Recruiting Reset

With the coaching staff coming together and less than a month left before letters of intent are signed, lets see where we are at with this 2008 recruiting class. I've updated the recruiting snapshot (make sure you zoom in on the image) with all the latest ratings and ranking from both Scout and Rivals. I've also included information on commits who played in the nationally televised high school All American games.

Commitments

A couple of things to note over the last version (which was compiled back in November) is that Jonathan Franklin went from being a Safety to being classified as a running back by Scout. Franklin ended up playing running back his senior season and some believe he wants to play that position at the collegiate level. Rivals ranks and rates him as an "athlete" and Franklin definitely fits that category. He's a guy that could easily play on either side of the ball.

The other big change was the removal of Aundre Dean from the class. Scout has removed him as a commit as well, but Rivals still lists him as a "soft verbal" to UCLA. From the comments that I've read from Dean, it sounds like he isn't committed anywhere. I think the Bruins still have a shot at him, but it would likely be an outside chance at best.

The rest of the rankings are about the same, with guys just going up or down a few ticks. The big exception to that was Nelson Rosario. He was a bit of a sleeper coming into the 2007 season, but the Bruins picked him up early and it looks like we have a gem. His rankings sky rocketed and he went from one of our lowest rated receivers to the highest. He reminds me of Dominique Johnson (kind of tall and lanky) and if he plays like Johnson did this last year, he'll be a good one for the blue and gold.

One other observation is how talented our defense recruits are in this class. If you look at the All American icon (AA) in the snapshot, you'll see that 8 of our 9 defensive commits played in high school All American games. I think we all knew those players were good, but that just shows you how talented these guys are from a national perspective. With the retention of coach Walker and most of the defensive staff, I think we got a pretty good chance at getting all of those guys to Westwood next season.

Which brings me to the state of our recruits. Obviously, the coaching staff is still solidifying, and Rick has only been on the job for a little more than a week. He's been making calls and meeting with recruits, but with so many participating in All American games (and the week of practice that proceeded those games), he still has to make the rounds. Right now, Scout lists the following players as "soft verbals":



Ouch. That's half the class that is still listed as being on the fence about their decision. Neuheisel definitely has his work cut out for him. The other impact to these recruits' decisions would be the status of coach Eric Scott. If he is let go then that could tip a few guys the other way. I have the feeling that most of these guys will stick with UCLA. There is talk that EJ Woods might be the softest of these soft verbals. Grades might be an issue and he is being recruited hard to other programs. I wouldn't be shocked if he chose Washington or Colorado this February.

That being said, I think a lot of these guys are going to be listed as solid verbals soon. Aaron Hester has told the local reporters he is solid after talking with coach Neuheisel, and Knox and Carter sound like they are also on board. I'm sure many are keeping their options open, but I full expect almost all of these guys to sign with the Bruins.

Recruiting

Assuming the coaches can shore up the current commits, let's talk about filling the last few rides. UCLA has about 4-5 more scholarships it can give for 2008. Looking at the holes in the class right now, you would have to think that offensive lineman and defensive tackle are the highest priorities. Apparently Bob Palcic, the newly hired O-line coach, enjoys recruiting and I'm sure he'll be hard at work in that department starting tomorrow.

Two of the biggest recruits that UCLA could go after are Hammani Stevens (C) and Vaughn Dotsy (OT). Both are interested in the Bruins and Stevens briefly committed to UCLA back during the summer. Dotsy is a huge dude, but he doesn't have an offer from UCLA. Jonathan Martin is another player, who was a one time Bruin commit. He chose Stanford over UCLA a few months ago, but I'm not sure if that decision is entirely finalized, because he was waiting for his application to be accepted. Scout still lists him as not being a verbal to the Cardinal, so maybe UCLA is still in the mix.

For defensive tackle, UCLA missed out on a good one with Willie Mobley. He had UCLA on his short list but he never got an offer. Who knows the reasoning behind that but Mobley has signed on with Ohio State. I don't see any other defensive tackles on UCLA's radar,so this might be a position that goes unfilled. Unless Rick can steal someone away from their prior commitment?

Another guy is Adam Long (DB), who currently has offers from UW, UCLA, Cal, and Oregon State. It looks like he is leaning toward the Huskies. I think our defensive backs are pretty well set but in case some of the soft verbals don't stick, it is always good to have other options.

Bruins at All American Games

Today there were two All American games featuring players committed to UCLA. The Under Armor All American Bowl and the Army All American Bowl. The UA game was a bit more exciting with six Bruins (the most for any school) in the mix, both on offense and defense. Rahim Moore was the sole representative for UCLA in the Army game.

I didn't get to see all of the games, as today was a busy personal day, but I did catch a few of the highlights. Nick Crissman, the Bruin committed QB for 2008, had a rough start getting sacked after he tripped on a play-action pass. He redeemed himself later by throwing a nice, spiraling 30-yard pass for a touchdown. He's still a ways away from being a viable option at the collegiate level, in my opinion, and he definitely needs to add some size size and strength. But the kid is a gamer and he has some raw talent that the Bruins can mold.

Jeff Locke, who is coming to Westwood as a punter, was handling all of the kicking for his team. He had a rough day. On a very makable 37-yard kick he came up surprising short (right as the announcers were talking about how big his leg was). He also missed badly on a punt, which he shanked. I think the kid was nervous. Kai Forbath looked awful when he first started kicking during scrimmages this last spring; he ended the season on the all-conference team. I'm sure Jeff will settle into the role.

One time commit, Aundre Dean, got a few carries. They were primarily short gainers and not much to write home about. It will be interesting to see if Dean decides to come back to his UCLA verbal. He has a lot of schools fighting for his services. Dean's team just won the State championship, so he probably hasn't had much time to really sit back and think about where he will play next year. Let's hope it is Westwood, because I think he'll be a good one.

It was little bit harder to follow the defensive recruits. There was a pretty heavy rotation in the UA game, so guys would come and go after just a few plays. I saw Dye a few times around the ball and he made a few tackles. E.J Woods was out there but I don't remember seeing him do much. Line backer Uona Kaveinga was very active. He seemed to always be around the ball and ending up in the pile more times than not.

The lone Bruin representative at the Army game definitely made the most of his time. Safety Rahim Moore earned the game ball for the West team's defense. He was quick, closed even quicker, and had some big hits. Moore, who got off to a slow start in the first half, had a huge second half and finished the game with 6 tackles and a pass breakup. The Bruins have a great one with this kid and he might even make his way into the lineup as a true freshman.

Under Armour All-American Game

Another high profile All Star game with Bruin recruits is the Under Armour All-American Game. This is the first year of the game and it will be played in Orlando. The game will be played this Saturday, January 5 at 11 AM Pacific Time and it will be televised on ABC.

EJ Woods (S), Nick Crissman (QB), Anthony Dye (DB), Uona Kaveinga (LB), and Jeff Locke (P) are all playing in the game. A former Bruin commit, Aundre Dean (RB), will also be attending. I'm sure these Bruin committed players will be pushing hard for Dean to rejoin them in Westwood. Especially with Rick Neuheisel now officially the head coach.

Woods is Solid

There have been message board rumors for months discussing the dedication of top-notch safety recruits Rahim Moore and EJ Woods. Ever since they made a verbal commitment to coaches Walker and Dorrell, fans of other schools have been saying those two aren't going to end up in Westwood. The latest rumors focused around two BIG-10 powerhouses, Michigan and Ohio State.

Well, those rumors can now be put to rest. Woods contacted Andrew Friedman of Bruin Blitz yesterday to say he is 100% solid with UCLA and he is ending the recruiting process. Coach Walker is an excellent coach and guys are lining up to play for him. He's been a stellar recruiter and landing Woods and Moore is further proof that he is changing UCLA into a defensive powerhouse.