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Earlier today, tight end prospect Matt Alaimo announced his commitment to the UCLA Bruins on Twitter.
COMMITTED!!! #GoBruins #4sUp pic.twitter.com/84K4FobBlD
— Matt Alaimo (@Matt_Alaimo) January 31, 2018
Alaimo is a 3-star recruit via 247Sports’s composite rankings, and is listed as the #24 tight end in this class. Alaimo is a senior at New Jersey powerhouse St. Joseph Regional High School in Montvale, NJ.
Don’t let those rankings fool you, though! Alaimo was highly sought-after by a host of programs, with the Bruins having to outlast big programs like Texas A&M and long-time favorite Auburn to secure Alaimo’s commitment. In fact, new Aggie head coach Jimbo Fisher tried to get an in-home visit with Alaimo on Tuesday and college football superpower Alabama made a late charge at Alaimo, offering the tight end on Sunday and attempting to bring him in for an official visit this weekend.
Matt Alaimo is listed at 6’5” tall and 235 pounds. He is the kind of long, rangy athlete that so many teams covet. On top of that, his highlight videos show a player who doesn’t shy away from contact as there are a number of plays where he lowers his shoulder to gain an extra few yards or secure a touchdown. Plus, for fans of blocking, Alaimo appears to have excellent technique and is a willing blocker, which should be a positive in Chip Kelly’s run-first offense.
Here is his senior year highlight video, courtesy of Hudl.
With the commitment, the Bruins are up to 19 recruits in the 2018 class, with at least a few more on the way before this is over. Here’s where the entire recruiting class stands.
2018 UCLA Football Recruiting Class
| Recruit Name | Position | Current School | Composite Rating | NLI Submitted? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recruit Name | Position | Current School | Composite Rating | NLI Submitted? |
| Bryan Addison | ATH | Junipero Serra (Gardena, CA) | 4-Star | Yes |
| Stephan Blaylock | S | St. John Bosco (Bellflower, CA) | 4-Star | Yes |
| Bo Calvert | LB | Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, CA) | 4-Star | Yes |
| Chase Cota | WR | South Medford (Medford, OR) | 4-Star | Yes |
| Kyle Philips | WR | San Marcos (San Marcos, CA) | 4-Star | Yes |
| Kazmeir Allen | RB | Tulare Union (Tulare, CA) | 3-Star | Yes |
| Alec Anderson | OT | Etiwanda (Rancho Cucamonga, CA) | 3-Star | Yes |
| Atonio Mafi | DT | Junipero Serra (San Mateo, CA) | 3-Star | Yes |
| Tyler Manoa | DT | St. Francis (Mountain View, CA) | 4-Star | No |
| Chris Murray | OL | Mater Dei (Santa Ana, CA) | 4-Star | No |
| Dorian Thompson-Robinson | QB | Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, NV) | 4-Star | No |
| Elijah Wade | DE | Arbor View (Las Vegas, NV) | 4-Star | No |
| Matt Alaimo | TE | St. Joseph Regional (Montvale, NJ) | 3-Star | No |
| Je'Vari Anderson | LB/DB | Laney College (Oakland, CA) | 3-Star | No |
| Baraka Beckett | OL | Palisades (Pacific Palisades, CA) | 3-Star | No |
| Kenny Churchwell | S | Mountain Pointe (Phoenix, AZ) | 3-Star | No |
| Elisha Guidry | DB | Vista Murrieta (Murrieta, CA) | 3-Star | No |
| Delon Hurt | WR | Servite (Anaheim, CA) | 3-Star | No |
| Patrick Jolly, Jr. | ATH | Newsome (Lithia, FL) | 3-Star | No |
| Steven Mason | DE | Southwestern College (Chula Vista, CA) | 3-Star | No |
| CJ Parks | WR | Mater Dei (Santa Ana, CA) | 3-Star | No |
| David Priebe | TE | Midway (Waco, TX) | 3-Star | No |
| Tyree Thompson | LB | LA Valley College (Los Angeles, CA) | 3-Star | No |
Welcome to Westwood, Matt!
Go Bruins!