Heading into the season, the Pac-12 rivalry game likely to be separated by the most distance in the standings was the Big Game. With Stanford looking to challenge for a spot in the inaugural College Football Playoff and Cal looking to escape the conference cellar, the fact that these two teams are playing for bowl eligibility this weekend is somewhat surreal. It's a similar story on the recruiting trail as well, as these two programs have the fewest number of verbal commitments in the conference, as Cal holds 12 commitments and Stanford just 10 -- though Stanford holds the edge in ESPN 300 prospects at three to one.
The recruiting rivalry between these two programs is interesting in that they aren't separated by much distance, but don't overlap in their chase for the same prospect as often as you might expect. Stanford -- arguably the most national recruiting program in the country -- has commitments from players from 10 states, while eight of Cal's dozen commits hail from its home state and there might not be a true recruiting battle between these two for any prospect in this class.
Instant impact recruit
Cal: DE Russell Ude -- The Golden Bears are in serious need of help in all three levels defensively, but a prospect who can get after the passer as well as Ude could be able to find a spot in the rotation fairly quickly. A sought-after prospect with a long and impressive list of offers, Ude represents a significant recruiting win for Cal and possibly a talent they can build around defensively.
Stanford: K/P Jake Bailey -- The Cardinal have recruited well enough over the past few years that they simply don't need much help from true freshmen. But Bailey could have a unique opportunity next year, as Stanford loses both its starting kicker and punter to graduation and Cardinal coaches have expressed interest in giving Bailey an opportunity to win both jobs. Kickers have decided a number of games in the Pac-12 recently, which means that if he wins the job, wins and losses for the Cardinal could be riding on the foot of Bailey next fall.
Position group addressed through recruiting
Cal: Receivers -- Cal hit a home run with its wide receiver haul in the 2012 class, landing Bryce Treggs, Chris Harper and Kenny Lawler. They'll look to do the same this year in an effort to eventually replace that trio, and they're off to a great start. Wide receivers Greyson Bankhead and Austin Aaron and athlete Evan Rambo give the Golden Bears three different body types and skill sets that would work well together on the field at the same time. Tight end Zeandae Johnson is also a member of this class, and is a physical presence at the position.
Stanford: Offensive line -- It seems that the Cardinal add important pieces to their offensive line with every class and this year is no different. ESPN 300 guard Nick Wilson is the top-rated prospect in the class and ESPN 300 center Brian Chaffin is the No. 3 prospect at his position. Offensive tackle Jack Dreyer gives Stanford a trio of commitments on the offensive line -- the only position group with more than two commits for the Cardinal.
Top remaining targets
Cal: The Golden Bears have a number of California prospects still in their sights, including two standout defensive backs in Frank Buncom IV and Quenton Meeks. Several wide receivers remain on the board as well, with Lavan Alston leading the way, along with Jaylinn Hawkins and Jeremy Kelly. Up front along the offensive line, Darrin Paulo and Keven Dixon are both in-state targets, while Davis Perrott would be a nice grab from Arizona. The Golden Bears will also try to reach into the junior college level for defensive linemen, with DeVante Wilson and DeOnte Reynolds serving as prime targets.
Stanford: The Cardinal still have opportunities to land prospects at virtually every position, though at this point it looks like they'll pass on taking a quarterback. Running back and wide receiver are arguably the top two spots left on the board, and top targets at those positions include Chris Warren, Cameron Scarlett, Bryce Love, and Trent Irwin. Defensively, there are top targets at each level. ESPN 300 defensive tackles Christian Wilkins and Rasheem Green top the board up front, while Kenneth Brinson would be another welcome addition at linebacker, and ESPN 300 defensive backs Iman Marshall, Ben Edwards and Buncom are some of the wanted names in the secondary.
Overview: Just like in the standings, these recruiting classes are much closer than most expected going into the season. While Stanford boasts a strong group with every opportunity to close in impressive fashion, the Cardinal seemed to hit a bit of a lull during the season and likely hope the recent addition of defensive tackle Wes Annan gets things moving in a positive direction again. As usual, Stanford's Big Visit Weekend will take place in mid-January, and big news is always expected coming out of that weekend. On the other side, Cal has a significant opportunity to make some noise this weekend. Usually one game in a season doesn't make much of an impact on the recruiting trail, but this could be an exception as the Golden Bears could claim to recruits that a win over the Cardinal marks a true turning point in bringing the program back toward the top of the conference. Add in the fact that Cal gets this game at home and will have a number of recruits in attendance and you could be looking at the most significant day of the year for Cal recruiting when it comes to the 2015 class.