Early Pac-12 Football Predictions for 2023
Strength at the top of the league should be a theme for the Pac-12 in the 2023 college football season. A couple of teams have a strong case for the No. 1 spot in the early predictions and power rankings, but for now, USC gets the nod at the top, followed by Washington, Oregon, Utah and Oregon State. All five teams rank in the top 25 of Athlon's Way-Too-Early Top 25 for next season. The intrigue also extends to the middle of the conference where UCLA looks to build off coach Chip Kelly's best season, Washington State returns quarterback Cameron Ward, and Arizona aims to make a bowl under third-year coach Jedd Fisch. Colorado is intriguing under new coach Deion Sanders, with California and Arizona State looking to rebound after missing out on the postseason in '22. New coach Troy Taylor has a significant rebuilding effort ahead at Stanford.
It’s never too early to think about predictions or rankings for the 2023 college football season. With that in mind, Athlon provides its very early power rankings for the Pac-12 for 2023:
Early Pac-12 Football Predictions for 2023
1. USC
Coach Lincoln Riley nearly led USC to the CFB Playoff in his first year at the helm, and with quarterback Caleb Williams back to guide a high-powered offense, the Trojans will be in the mix once again. Few question marks surround the Trojans offensively, but Riley does have to retool a bit along the line of scrimmage. However, the concerns are greater on defense after this unit struggled for most of the season and played poorly in losses to Utah and Tulane to end the 2022 campaign. Riley's work in the portal will help, but this unit still needs more depth and talent. End Tuli Tuipulotu and cornerback Mekhi Blackmon departed to the NFL and will be missed.
Related: College Football's Very Early Top 25 for 2023
2. Washington
The Huskies showed marked improvement in coach Kalen DeBoer's first year in Seattle (improving from 4-8 in '21 to 11-2) and have their sights set on a run at the CFB Playoff in '23. With quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and receivers Rome Odunze and Jalen McMillan returning, Washington's offense (39.7 points a game) could be even better next season. The only concern about this group is up front with a couple of starters departing. The Huskies also need improvement on defense after giving up 29.1 points a contest in Pac-12 play and finishing near the bottom of the conference in pass efficiency defense. But the good news for DeBoer is the bulk of this group will return, and a few key additions from the portal should help right away.
3. Oregon
Quarterback Bo Nix returns after accounting for 43 overall touchdowns and 315.6 total yards a game in his first year with the Ducks. New play-caller Will Stein also inherits one of the Pac-12's top backfields with Bucky Irving and Noah Whittington returning and a loaded receiving corps featuring Troy Franklin (61 catches), Kris Hutson (44) and transfers Traeshon Holden (Alabama) and Tez Johnson (Troy). Rebuilding a standout line is the biggest concern on offense. Second-year coach Dan Lanning has work to do on defense. The Ducks struggled against the pass and surrendered 27.4 points per contest in '22. Linebacker Noah Sewell and cornerback Christian Gonzalez declared early for the NFL draft.
4. Utah
The Utes' hopes of a three-peat atop the Pac-12 received a significant boost when quarterback Cameron Rising opted to return to Salt Lake City in '23. Rising did suffer a knee injury in the Rose Bowl loss to Penn State and his status will be something to monitor throughout the offseason. Running back Ja'Quinden Jackson (531 yards) is the next standout in the backfield for coach Kyle Whittingham. Tight end Brant Kuithe opted to pass on the NFL for another year in Salt Lake City after suffering a season-ending injury just four games into '22. Additionally, the offensive line should rank among the best in the conference. Defense is usually a strength at Utah and there's no reason to expect that to change in '23. Safety Cole Bishop, linebackers Karene Reid and Lander Barton and lineman Junior Tafuna provide a strong foundation for coordinator Morgan Scalley.
Related: Best Quarterbacks in College Football's Transfer Portal
5. Oregon State
With the bulk of the two-deep expected to return after a 10-3 mark in '22, Oregon State is positioned to challenge for a trip to the Pac-12 title game. Coach Jonathan Smith's offense is once again anchored by one of the league's top lines and rising star running back Damien Martinez leads the way for a ground game that paced the conference in rushing attempts (40.3). Clemson transfer DJ Uiagalelei is likely to be an upgrade at quarterback. Defensive improvement was instrumental in Oregon State's '22 success. After giving up 28.2 points in Pac-12 play in '21, this unit thrived under new coordinator Trent Bray, holding conference opponents to 20 points a contest. Bray has a few voids to fill after the transfer of Omar Speights at linebacker and at corner with Alex Austin and Rejzohn Wright off to the NFL.
6. UCLA
Last season's 9-4 mark was Chip Kelly's best season at UCLA. But replicating (or exceeding) that record will require a quick reload at quarterback with the departure of Dorian Thompson-Robinson and at running back with Zach Charbonnet expected to depart off to the NFL. Kent State transfer Colin Schlee and true freshman Dante Moore will push Ethan Garbers to start under center. And another transfer (Carson Steele) could end up as the team's No. 1 running back. Additionally, Kelly must restock the offensive line and improve a defense that allowed 6.1 yards per play in Pac-12 contests and struggled against the pass.
Related: Team-by-Team Additions from College Football Transfers
7. Washington State
The Cougars had a solid first full season under coach Jake Dickert (7-6) and another winning mark should be in store for '23. However, Dickert has some turnover on his staff after coordinators Eric Morris (head coach at North Texas) and Brian Ward (defensive coordinator at Arizona State) departed. New offensive play-caller Ben Arbuckle is a rising star after helping Western Kentucky's offense rank among the nation's best in '22, and quarterback Cameron Ward is back after throwing for 3,231 yards and 23 scores in his first year on campus. A couple of transfers should quickly restock the receiving corps, but the success of the offense could hinge on how much the line can improve (46 sacks allowed). Washington State's defense held teams to 22.9 points a game last year and is likely to be a strength once again under new coordinator Jeff Schmedding. Edge rushers Brennan Jackson and Ron Stone are set to return and three additions from the portal will alleviate the loss of linebacker Daiyan Henley.
8. Arizona
There was significant progress in Tucson last year after an 1-11 mark in '21. In his second year on the job, coach Jedd Fisch successfully used the portal to build the Wildcats into nearly a bowl team, as five wins marked the program's best season since '18 (five victories). With quarterback Jayden de Laura and receivers Jacob Cowing and Tetairoa McMillan back, scoring points won't be a problem for Arizona's offense again after averaging 30.8 points a game in '22. But to take the next step and win six (or more games), Fisch needs significant improvement from a defense that allowed 36.5 points per contest last year. Adding to that challenge was the transfer of cornerback Christian Roland-Wallace and lineman Kyron Barrs to USC. Getting Oregon transfer Justin Flowe should help at linebacker, however.
Related: College Football Player Transfer Tracker for the 2023 Season
9. California
The Golden Bears have missed a bowl in each of the last two years and are just 10-18 overall since an 8-5 record in '19 (the best season under coach Justin Wilcox). Under Wilcox's direction, California's offense has not ranked higher than eighth in the Pac-12 in scoring, so change was obviously needed after this unit ranked ninth in the league (conference-only matchups) in yards per play. Former Texas State coach Jake Spavital was hired to call plays, with TCU transfer Sam Jackson expected to open spring as the favorite to replace Jack Plummer at quarterback. Losing receiver J. Michael Sturdivant to the portal was a setback, but the skill talent is still solid with running backs Jaydn Ott, Byron Cardwell (Oregon transfer) and Justin Williams-Thomas (Tennessee) as well as wide receiver Jeremiah Hunter in place. Wilcox has a few voids to fill on defense, but the bulk of this group will return, including All-Pac-12 linebacker Jackson Sirmon.
10. Arizona State
The roster in Tempe will look a lot different after new coach Kenny Dillingham brought in more than 20 transfers from the portal. And help is needed right away on both sides of the ball after a 3-9 mark in '22. Although the Sun Devils enter the season with significant question marks, Dillingham (an Arizona State graduate) is a good hire and his background on offense should show right away. Notre Dame transfer Drew Pyne could start at quarterback, and there are weapons on the outside with tight end Jalin Conyers and receiver Elijhah Badger returning (and also help from the portal). A handful of transfers are needed to push for time right away on defense. The Sun Devils gave up 6.4 yards per play in Pac-12 contests and must replace the top four tacklers from last season, including linebackers Kyle Soelle and Merlin Robertson.
11. Colorado
Not only will Coach Prime in Boulder be must-see television each week, but the Buffaloes are also likely to be significantly improved. Colorado is bringing in one of the nation's top transfer classes, which includes Deion's son Shedeur Sanders and former five-star prospect Travis Hunter. In addition to Sanders' work on the recruiting trail, he also assembled a quality staff, which includes former Kent State coach Sean Lewis as the offensive play-caller. Although Colorado should show improvement, Coach Prime will need time to rebuild here. The Buffaloes were outscored 406-155 in Pac-12 play and just one of the team's 11 losses was decided by one score.
Related: Deion Sanders at Colorado is One of the Biggest Storylines for 2023
12. Stanford
Troy Taylor arrives on the Farm after a successful stint as FCS Sacramento State's head coach (30-8), but the former Utah offensive coordinator inherits a roster with major concerns after last year's 3-9 mark. Running back E.J. Smith and tight end Benjamin Yurosek are two of the building blocks for Taylor's offense. However, the line must be rebuilt, and a quarterback battle will play out this offseason to replace Tanner McKee. Stanford's defense has been an issue in recent years and is likely to be a concern once again after surrendering 32.2 points a game in '22. Top corner Kyu Blu Kelly is off to the NFL.
