Bumped. GO BRUINS. - N

Great News!!  Say what you will, but the talent coming into Westwood these past few years is much, much, much better than in the previous regime.  In fact, it isn't even close.  Just got done watching ESPNU, fully expecting Jordon James to commit to Cal because of our depth at the RB position, and especially with Jones from Oaks coming in too, but to my amazement, the young man picked our Bruins.  This guy can run the ball, and he has very good hands too.  He is the type of player we want in our program.  He is a playmaker who is very skilled.  The tailback position is loaded for years to come and the fact that James will come to compete against all the other guys we have says wonders about his commitment and the type of person that he is.  He isn't fazed at all, and I love that. 

CRN and the rest of his staff is putting together an incredible staff, and our talent level is increasing with every commitment we get.  The recruits can feel the love that CRN has for UCLA, and I hope that we are all patient enough to let him and his staff work their magic.  While it may not be as fast as we'd like, I am happy with the talent level being raised and having confidence in the direction of the program.

Welcome to Westwood Jordan.  We are very glad to have you!!

UPDATE (N): muircoach who just seems to be breaking one good news after another on BN pointed to the following update on Jordon on WWL:

ESPNU 150 prospect Jordon James (Corona, Calif.) committed to UCLA over California and Arizona Thursday night at halftime of the Ball State vs. Northern Illinois on ESPNU.

ESPN's Billy Tucker said of the news, "We feel Jordan James could end up being one of the more prolific college backs to come out of this 2010 class. Playing at UCLA in Norm Chow's pro-style offense should only exploit his every-down qualities and back that assessment."

"James is far more than just a speed back with great burst and quickness through hole. The future Bruin can lower the pads and utilize his compact, deceptively powerful frame to break initial contact and get the tough downhill yards."

"Injuries are the only red flag that will accompany him to the next level but when healthy James shows elite ability at the running back position and is a major in-state keep for UCLA."

With James and Jones now in the fold UCLA is going to be set at the TB spot for a while.James becomes the 13th commitment for class of 2010.

Guess we should have also read the tea-leaves when coaches earlier this week sent signal via the LAT that they were not interested in pursuing Darryl Scott. CRN continues to bring in talent and if we finish the season on a strong note, he is going to pick up even more momentum on the recruiting trail. GO BRUINS.

UPDATE II (N): A quick post up on this story on LAT which has the following on JJ's speed and the season he is having so far:

James, who has been clocked at 4.4 seconds for 40 yards, has gained 1,132 yards this season and averaged 8.7 yards a carry.

Sounds good to me. GO BRUINS.

UPDATE III (N): Jon Gold from the Daily News has a solid story on Jordon's commitment. Gold interviews Brandon Huffman from Bruin Report Online who offered the following observations what Jordon brings to the table and how he will fit in UCLA's backfield:

"James is speed," Huffman said. "Yeah, they have speed with Thigpen and Franklin, but I don't think it's between-the-tackle speed so much. That's where James and Jones come in - they're not afraid to take on the contact, and they can put a move on a linebacker. I saw (James) play last Friday and he had two stop-and-go moves on a linebacker and he was just gone."

Huffman also pointed out the significance of reeling in recruit like James in terms of making UCLA's presence felt in Southern California's rich recruiting scene:

Huffman said that snagging a star player from the Inland Empire, an emerging football hotbed, is key, as is the interest being shown from major powerhouses such as Oaks Christian and Mater Dei.

"It's crucial - when you look at the schools that are constantly cranking out the talent, it's Mater Dei, Oaks Christian, Corona Centennial, where they got (freshman wide receiver) Ricky Marvray," Huffman said.

"It's crucial to get some of those players as consistently as they can. It shows the younger guys that they have a former teammate at a future school. It makes it acceptable to go to UCLA again. When you look at Mater Dei and Oaks Christian, it took some time to get those guys, but this could be the start of a run they'll have at those schools."

Sounds good to me. GO BRUINS.