on the season. The 6’3″ 241 lb Kwete did a great job of putting on weight and should continue to add muscle to his frame. He has a great first step and turns the corner well putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Kwete plays with a relentless motor and keeps coming every play. He is a disruptive player who spends a lot of time in the offensive backfield. Kwete should be bigger and stronger in 2020 allowing him to tap into his potential and become a force for the Cougars.

The Cougars lost their starting defensive end in Nnamdi Oguayo and his backup in Karson Block. Washington State needs someone to step in and take command of the position. Kwete got to play some last year and did a good job for the most part. He was productive and has the potential to build on that first season. Logic would dictate that Kwete be in the thick of things for that open job at defensive end. We think he takes the job and runs with it, Kwete has the tools, athleticism and physique to be a good defensive end in the Pac 12 next year.

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Renovated Husky Stadium image taken by Oran Virivincy is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.