ESPN College Football

The Pac-12 championship game looks like a mere trifle for Oregon against UCLA. But is it?

The Pac-12 blog decided to check in with Peter Yoon of ESPN Los Angeles, who's with the Bruins on a daily basis, to get his take on a game that has a 31-point spread and little seeming intrigue.

Is there something we're not seeing here? Read on.

Ted Miller: Well, Peter looks like we’ve got an EPIC CLASH! with Oregon and UCLA. The irresistible force against milquetoast. We’ve read plenty of analysis this year on what went wrong with UCLA during Rick Neuheisel’s tenure. But let’s talk about now. You’re around the team a lot. Where are they mentally? How did Neuheisel’s firing play in the locker room? Are guys upset or do they feel change was needed? Will they be up for this game? And do they have any interest in playing in a bowl game if they lose?

Peter Yoon: I think when you have a team of 90-plus guys, the reactions are going to be scattered. No doubt some players wanted Neuheisel gone and others fully wanted him to stay. I think the uncertainty of Neuheisel's situation contributed to the team's inconsistent, win-blowout loss pattern this season. Now, it seems as though since everything is settled with Neuheisel, they've got a nothing-to-lose attitude because they really have nothing to lose. Their coach is gone and nobody gives them a snowball's chance to win. The mood around practice has been remarkable relaxed this week, but they are definitely getting work done and even the guys who might be secretly happy that Neuheisel has been fired realized that this is his last game and want to try and make it special for him. The players definitely want to play in a bowl game. They clearly realize they probably aren't going to win on Friday so they see going to a bowl as their best shot at ending the season with a win. Plus there are all kinds of perks and bowl swag.

What about Oregon, Ted? How are the Ducks approaching this week? Any chance they look past UCLA because the result is painted as a foregone conclusion? How have they handled games in which they been overwhelming favorites in the past? Are they disappointed that they have to play UCLA, which is in the title game by default? How up for this game is Oregon? And do you think they will run up the score to try and make a statement before the final BCS standings come out?

Ted Miller: The “taking an opponent lightly” deal hasn’t yet been a problem for the Ducks under Chip Kelly. All of his six losses over his first three seasons were to quality teams – five, in fact, were against teams that finished ranked in the top 10 and four in the top five. The Ducks should be expected to approach this week as they always do, employing one of Kelly’s mantras: Preparing as if every week is a Super Bowl against a nameless, faceless opponent. That said, the Ducks aren’t living in a shoebox. They know the circumstances of this game. And there’s always a first time for a coach suffering a major upset. The potential for taking the Bruins lightly is there, even if it doesn’t fit the Ducks' typical MO.

Disappointment? I suspect that the Ducks would have liked another crack at USC, but they knew that wasn’t going to happen. They also know the stakes are high: Win and they go to the Rose Bowl. Lose and they go to the Alamo Bowl. As for running up the score, that would be a graceless thing to do to Neuheisel, so I’d think Kelly would avoid trying to make the final count humiliating. And seeing that they are out of the national title hunt, there’s no reason to do it.

OK, Peter, let’s imagine the unthinkable: A UCLA win? How do the Bruins and Neuheisel pull a rabbit out of their collective hat?

Peter Yoon: Neuheisel said this week that it would take a perfect game in order for UCLA to win. I'm not exactly sure what that entails seeing as how UCLA's traditional ball-control game plan really has no impact against the quick-strike Oregon offense. Let's face it, UCLA's defense isn't going to suddenly turn into the 1976 Pittsburgh Steelers, so the only chance UCLA will have is to keep pace with Oregon. Their offense isn't really designed to put up big point totals, so UCLA will have to get points on defense and special teams as well. They've got a dangerous return man on kickoffs in Josh Smith. He doesn't have a return touchdown yet, but has been close and figures to get several opportunities. UCLA's punt-return game is basically nonexistent, but so is the possibility that Oregon will punt. Forcing a few turnovers will be crucial, as will not committing any. I guess what Neuheisel means by a perfect game is scoring every time they have the ball and a few times when they don't.

Turning that question around, Ted, is there any way possible that Oregon could throw this one away?

Ted Miller: The only way I see Oregon losing is if they play a sloppy, uninspired game and then panic at the end. Keep in mind that this is a team that was able to nearly overcome a 24-point deficit to USC. The Ducks could start slowly, fall behind by a couple of scores and then – wham! – light the Bruins up.

Oregon could only lose with a perfect storm of miscues, turnovers and big plays from UCLA. I just don’t see it happening.

Seems like we are in an accord who will win. So let’s give predictions. How do you see this one going down?

Peter Yoon: I'm sure UCLA will come out pretty fired up and might be able to stay within a touchdown or two for a the first quarter or maybe even go into halftime within striking distance, 31-17, or something like that. But Oregon will prove to be too much as the game goes on and simply wear out UCLA like they wear out everyone. I agree that they will probably ease off the gas pedal late, though, out of respect for Neuheisel. Final score: Oregon 54, UCLA 24.

Ted Miller: Similar to my thinking. Ducks may sputter early and UCLA may make some plays, but the Ducks will pop it into overdrive and run over the Bruins. My guess: 45-17.

The hits keep coming for UCLA.

After losing 60-13 at Oregon on Thursday, UCLA announced the suspensions of receiver Ricky Marvray and offensive tackle Sean Sheller for the Arizona game on Saturday due to violations of team rules.

Both are starters. Micah Kia likely will replace Sheller at left tackle, while junior Josh Smith -- a Colorado transfer -- figures to replace Marvray.

Smith was one of two players suspended from the Oregon game. The other was F-back Morrell Presley.

The LA Times and Orange County Register both reported that all four failed a drug test.

Losing a starting tackle isn't a good thing before playing Arizona, which has the best defensive end tandem in the Pac-10. Also, the Bruins anemic passing game might struggle to get better without it's leading receiver. On the plus side, the Bruins might get receiver Nelson Rosario back. Rosario, the team's best receiver, has missed the past two games with a sprained ankle.

Another issue: Middle linebacker Patrick Larimore, the UCLA Bruins middle linebacker, is going to miss three weeks with a dislocated left shoulder. His replacement, Steve Sloan, will be playing with loose bone fragments in his right new. After Sloan, there's freshman Jordan Zumwalt, who's moved over from strong side linebacker.

Happy Friday.

• Arizona's cornerbacks gave up some plays -- and drew some flags -- but the overall verdict is good so far.
• Arizona State needs to be better in the red zone. A scouting report.
• California may get linebacker Mike Mohamed back at Arizona, and that's good for D-coordinator Clancy Pendergast, who's an Arizona graduate.
• It appears that Oregon running back Kenjon Barner will be ready to go against the Sun Devils. WR Jeff Maehl is sneaking into history. If there are bad feelings for the Pflugrads with Oregon, they are not talking about them this week.
• Oregon State and Boise State share recruiting styles. It's a big stage for the Beavers.
• Notre Dame braces for Stanford's pass rush.
• UCLA needs to unleash the explosive Josh Smith. And Kevin Prince has a big stage at Texas in which to recover his mojo.
• USC likes to go for two, even though it hasn't been working. The Trojans have a running back controversy.
• Washington has its recruiting eyes on a JC quarterback.
• Jim Moore: Washington State is going to beat USC. Raise a glass for me at Rico's, Jimmy. Some good notes here.

Happy Friday. A really happy Friday, in fact, eh?

• Arizona hasn't won a nonconference road game since 2001, a streak it hopes changes at Toledo.
• Doug Haller lines things up for Arizona State. Notable: Washington State AD Bill Moos' son, Bo, has earned a starting job on the D-line. Congrats.
• This little guy will play a big role for California.
• The Darron Thomas Era at Oregon begins. And a lot of folks expect it to be a good one.
• Heisman? Jacquizz Rodgers wants a Rose Bowl for Oregon State. The Beavers do a walk-through at Cowboys Stadium.
• Some Stanford notes.
• This freshman was touted for a reason. Some notes, including an item on WR Josh Smith's experiences when playing at Kansas State. QB Kevin Prince looks ready to go.
• USC's story was simple vs. Hawaii: Good offense, terrible defense. It was a disappointing way to win. Five observations.
• Some information on the Husky Stadium renovation. A practice report from Thursday including comments from Steve Sarkisian.
• A handful of true freshmen will see action for Washington State at Oklahoma State.

We're going on record with what we think will happen this season -- team-wise and player-wise. Who will shine? Who will surprise? Who will disappoint?

And feel free to disagree and supply your thoughts.

Conference winner: Oregon

It took a while to re-warm up to the Ducks after the, er, departure of He Who Shall Not Be Named. But the Ducks have so much going for them, it's hard to go against the defending champions.

Offensive MVP: Jake Locker, QB, Washington

Huskies fans: Know all those folks who constantly take shots at Locker and call him overrated? They will either apologize or look stupid at season's end.

Defensive MVP: Akeem Ayers, LB, UCLA

Ayers gets the nod because he's the sort who's going to put up a lot of different numbers: tackles, sacks, tackles for a loss, interceptions, fumbles, etc.

Surprise team: Stanford

Stanford might not be a surprise to those in the know, but if the defense steps up -- and here's a bet it will -- then the Cardinal will be in middle of the conference race.

Team most likely to disappoint: USC

The Trojans will still trot out the most talented starting 22 in the conference. There's not a team on the Trojans' schedule that, at this juncture, rates as a "favorite" -- even Oregon because the Ducks must visit the Coliseum on Oct. 30. But with only pride to play for, USC could come apart at the seams.

Surprise player: Steven Threet, QB, Arizona State

Threet is expected to be announced as the Sun Devils starter on Monday. He's going to be good enough to make the offense respectable.

Newcomer of the year (offense): Josh Smith, WR, UCLA

If he stays healthy, Smith, a Colorado transfer, will be a big-play guy for the Bruins on offense and on special teams as a returner.

Newcomer of the year (defense): Brandon Rankin, DT, Washington State

We hate to interrupt your mocking of Washington State, but Rankin, a JC transfer who stuck with the Cougars despite an offer from Alabama, is going to be a force on a surprisingly stout D-line.

Freshman of the year (offense): Keenan Allen, WR, California

The touted true freshman won a starting job in camp. Expect him and Marvin Jones to inspire folks to start to saying, "You know that quarterback Kevin Riley ain't half-bad!"

Freshman of the year (defense): (tie) Marquis Flowers, S, Arizona & Dietrich Riley, S, UCLA

Ladies and gentlemen, meet the next two great safeties in the Pac-10. These freshmen can really play.

Coach of the year: Chip Kelly, Oregon

His Ducks should play in another Rose Bowl, even though they are replacing a quarterback who was projected to be in the Heisman Trophy hunt. If quarterback Darron Thomas shines, this one will be a gimme for Kelly to repeat. So that would be two years, two Coach of the Year trophies. One word: Raise.

Can't miss game: Civil War, Oregon at Oregon State, Dec. 4

Oregon is the conference favorite. Oregon State is a consensus No. 3 pick. USC is No. 2 but ineligible. Expect the Civil War, for a third consecutive season, to decide who goes to the Rose Bowl.

UCLA's Norm Chow is widely regarded as one of the best offensive coordinators of all-time. Despite that pedigree, things haven't exactly rolled on offense his first two seasons in Westwood.

Injury issues as well as a lack of inherited talent have slowed the Bruins' development. The biggest problem: The lack of a dependable running game due to poor line play. An experiment with Nevada's pistol offense, which was intended to bolster the running game, appears to have been cut short as preseason camp has gone on.

Recruiting under third-year coach Rick Neuheisel has picked up substantially, though mostly in terms of collecting skill players. It hasn't helped that the yield of elite offensive linemen on the West Coast over the past two years has been surprisingly low.

Still, the Bruins expect to take a step forward in 2010. The biggest issue in preseason camp so far: Getting starting quarterback Kevin Prince healthy. He's missed nine practices with a strained oblique and probably won't participate in the scrimmage Saturday.

So where do things stand with the Bruins' work-in-progress offense? We checked in with Chow.

So where is QB Kevin Prince with his strained oblique and when does that become a concern with the opening game approaching?

Norm Chow: He is right there. If we err, we're going to err on the side of caution. He's ready to go. He's had a great summer. He's been to all the meetings. He stayed with it mentally. He's going to be fine.

In general, where do things stand with the pistol offense? Are you seeing improvement since spring?

NC: We sure have. We obviously haven't adopted it totally. But the parts that we do, we like. Hopefully it will allow us to run the ball better.

How much option do you anticipate using?

NC: Quarterback option? Not too much, if any.

You guys have taken some hits on the offensive line. What have you seen from that unit this spring? What are they doing well and what are they struggling with?

NC: We're actually real pleased with our offensive of line. Our two guards [Darius Savage and Eddie Williams] both played last year, started some last year. Our center [Kai Maiava] is back from last year. Our right tackle is actually a sixth-year player [Micah Kia] who was hurt last year, who started before. Our starting left tackle at the present time has been a guy who it kind of took a while to figure out college and college football but is doing a nice job. And that's Sean Sheller. We have four seniors and a junior on the offensive line. They bring us leadership. They bring us maturity. We feel real good about it. The concern of it is, as it always is in a college program, is when you get someone hurt. We have some adequate backups, but they need to continue to develop just in case.

Explain the "F" position to me. You've got a lot of different body types at that spot on the depth chart.

NC: It's an old H-back deal. It's nothing new; no new revelation. It's the old H-back that a lot of people have used. It's a guy who can catch, who can block, who can run a little bit. We're blessed that we've got some talented people who can handle that: Morrell Presley, Christian Ramirez, Anthony Barr -- a young freshman who just came in -- they are very talented guys. We feel like we've got that position pretty well covered

Seems like you've got plenty of potential playmakers. Who's impressed you so far in camp?

NC: Our receivers are older and wiser. This is Taylor Embree and Nelson Rosario's third year playing and starting for us. Ricky Marvray and Randall Carroll have had tremendous camps. Then we have a transfer from Colorado who has to fight through some injury stuff, Josh Smith, who was a nice player at Colorado. So we have five that we think are good receivers. We just have to see how the game develops. Obviously if we are able to run the ball, it opens up the passing game and allow these guys to show their stuff.

Are the touted freshman, Jordan James and Malcolm Jones, going to break into the rotation at tailback, or are Derrick Coleman and Johnathan Franklin still ahead?

NC: We don't have to make that decision today. We have three weeks before we play a ballgame. Jordan James got cut short with a little hamstring pull. Malcolm Jones has had a terrific fall. He's certainly challenging the other two, but the other two have played well as well. So it's a nice situation to have. With injuries, and so forth we'll probably need them all. I'm sure Malcolm will have a real hand in the rotation we come up with.

Overall, how close do you feel your guys are to breaking through?

NC: I don't know. If I did know that, I probably wouldn't be coaching. I'll tell you what we have done: Our young guys have worked real hard. We've had a good summer. We lost the weight we needed to. We got stronger. We're excited about it. We'll just have to wait and see. We temper our enthusiasm because we play a really difficult schedule. I've heard it's the third toughest in the NCAA. But we're going to meet that challenge. We're excited about that challenge. We'll see what happens.

Sure, speed kills, but this list of the Pac-10's big-play standouts isn't only about 40 times. It's about who you are often going to see hoisting the ball in the end zone while the crowd goes, "Wow!"

Some of these are proven veterans. And some are new guys we just have a feeling about.

Arizona: WR Juron Criner

Criner led the Wildcats receivers with 12.9 yards per catch and nine TDs, which tied for first in the conference. He's got good size -- 6-foot-4 -- so he can go and get a jump ball and he's athletic enough that he ran a handful of fly sweeps in 2009.

Arizona State: RB Deantre Lewis

Lewis is a true freshman, but you keep reading things like this about him in news reports: "Deantre Lewis continues to make defenders miss in a way that not many of his teammates can." The Sun Devils seem to have a better-than-you'd-think collection of skill players, but Lewis sounds like a guy that can make things happen on his own.

California: RB Shane Vereen

He's accumulated 19 TDs over the previous two seasons as a backup. He can run with speed (see an 81-yard TD vs. Michigan State in 2008 and 61-yard TD vs. Arizona in 2009) or power (see 42 carries for 193 yards in the win over Stanford last year). Vereen is as good an all-around player -- running, receiving, return game -- as you'll find outside of Corvallis.

Oregon: RBs LaMichael James & Kenjon Barner

These two might form the nation's fastest backfield tandem. James led the nation last year with 21 carries over 20 yards, including four over 50. Barner had 420 all-purpose yards over his final two games and set a single-season school record with 1,020 yards in kickoff returns.

Oregon State: WR James Rodgers

Rodgers ranked seventh in the nation and No. 1 in the Pac-10 in all-purpose yards with 179.1 yards per game. He led the Pac-10 with 1,034 yards receiving and 91 receptions with nine touchdowns. He also rushed for 346 yards and ranked third in the conference with an average of 11.6 yards per punt return.

Stanford: WR Chris Owusu

The speedy Owusu ranked fifth in the nation with a 31.5-yard average on kickoff returns, including three taken to the house for TDs. He led the Stanford with 18.4 yards per catch, the highest average among Pac-10 receivers with 10 or more receptions.

UCLA: WR Josh Smith

If Smith can stay healthy -- a big "if" so far since he transferred from Colorado -- he is going to be a playmaker on special teams returning punts and as a receiver. He returned a punt for a 60-yard TD Wednesday, inspiring a fan to shout "don't get hurt," according to the Orange County Register.

USC: WR Ronald Johnson

Johnson's 2009 season was mostly ruined after he broke his collarbone, but his 12 career touchdown receptions average 26.3 yards. He's probably the most dangerous deep-threat receiver in the Pac-10

Washington: WR Jermaine Kearse

Among the Pac-10's top-10 receivers in 2009, Kearse's 17.3 yards per reception ranked No. 1. His eight TDs tied for second. He figures to be Jake Locker's No. 1 target this fall.

Washington State: Marquess Wilson

Wilson is a true freshman who has made numerous plays in preseason camp. He's not a burner -- Jeffrey Solomon is probably the Cougs fastest receiver -- but his 6-foot-3 frame allows him to go up and get the ball over smaller defensive backs.

UCLA opens preseason camp today. Here's a quick look.

Who's back: Seven starters on offense, five on defense and both specialists.

Big names: K Kai Forbath, FS Rahim Moore, LB Akeem Ayers, P Jeff Locke

What's new: Clark Lea was promoted from graduate assistant to LBs coach in February. Coach Rick Neuheisel and offensive coordinator Norm Chow adopted a "pistol" offense -- Nevada coach Chris Ault created it -- during spring practices. It features an option out of an abbreviated shotgun formation. Two transfers are eligible to play and likely will play a lot: receiver Josh Smith (Colorado) and tight end Joseph Fauria (Notre Dame).

Key competition: What's the pecking order at tailback? Will a veteran such as Derrick Coleman or Johnathan Franklin prevail, or will one of the touted incoming freshman take the lead spot? Two linebacker positions are uncertain: It's junior Steve Sloan versus sophomore Patrick Larimore in the middle and junior Sean Westgate against Glenn Love on the weak side. There are also "or"s on the depth chart between Aaron Hester and Andrew Abbott at right cornerback and Keenan Graham and Iuta Tepa at defensive end.

Breaking out: There are a lot of potential playmakers on offense. At the "F" position, there's Damien Thigpen and Morrell Presley. Smith and Randall Carroll could be legitimate deep threats. Defensive end Datone Jones looked like a force at times in the spring.

Quote: Neuheisel on expectations his team is due for a turnaround: "For the first time since I got to UCLA, we are an experienced football team. That doesn't mean we won't have an infusion of young guys that will still be key players. But we have guys like Rahim, Kevin Prince and Akeem Ayers. These guys have played and played at a high level. And our kicking game is quite possibly the best in the country."

Notes: The Bruins' top two tackles won't be around: Xavier Su'a-Filo is on a two-year Mormon mission, while Nik Abele was forced to retire because of neck problems. ... JC transfer Darius Bell might offer an athletic option at QB. ... Three incoming freshmen were kicked off the team for allegedly stealing a purse and are headed elsewhere: cornerback Shaquille Richardson (Arizona), LB Josh Shirley (Washington) and receiver Paul Richardson (perhaps Colorado).

LOS ANGELES -- Watched UCLA's scrimmage on Friday evening, then raced-- or crawled through traffic -- to LAX to catch a flight. Here are some thoughts.

• UCLA's season will be determined by both lines. There's plenty of speed and skill and quarterback Kevin Prince looks ready to take a significant step forward, but the lines -- particularly the offensive line -- continue to be works in progress.
• That said: The Bruins running game -- dormant the past few seasons -- showed signs of life. For example, on a third and 7 play, Milton Knox converted with a tough run on a draw play. Offensive coordinator Norm Chow said the tailback job is down to three candidates: Johnathan Franklin (nine carries, 37 yards in the scrimmage), Derrick Coleman (9-25) and Knox (7-24). In the fall, a strong recruiting haul of freshmen arrives who immediately will jump into the mix.
• The Bruins new "pistol" offense, which features some spread-option elements, has inspired some skepticism, but Prince ran a version of it in high school and he's got good speed -- he ran a 4.53 40-yard dash during testing. There were some intriguing moments, but a couple of bad shotgun snaps surely will concern the coaches. Coach Rick Neuheisel said: "There's a lot of moving parts in this stuff. If we're going to be in this stuff and we're going to say that this is who we are and try to get to that point, we've got to be a heck of a lot better at it than this. If we can't get that done in 15 practices, then we have to ask ourselves if it's prudent to stay in it and that's where we are.''
• Backup QB Richard Brehaut went 3 of 11 in the Bruins first scrimmage, but he was much better Friday, completing 11 of 17 passes for 106 yards with touchdowns of 16 and26 yards. Prince was 7 of 11 for 87 yards with a 37 yard TD.
• The Bruins are looking for receivers to step up behind Taylor Embree, Nelson Rosario and Josh Smith, who's out with a knee injury. Randall Carroll and Ricky Marvray both had good scrimmages and perhaps made statements. Carroll's grab of a 37-yard TD pass from Prince despite tight coverage from Sheldon Price was the play of the day. Runnerup: Morrell Presley got behind coverage for a 44-yard reception. And Jerry Johnson had a fancy leaping reception on the scrimmage's first drive.
• Kicker Kai Forbath will be one of the best weapons in the Pac-10 -- he's darn near automatic. The first-team All-Pac-10 kicker and likely preseason All-American was good on four field goals attempts from outside 40 yards, with a long of 46.
• Defensive end Datone Jones had a sack and a tackle for a loss on a reverse. He looks like a potential All-Conference player, along with linebacker Akeem Ayers and safety Rahim Moore. Defensive tackle Nate Chandler, a converted tight end, had two sacks.
• There was a scare when center Kai Maiava, who's battling Ryan Taylor for the starting job, went down with a knee injury. He walked off, though, and Neuheisel described the injury has a "sprain."

It seems that everything's gone wrong
Since Canada came along.

• Will one of Arizona's fastest players make an impact? It's clear that Juron Criner will.
• Arizona State's line will be better if this guy stays healthy.
• Litigiousness continues to hound California's stadium renovation project. Is a fast corner about to break through for the Bears? This running back has a long name, but will he produce long runs?
• Oregon's defense is coming together quite nicely.
• A Q&A with former Oregon State linebacker Keaton Kristick, who is getting ready for the NFL draft. This receiver earned his scholarship.
• Some practice notes from Stanford.
• UCLA receiver Josh Smith is out of spring with a knee injury.
• USC QB Matt Barkley is finding his comfort zone. My comfort zone involves a sofa. It helps to be skinny. No comfort with the Trojans injury list.
• There were comings and goings and moves afoot at Washington's practice.
• Washington State hits the mid-way point of spring practices banged up at running back.
• Jon Wilner just made my "favorites" list. Thanks!

UCLA starts spring practices Thursday, and third-year coach Rick Neuheisel said the getting-to-know-you period is over for him and his team.

It's time, to use his phrase, to "let the fur fly."

"Three springs into our term here, expectations are higher, not only externally but also internally," Neuheisel said. "The intensity needs to go up compared to springs before."

Some notes:

• Neuheisel said sophomore Kevin Prince starts spring as a solid No. 1 at quarterback. Said Neuheisel, "We have a starter in Kevin Prince and he deserves to be named that. He had a very, very solid freshman season. But I don't want to water down Richard Brehaut's hopes of earning his spot in this lineup."
• Neuheisel said Prince needs to become more accurate, while Brehaut, also a sophomore, needs to refine his knowledge of the offense.
• Three seniors will miss spring practices due to injuries: offensive guard Darius Savage (back), offensive tackle Micah Kia (knee) and defensive end Reginald Stokes (knee).
• Junior strong safety Tony Dye might be limited during practices due to a lingering toe problem. Offensive guard Eddie Williams is coming back from a foot injury, so he also might see only limited action, though he has been cleared for contact.
• Two transfers are expected to immediately jump into the mix: sophomore tight end Joseph Fauria (Notre Dame) and junior receiver/return man Josh Smith (Colorado).
• The only true freshman participating in spring practices from the 2010 recruiting class is offensive guard Wade Yardall. He's listed third on the left side of the line behind Jeff Baca and Stan Hasiak. True freshman linebacker Jared Koster is a grayshirt who joined the team in January.
• Xavier Su'a-Filo, who started at left tackle as a true freshman, has gone on a two-year Mormon mission. Redshirt freshman Nik Abele is listed No. 1 at his spot, ahead of sophomore Brett Downey.
• Four players have switched positions: sophomore Morrell Presley (receiver to tight end), junior Nate Chandler (tight end to defensive tackle, where he's listed as a starter), junior Glenn Love (safety to weakside linebacker) and senior Christian Ramirez (running back to defensive back).

Athlon has a nice list of college football transfers who may have a significant impact this fall, including a number who transferred to -- and from -- Pac-10 programs.

Here's our take.

Incoming Pac-10 transfers:

QB Steven Threet, Arizona State (from Michigan) -- Threet finally has found a system that works for him with the Sun Devils after his previous schools -- Georgia Tech and Michigan -- changed coaches and adopted option offenses that didn't fit his skill set. He'll compete with Brock Osweiler for the starting job this spring (Samson Szakacsy will be limited because of a continuing elbow problem).

WR Aaron Pflugrad, Arizona State (from Oregon): Go ahead and pencil in Pflugrad as a starter at a position of need for the Sun Devils, who lost their top-two receivers, Chris McGaha and Kyle Williams.

WR Josh Smith, UCLA (from Colorado): The Bruins have a lot of guys back at receiver, but those guys weren't terribly explosive last year. The hope is that Smith will add some big-play capability.

TE Joseph Fauria, UCLA (from Notre Dame): While the Bruins lost Logan Paulsen and Ryan Moya, Fauria will combine with junior Cory Harkey -- and perhaps hybrid receiver Morrell Presley -- to give the offense plenty of punch at the position.

Outgoing Pac-10 transfers:

QB L.D. Crow, UCF (from Stanford) -- Crow was stuck behind Andrew Luck. 'Nuff said.

QB Chris Harper, Kansas State (from Oregon) -- Harper never seemed comfortable at Oregon and said upon transferring that he wanted to be closer to home. He's a talented athlete but raw as a QB.

RB Raymond Carter, Colorado State (from UCLA) -- Couldn't break through in Bruins' crowded backfield.

RB Aundre Dean, TCU (from UCLA) -- See Carter.

WR Vidal Hazelton, Cincinnati (from USC) -- Big things were expected out of him at USC -- he was the Trojans' leading receiver in 2007 -- but he got hurt early in 2008 and decided to transfer over an apparent conflict with coaches over whether he could redshirt or not. Trojans could have used him in 2009.

DT Kaniela Tuipulotu, Hawaii (from Arizona): He started seven games in 2008 but slid down the depth chart -- injuries were an issue -- and opted to transfer to his home state.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

UCLA has been trying to upgrade its playmaking, and the Bruins might be on the cusp of picking up a dynamic receiver and kick returner.

Former Colorado receiver Josh Smith, who had previously been connected to USC and Arizona State, now appears headed to Westwood, according to the LA Daily News, though there may be some remaining academic issues to clear up.

Big 12 blogger Tim Griffin, who has become a great asset to the Pac-10 blog over the past couple of days, provides more background on Smith here, including his musical ambitions.

Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson

• Receiver Josh Smith, who recently quit the Colorado football team, has been granted a release to USC, but not Arizona State, another school on his list.

• Washington quarterback Jake Locker was in Oklahoma City this past weekend to cheer the Huskies softball team to a national championship.

• The Arizona football team is planning a five-day stay at Fort Huachuca this fall camp because players enjoyed the Army lifestyle.

• Kicker Bill Cundiff completed his MBA degree with Arizona State University's online program.

• Oregon's game against Purdue will get a late start as the Pac-10 announced that the Sept. 12 game will start at 10:15 p.m. ET.