So there is a bit of buzz on the internets about UCLA parting ways with Eddie Printz, a three star quarterback prospect out of Georgia. The news caught Printz, his father and his high school coach by surprise. Printz has not offered any public comment (his last public comment re UCLA stuff was offering congratulations to latest Bruin commit Keny Lacy).
Eddie's Dad and his high school coach are not being quiet though. They have now publicly taken aim at the UCLA coaching staff by offering blistering quotes in the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Not going to drive up page views to that link and will just point to our fanshot thread here. The article is not favorable to Coach Jim Mora and his staff BUT it is also not a fair one given Mora or anyone from his staff cannot offer public comments to share their side of the story. So I am not going to worry too much about our coaches' reputation in Georgia until we hear both sides of the story.
One thing I think we need to mention is we really do not get the frustration of Mr. Printz that UCLA OC Noel Mazzone was scouting local elite QB prospects Hayden Rettig, who previously committed to LSU. I don't get the outrage here on the part of Mr. Printz. What's the big deal? This is how big time college football works. We are glad Mazzone has been keeping tabs on other local elite recruits so that the Bruins have a contingency plan. In fact, back in June we expressed some concern that putting all eggs in the Printz basket and not recruiting other QBs could risky. So the news that Mazzone had been keeping eyes on other recruits is kind of a welcome relief because it shows that Mazzone is being through with his recruiting targets.
Bruins must take a QB recruit in this class. They should take one in every class after the nightmare we have gone through in this millennium. And, coaches are doing the smart thing to make sure they have other potential options in sight in case it didn't work out with Printz. UCLA has been on the receiving end of bad QB recruiting mojo as evidenced by what happened with the Brett Nottingham saga just two years ago, when the Stanford QB ditched UCLA in the very last minute.
The way our QB roster is shaping up right now, Bruins will have to take at least one QB. Given Brett Hundley's trajectory so far, it will not be a shocker if he goes pro after his red-shirt sophomore (third) season in Westwood. Whether or not T.J. Millweard will stick around could depend on how long Mazzone stays at UCLA. Devin Fuller's ability as a quarterback is still an open question. So Bruins must make sure they have at least one solid QB in this class to provide depth.
In the meantime, we wish Eddie luck. We certainly appreciated his enthusiasm for UCLA while he was a commit. No doubt he will have solid options and hopefully he will have a good to great career wherever he ends up.
Let's hope Mazzone can reel in a great QB in this year class. Always liked Troy Williams who is committed to Washington Huskies. Williams could be a natural fit our offense which so far is shaping up to be one of the most dynamic and enjoyable ones to watch this season (man, it's be a while since we have gotten to type or discuss that among our Bruin friends).
GO BRUINS.