So the recruits are coming to campus this weekend. From Perelman:
[M]ost of the Bruin recruits are coming to Westwood this weekend; BruinReportOnline.com reported that 19 of the 21 recruits who have given verbal commitments are expected to attend.
Dohn puts the number of visiting recruits at 18:
Even without a permanent head coach, UCLA will host its biggest recruiting weekend beginning Friday when 18 prospects, all of whom gave former Bruins coach Karl Dorrell a non-binding oral commitment before he was fired.
Whatever the number is, one wonders what will Walker (who has been the subject of numerous leaks during this coaching search boosting his "candidacy") do during the weekend. Remember, right before he was getting fired, Dorrell also called a "meeting" with recruits. Although in public it was described as a regular meeting, from what we have heard, it was a meeting in which he communicated how he had the administration's support. The meeting sure was magically followed by a lot of stories in the local beat press about how UCLA should not fire Dorrell if it wanted to hold on to the recruiting class.So we wonder what will Walker do this weekend and what kind of narrative will magically appear in the beat press? Well, if he has any dignity or class, here is what he should do (as eloquently stated by Bruin77):
If Dewayne Walker wants to prove he is acting in UCLA Football's best interests, he should stand up in front of all the recruits this weekend and state flat out that regardless of the outcome of the search for a head coach, he wants to remain at UCLA. He can say he is a candidate for the job, but there are no guarantees. He should not say anything about what changes he would bring to the program if he were hired. He should only talk about wanting the job in terms of why UCLA is a great place to play (and coach) football. He should also state that his son's commitment to UCLA will stand, no matter who is selected as UCLA's next coach. Of course, he should also be honest and say that his staying (and also the rest of the coaching staff) at UCLA is dependent on the new coach asking him to stay.
This gesture would communicate the same commitment to UCLA that he and the rest of the coaching staff are asking these recruits to make. It would be a classy thing to do and would send the message that despite the unknown outcome of the head coaching search, UCLA is a place he wants to be, and therefore, it is a place these recruits should want to be. It also says that his commitment to UCLA goes beyond one man. It is a commitment to the University that he represents. He and the other coaches sold these players on playing for UCLA, not just playing Karl Dorrell. They were also sold on getting a UCLA education. Those things have not changed.
Call me cynical, but I just don't trust that he will step up that way. And if the UCLA administration and Dan Guerrero is smart about this, I would imagine they would make sure there is an adequate firewall between Walker and the recruits so that he doesn't use the opportunity to improve his prospects as a candidate for the head coach. Because I have no faith whatsoever that he is capable of stepping up that way.This gesture would communicate the same commitment to UCLA that he and the rest of the coaching staff are asking these recruits to make. It would be a classy thing to do and would send the message that despite the unknown outcome of the head coaching search, UCLA is a place he wants to be, and therefore, it is a place these recruits should want to be. It also says that his commitment to UCLA goes beyond one man. It is a commitment to the University that he represents. He and the other coaches sold these players on playing for UCLA, not just playing Karl Dorrell. They were also sold on getting a UCLA education. Those things have not changed.
Also, for those of you who are whining about us keeping the heat on Walker, get used to it. It will get even more intense should UCLA be stupid enough to hire him or the install the CHOKER combination as the next experimental football regime in Westwood.
GO BRUINS.