Disruption has come to the largely tame, orderly world of Pac-12 football recruiting.

It wears yellow and green polo shirts, drinks raw eggs with recruits, treats every prospect like he’s the only prospect and has raised the bar for the conference in the relentless pursue of talent.

Oregon coach Mario Cristobal hasn’t changed the way the Pac-12 recruits — not yet, anyway. But the collective would be smart to look to Eugene for a blueprint to fortify its future.

The conference is facing numerous long-term threats to its competitive stature within the Power Five:

* High school participation is dropping in California at a higher rate than in the major talent pools of the Big Ten, SEC, ACC and Big 12.

* The lagging revenue and exposure generated by the Pac-12 Networks has served to undermine the conference’s brand.

* Blue blood programs multiple times zones away smell weakness and have increased their presence on recruiting trails throughout the Pac-12.

• The loaded west coast class of 2020 already has developed a disconcerting eastern lean.

The best way to combat marauders from Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and elsewhere is with the zeal they themselves use.

Fresh off the best signing class in Oregon history, Cristobal is well positioned to defend the footprint, but that’s not a job for one coach, or one program.

“No question, he’s brought in the SEC mentality,’’ said Brandon Huffman, a national recruiting analyst for 247sports who’s based in the Pacific Northwest.

“He had success as player but even more success as assistant at Alabama. The only thing that’s changed is the logo on his polo shirt. The energy hasn’t changed, and he’s demanding his assistants recruit with the same level of fervor.”

Cristobal’s full-throttled approach to recruiting is shaped by both internal and external forces. There seems little doubt that his innate energy would have translated to any line of work, be it the postal service, Uber driver or kindergarten teacher.

Add to that equation his life’s passion — he was an offensive lineman for Miami in the early 1990s, then got into coaching — and the fervor level goes to 11.

“He’s an extrovert, and you experience that when you talk to him,’’ Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens said. “But when the subject is football, his eyes widen and his hands start moving fast and you see that passion firsthand.”

To Cristobal’s hard drive, add a series of lessons downloaded from recruiting experiences.

While the four seasons at Alabama are referenced most often — he was national recruiter of the year for the Crimson Tide in 2015 — Cristobal’s tenures at smaller programs are essential to the finished product.

He spent three years on staff at Rutgers and six as the head coach at Florida International. At both stops, every visit, every phone call, every interaction had to be maximized because the margin for error was microscopic.

“I don’t think we do anything special, except maybe being genuine” he said. “I really believe recruiting is personal, about relationships. If you identify someone as a great fit for your program, that gets us fired up.”

That energy was evident when Cristobal drank raw eggs with quarterback Cale Millen after the quarterback committed in May. But it translates to unofficial visits, too.

“On a lot of unofficial visits, you come in and meet the coaches, meet the academic advisor, do a quick photo shoot and you’re gone,’’ Huffman, the 247sports analyst, explained.

“But you talk to a kid about an unofficial visit to Oregon, and you think it’s an official. They’ll tell you about when they get off the elevator, there are 20 coaches there waiting, cheering them on.

“Oregon treats unofficials like, ‘This is our one chance to impress the kid, so let’s make him remember us.’ Cristobal wants all 10 (assistants) to recruit like he recruited at Alabama.”

The 2018-19 recruiting cycle wasn’t merely the most successful as judged by the rankings. (The Ducks were No. 7 in the country in the 247 composite.) It also marked a shift in the flow of talent across the conference: Cristobal signed seven prospects from Southern California with 4- or 5-star ratings — more than USC.

Add a handful of elite prospects from eastern half of the country, and Oregon’s class was ranked higher than those of Michigan, Ohio State, Auburn, Clemson, Notre Dame and Florida State.

“Relentless is the right way to describe it,’’ Mullens said, “but it’s a Mario Cristobal relentlessness. He has a unique approach in how he builds the program, puts together his staff, the players he signs. And his work ethic is unmatched.”

Whatever ingredients Cristobal uses to produce the end result, the Pac-12 should consider copying.

As of this moment, three of the top-four California prospects in the class of 2020 are committed, or leaning to schools outside the footprint.

So are three of the top-four in Arizona.

And the top two in Washington.

Combine the sensational junior class with the Pac-12’s fragile competitive position within the Power Five and the critical media rights negotiations set to begin in a few years, and this is a momentous recruiting cycle for the conference.

Raw eggs for everyone.

Why we need your support: Like so many other providers of local journalism across the country, the Hotline’s parent website, mercurynews.com, recently moved to a subscription model. A few Hotline stories will remain free each month (as will the newsletter), but for access to all content, you’ll need to subscribe. The good news for Hotline faithful: I’ve secured a discount: 12 cents per day for 12 months. Click here to subscribe. And thanks for your loyalty.

*** Send suggestions, comments and tips (confidentiality guaranteed) to pac12hotline@bayareanewsgroup.com or call 408-920-5716

*** Follow me on Twitter: @WilnerHotline

*** Pac-12 Hotline is not endorsed or sponsored by the Pac-12 Conference, and the views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the views of the Conference.