The stories always seems to have happy ending when we talk about recruiting involving basketball or other olympic sports at UCLA. Not quiet the same wrt to Dorrell's average football program. Apparently UCLA football picked up a committment from a LB yesterday. From Dohn:
Birmingham High of Van Nuys linebacker Donovan Carter didn't want to lose out in a numbers game, and he said that played a big role Friday when he gave a non-binding oral commitment to UCLA.
The 6-foot-1, 225-pound Carter said he still would like to take recruiting trips to other schools, but plans to sign with UCLA in February.
"They were my top school and I didn't want to miss out on an opportunity like this," Carter said. "They told me this was the last scholarship they had for linebackers. I told them I was going to give them a soft verbal, but coach (Karl Dorrell) said that wasn't what he wanted me to do. So I gave them a solid verbal, and they'll let me take trips. They understand."
Carter, who said he will play weakside linebacker at UCLA, recorded 128 tackles and 5.5 sacks as a junior at Birmingham.
"I gave my word (to UCLA) and I don't want to back out because that will put them in a weird position," Carter said. "But if coaches (from other schools) want to recruit me, I'm not going to turn them down."
Within hours of that "committment" thought the picture became murky. Dohn followed up that report with a post on a blog reporting apparently Carter felt pressured to commit to UCLA:
The 6-foot-1, 225-pound Carter said he still would like to take recruiting trips to other schools, but plans to sign with UCLA in February.
"They were my top school and I didn't want to miss out on an opportunity like this," Carter said. "They told me this was the last scholarship they had for linebackers. I told them I was going to give them a soft verbal, but coach (Karl Dorrell) said that wasn't what he wanted me to do. So I gave them a solid verbal, and they'll let me take trips. They understand."
Carter, who said he will play weakside linebacker at UCLA, recorded 128 tackles and 5.5 sacks as a junior at Birmingham.
"I gave my word (to UCLA) and I don't want to back out because that will put them in a weird position," Carter said. "But if coaches (from other schools) want to recruit me, I'm not going to turn them down."
Donovan Carter said a major reason he committed to UCLA today was the pressure he felt from the coaching staff. He said he wanted to give the Bruins a soft verbal, but turned it into solid verbal because that is what the coaches wanted.
However, Carter said he still would like to take recruiting trips, and added he will not tell other schools to stop recruiting him.
"If Oregon is still interested, I would like to go up there because I heard the facilities are crazy,'' Carter said. "I was talking to Miami, but I don't know about right now. If they're interested, I would love to go there because my mom lives near Florida.''
Geez, does that sound like a spin off of what went on with Hemet High's Hamani Stevens?
Gotta love Dohn's frank and candid take. One of his commenters asked the same question that was going through my mind when I read the story:
However, Carter said he still would like to take recruiting trips, and added he will not tell other schools to stop recruiting him.
"If Oregon is still interested, I would like to go up there because I heard the facilities are crazy,'' Carter said. "I was talking to Miami, but I don't know about right now. If they're interested, I would love to go there because my mom lives near Florida.''
Geez, does that sound like a spin off of what went on with Hemet High's Hamani Stevens?
Brian, could this be a product of Dorrell feeling some heat, knowing his job is in trouble if he only wins 7 or 8 games this year? Does he feel he needs these recruits as commits to hang his hat on a great recruiting class if they struggle this year?
Why do I get the sense that lot of these recruits are really not all that confident in Dorrell's leadership at UCLA? That 13-9 thing was nice. But because it was followed up with the disgraceful performance against Florida State, none of these guys are quiet sure about the UCLA staff. Plus, Dorrell has that habit of scapegoating his assistants. There is that.It seems like Dorrell's staff is in a hurry to pile up bunch of committments so that they can hang their hats on to something if they get off to a mediocre start (they should feel the heat if UCLA gets off to a start that is anyting short of 5-0). These coaches are feeling the pressure. And the recruits get the sense that these guys are not feeling too secure. This is just like dating. You know? When you come across a little too over eager, the girl (or the guy - I know we have number of female readers) are going to back off. It happens all the time. Not exactly rocket science.
So what we are left with is a coaching staff under pressure feeling the heat and coming across over eager on the recruiting trail. It is turning the whole deal into a circus.
GO BRUINS.