Building the perfect Pac-12 offense

The Pac-12 has talent all over the board

When looking around at other conferences across the country, it is fair to say that the Pac-12 may have some of the best players on offense across the board. 

The conference, while it may be knee deep in realignment rumors, may have one of its most entertaining seasons in recent memory. The league is arguably as competitive as it has been in years, with multiple top-15 teams and middle tier teams like UCLA poised for huge seasons. 

With all of the preseason accolades coming out about award watch lists and preseason all-conference teams, it gave me the idea to construct what I think would be the perfect offense, which consist of players from across the Pac-12. Let's take a look at what my dream offense would look like if I could just snatch players from every Pac-12 team. 

Offensive line, Oregon

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

For the offensive line I would go with Oregon's. The Ducks were dominate in run blocking, averaging 5.3 yards per carry last season, and were a top-25 team in allowed sack rate. The unit is very experienced, as each of the Ducks’ projected starters on the offensive line have played at least 900 snaps in the last two seasons, and Phil Steele even ranked the Ducks’ group as the fifth-best offensive line in college football for 2022. 

Benjamin Yurosek, TE, Stanford

James Snook-USA TODAY Sports

Stanford's Benjamin Yurosek is easily one of the best pass catchers in the conference, and is in the discussion for being the best tight end in the country. He had a breakout year a season ago that saw him emerge as Stanford's most consistent target. He has an innate ability to make people miss after the catch, and has a huge catch radius.

 In 2021, he nabbed 43 catches for over 650 yards while averaging over 15 yards per catch. Every quarterback's best friend is a reliable tight end, I don't think it gets more reliable than Yurosek. 

Jacob Cowing, WR, Arizona

Ivan Pierre Aguirre-USA TODAY Sports

The swiss army knife that transferred from UTEP is as electric as they come, and can be used in a multitude of ways. Cowing has seen touches out of the slot, out wide, out of the back field, and can even be a sweep guy. He plays much bigger than his size, and his speed will always force defenses to look out for him.

This past season he recorded 69 catches for 1,354 yards, and seven touchdowns. He also averaged an impressive 19.6 yards per catch. Having someone with his versatility at your disposal is just too hard to pass up. 

Elijah Higgins, WR, Stanford

Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports

Stanford receiver Elijah Higgins possesses a rare combination of size at 6-foot-3 and elite speed. He has the ability to catch contested jump balls, and can out run everyone on the defense, as we saw last season when he was clocked at 21.5 MPH on a 56-yard touchdown run. He provides someone that you can take risk with and just throw it up, while also posing as a deep threat.

Having two speedy receivers with Higgins and Cowing will have defenses worrying all game about the deep threat, and will not allow them to cheat up at the line. 

Jordan Addison, WR, USC

Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

It would be foolish to not have 2021's Biletnikoff winner on our super offense. There isn't much he can't do with the ball in his hands, as after he makes an amazing catch he will shake the shoes off your whole defense. He recorded 100 catches for nearly 1,600 yards, and 17 touchdowns. He was also used in the run game a handful of times to just get the ball in his hands. 

It is no secret why he was one of the hottest commodities in the transfer portal, and he along with Higgins and Cowing would easily be one of the best trios in the country. 

Zach Charbonnet, RB, UCLA

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

A true bell-cow in the backfield, Charbonnet made the most of every single one of his 18.8 carries a game in 2021. He established himself as one of the premier running backs in the country using his speed and power. He totaled over 1,300 yards from scrimmage, while rushing for 13 touchdowns. 

He averaged over five yards per carry a year ago, and once he gets to the second level the chances of opponents catching him are slim to none. 

Tavion Thomas, RB, Utah

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Whenever Tavion Thomas touches the ball it seems like he has a standing reservation for a spot in the end zone. He ranked No. 3 in the country in rushing touchdowns with 21, while adding over 1,000 rushing yards after overcoming fumbling issues early in the year. 

The duo of him and Charbonnet would simply be relentless, along with the fact that the receivers would be running wild all day. No defense would be able to slow them down. 

Caleb Williams, QB, USC

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

This should come as no surprise as Caleb Williams is in contention for being the best quarterback in the country. He has a rifle of an arm, and is also a threat to make plays with his legs. My favorite aspect about him is that he is smart with the ball, as he only threw four interceptions last season and completed 65% of his passes. Having three receivers that are all No. 1 caliber could be worrisome to some people, but Williams has no issue spraying the ball all over the field.

Having a quarterback as mobile as Williams opens up the RPO game, while also allowing the receivers to get vertical. This team led by Williams would likely put up 50 or more a game with all the speed and athleticism.