After weeks of coaching hirings and firings in the UCLA football
program, fans can officially start looking forward to the future
today.
That is because it’s National Signing Day, and 22 new
Bruins, possibly even more, are expected to sign their letters of
intent to join UCLA next year.
2006 has been a successful recruiting year for the Bruins, as
UCLA has been ranked by Scout.com as the No. 18 team in the country
and the No. 3 team in the Pac-10.
“I wouldn’t call it a spectacular class ““ a
top-10 national class ““ but definitely a relative
success,” said Tracy Pierson, the publisher of
BruinReportOnline.com. “The Bruins certainly filled the needs
they had.”
The needs mentioned are the Bruins’ offensive and
defensive lines, which had many injuries last year and desperately
need an influx of new players.
Projected to lead the new class are offensive lineman Jake Dean
of Lancaster’s Paraclete High School and defensive lineman
Darius Savage of Morse High School in San Diego, both of whom are
listed as four-star recruits by Scout.com.
“I knew UCLA needed help on the line, and I wanted to be
able to contribute right away,” Dean said. “I also was
impressed by (offensive line coach and coordinator) Tom Cable, and
he made me feel like the Bruins were committed to winning for years
to come.”
Altogether, 13 of the 22 freshmen expected to enter are linemen,
and it’s clear the Bruins made a focus on the trenches for
the 2006 recruiting class.
But that certainly didn’t stop the Bruins from getting
talent at the skill positions as well.
The highest-rated of the Bruin recruits is wide receiver
Terrence Austin of Long Beach Poly High School, who was rated the
overall No. 9 wide receiver in the nation.
Austin verbally committed to the Bruins during the U.S. Army
All-American game on national television in January and is one of
few recruits expected to make an immediate impact on the
Bruins.
“With his speed and talent, he will compete right away at
wide receiver,” Pierson said.
Austin comes from the same high school as senior tight end
Marcedes Lewis and will likely be only part of a group of wide
receivers who will have to step up next season in Lewis’
absence.
Another athlete expected to come to Westwood next season is
Alterraun Verner of Mayfair High School in Lakewood.
Verner is listed by ESPN.com as the Bruins’ No. 2 overall
recruit and could play either wide receiver or cornerback next
season.
There was concern that Verner might withdraw his verbal
commitment after taking a recruiting trip to Oregon last weekend,
but Verner said the trip only solidified his commitment to
UCLA.
“Oregon was nice and had impressive facilities, but I just
couldn’t see myself there,” Verner said.
“UCLA made me feel like a family, and I really had the
chance to make a drastic impact, which I couldn’t have done
anywhere else.”
Verner was one of 22 recruits who decided to keep his commitment
after the firing of defensive coordinator Larry Kerr and the
departure of former recruiting coordinator Eric Bieniemy.
Most of them, in fact, were happy with the coaching changes the
Bruins made.
“I have the utmost respect for coach (Karl) Dorrell, and
the changes just showed the commitment he has made towards
improving the program,” incoming running back Chane Moline
said. “I know he will find the right guys.”
Aside from the 22 verbally committed prospects, two of the
Bruins’ top remaining prospects are undecided. Quarterback
Garrett Green of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame and Michael Clarke of
Scripps Ranch High School in San Diego will announce their choices
today.
Green, who was only recently offered a scholarship by the
Bruins, was the high school teammate of Bruin incoming kicker Kai
Forbath and is expected to chose among UCLA, USC and Harvard.
Forbath, for one, has no clue where Green is going to go.
“I talk to him every day about the decision,”
Forbath said. “But I know as much as everyone does:
nothing.”
Even if the Bruins do get Green and Clarke, they will have
missed out on positions in which they desperately need depth:
running back and linebacker.
The Bruins only have sophomore John Hale and junior Aaron
Whittington returning at linebacker, and the Bruins are thin at
running back without recently departed Maurice Drew.
Despite those faults, the Bruins certainly have a lot to look
forward to next season. Just ask incoming freshman Alterraun
Verner.
“The team is on the upswing and certainly moving
forward,” Verner said.
“Why wouldn’t I want to be a Bruin? I’m just
ready to get out there and start playing football.”