Bumped. -BN
With the football season about to reset for the Bruins, it's time to focus on some recruiting. UCLA has acquired enough talent at the spots needed for a good offense, and developed enough (supposed) talent to be competitive on defense. Here is our recruiting class (63rd overall) to this point (via Scout):
QB | 5 | Brett Hundley | |
C | 8 | Jacob Brendel | |
TE | 25 | Raymond Nelson | |
OLB | 31 | Aaron Wallace | |
OG | 45 | Ben Wysocki | |
DE | 60 | Sam Tai | |
OLB | JC | Ryan Hofmeister |
But what else can Neuheisel conjure up? We remember the MONSTER recruiting class that CRN wrangled last year spearheaded by guys like Jordan Zumwalt, Dietrich Riley, Cassius Marsh, Owamagbe Odighizuwa, and Malcolm Jones, all of whom received playing time (sometimes not enough) last season. It will be extremely hard for CRN to follow up that recruiting class, but then again, there are some big names out there that have purchased a UCLA cap to size up on signing day.
Tony Steward Saint Augustine, FL #1 MLB
Never say never right? He visited UCLA for the crosstown rivalry, and was surprised to say the least:
“I talked a lot with [UCLA commitment] Brett Hundley, the quarterback, and he was just telling me everything about UCLA,” said Steward. “I was already considering them, but now I’m really thinking about them.”
If Steward is looking to stay closer to home (as speculated) Florida State's welcome party should be out in full force on the 21st.
Stefan McClure Vista, CA #7 CB
Gold and Huffman both agree that this top tier corner should be committing to UCLA soon (the fourteenth that is). He has not committed yet, and has one visit remaining (UCLA). While undersized, McClure has the frame that can be easily filled out by Coach Linn.
Cyrus Hobbi Scottsdale, AZ #1 OG
While Arizona State appears to be Hobbi's favorite early in the offseason, Hobbi has his sites set on LA as well:
"You want to be in a place where the academics are sound and there's a good plan in place. Also it's a better chance to spend extended time with the coaches and build those relationships. I feel comfortable with the schools I'm high on."
Cyrus would be a great addition to Palcic's arsenal. Let's see what CRN can do on the 21st for his visit.
The big names are out there, but what about that gaping hole that David Carter left? UCLA needs to find some size in the middle, and so far, it is a mixed bag to fill that hole with a recruit or two.
Neuheisel has 3 defensive linemen on his radar: Christian Heward (San Diego) Brennan Scarlett (Portland, OR) and Kevin McReynolds (Washington, DC).
Christian Heyward, who was nearly a lock for UCLA, has since regressed, and is waiting for the DC hire to pan out- Gold conceded that it is not looking good for UCLA. Should UCLA hire a new Defensive Coordinator before the 15th (the date of Christian's official visit) Heyward's intentions could change.
Brennan Scarlett announced his signing date to be sometime next week, but UCLA will need to best USC, Stanford and Notre Dame to secure the 4 star Defensive End.
McReynolds says UCLA is "still in play."
Visits
1/11 - 1/17
Pos | Nat'l Rank |
Nat'l Rating |
Name School, Hometown |
Interest Level |
Offer? | ||||
CB | 7 |
Stefan McClure (Vista HS) Vista, CA |
5-11/175/4.55 | Med | Yes | ||||
DT | 17 |
Christian Heyward (Point Loma Senior HS) San Diego, CA |
6-3.5/266 | Med | Yes | ||||
DT | 32 |
Danny Shelton (Auburn Senior HS) Auburn, WA |
6-3/286/5.30 | None | Yes | ||||
OT | 40 |
Torian White (Lakewood HS) Lakewood, CA |
6-6/280/4.95 | Soft Verbal | Yes | ||||
DE | 50 |
Faigame Lopa (Grant Union HS) Sacramento, CA |
6-2/245 | Med | Yes | ||||
OT | JC |
Fou Fonoti (Cerritos) Norwalk, CA |
6-5/295/5.00 | Med | Yes | ||||
OLB | JC |
Ryan Hofmeister (Riverside) Riverside, CA |
6-1/210/4.70 | Verbal | Yes |
Recap:
All in all, I am most interested to see how Neuheisel can acquire size and talent on the defensive line with the peculiar trio listed above. It would be awesome to see Neuheisel lock down some of the elite talent that still has UCLA on the short list, but winning is most important right now, rather than building up. CRN can recruit when he has to; talent is not the problem anymore in skill spots.