UCLA's 2015 season was injury-riddled and ultimately disappointing, but the Bruins appear to set up nicely for the 2016, if we are allowed to look that far ahead as we await the bowl games.

While they may be hit with a couple of early NFL defections, the Bruins could welcome back 19 position player starters, including QB Josh Rosen and running back Paul Perkins. That doesn't include defensive end Eddie Vanderdoes, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in the opener against Virginia.

Stanford and USC also welcome back a lot of position players -- 14 and 16, respectively -- at least pending the Jan. 18 deadline for underclassmen to announce whether they will enter the NFL draft early.

Measuring returning starters is often an inexact and misleading science. These "unofficial" numbers -- the Pac-12 will publish the "official" returning starter numbers in the 2016 media guide -- are based on late-season depth charts. Further, many teams list more than 11 starters on either side of the ball, or both. There also are guys who played a lot but weren't listed No. 1 on the depth chart, or starters who were hurt much or all of the season.

And, of course, a number of these guys are considering an early entry into the NFL draft, such as California QB Jared Goff, UCLA defensive tackle Kenny Clark and Arizona linebacker Scooby Wright. USC linebacker/safety Su’a Cravens was knocked of the Trojans list this morning when he announced his intention to enter the draft.

Still, if we were projecting division favorites as of today, UCLA would top the South Division and Stanford would top the North, though USC and Arizona have a lot coming back in the South, and Washington and Washington State could challenge the Stanford-Oregon monopoly in the North.

Here, by the way, is an early look at pending 2016 quarterback competitions.

*Arizona: 8 offense, 8 defense, no specialists

• Big names: QB Anu Solomon, RB Nick Wilson, WR Cayleb Jones, WR Nate Philips, LB Scooby Wright

Arizona State: 4 offense, 6 defense, 2 specialists

• Big names: RB Demario Richard, LB Salamo Fiso, CB Kareem Orr

*California: 6 offense, 6 defense, 1 specialist

• Big names: QB Jared Goff, WR Kenny Lawler, OL Chris Borrayo, LB Hardy Nickerson

*Colorado: 9 offense, 8 defense, 2 specialists

• Big names: QB Sefo Liufau, TE Sean Irwin, CB Chidobe Awuzie, SS Tedric Thompson

Oregon: 7 offense, 5 defense, 2 specialists

• Big names: RB Royce Freeman, WR Darren Carrington, WR Bralon Addison, K Aidan Schneider, S Tyree Robinson, DB/WR Charles Nelson

*Oregon State: 9 offense, 8 defense, 2 specialists

• Big names: OL Isaac Seumalo, WR Victor Bolden, P Nick Porebski

Stanford: 7 offense, 7 defense, 2 specialists

• Big names: RB Christian McCaffrey, TE Austin Hooper, OG Johnny Caspers, C Graham Shuler, DE Solomon Thomas, K Conrad Ukropina

*UCLA: 9 offense, 10 defense, no specialists

• Big names: QB Josh Rosen, RB Paul Perkins, WR/TE Thomas Duarte, OL Conor McDermott, DE Kenny Clark, CB Marcus Rios, LB Deon Hollins, S Randall Goforth, S Jaleel Wadood

USC: 10 offense, 6 defense, 1 specialist

• Big names: WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, OL Zach Banner, OL Chad Wheeler, RB Justin Davis, RB Ronald Jones, CB Adoree’ Jackson, LB Cameron Smith

Utah: 6 offense, 7 defense, 1 specialist

• Big names: OT J.J. Dielman, OG Isaac Asiata, DT Lowell Lotulelei, S Marcus Williams, K Andy Phillips

*Washington: 8 offense, 7 defense, 1 specialist

• Big names: QB Jake Browning, RB Myles Gaskins, S Budda Baker, CB Sidney Jones, DT Greg Gaines, LB Azeem Victor

*Washington State: 8 offense, 6 defense, 2 specialist

• Big names: QB Luke Falk, WR Gabe Marks, OT Cole Madison, C Riley Sorenson, S Shalom Luani, DL Hercules Mata’afa, LB Peyton Pelluer

*Returning starter at QB.