Bruins recruit a solid team

Signing day is finally here, and with that we officially get to
learn the names and faces of the players who embody the future of
the Bruin football program.

And with the signing of more than 20 players, coach Karl Dorrell
and his staff have ensured that UCLA will be able to build upon its
fantastic 2005 season in which the Bruins finished 10-2 and had a
victory in the Sun Bowl.

While recruiting against that giant football factory that has
sprung up across town might seem like a daunting task, UCLA quietly
put together a solid and strong recruiting class. According to
Tracy Pierson, publisher of BruinReportOnline.com, UCLA’s
class probably ranks second or third in the Pac-10.

Most importantly the Bruins recruited to fill needs,
specifically along the offensive and defensive lines. Football is
won down in the trenches, and UCLA has brought in several players
to strengthen both lines.

Nick Ekbatani, a junior college transfer of Los Angeles Harbor,
is expected to compete for an offensive tackle spot, and offensive
lineman Jake Dean may help solidify the center position that turned
into a question mark at the end of last year.

The defensive line was clearly the Achilles’ heel of the
Bruin defense this past season, and recruits such as Jerzy
Siewierski, Darius Savage and Reginald Stokes are expected to help
provide the depth that was so lacking a year ago.

“(The recruiting class is) a relative success,”
Pierson said. “You wouldn’t consider it a spectacular
class, a top-10 national class. But getting those linemen means a
lot. UCLA has been obviously lacking in defensive linemen, and the
last few years in offensive linemen. So that’s the way to
sustain the program for the next couple of years.”

Critics of UCLA’s recruiting point to lack of big-time
skill recruits with flashy five-star ratings. Running back and
linebacker were the two greatest positions of need with the loss of
star Maurice Drew to the NFL and the graduation of senior starters
in Justin London, Spencer Havner and Wesley Walker.

The Bruins did indeed miss out on a couple of prospects at these
positions, but I think this is hardly a problem without any
solutions. Tailbacks Chris Markey and Kahlil Bell showed their
potential to handle the load during the Sun Bowl, in earning co-MVP
honors, and there are several intriguing candidates, such as Bruce
Davis and Aaron Whittington, already in the program to fill in at
linebacker.

To say UCLA missed out on all skill players would be misleading.
Wide receiver Terrance Austin from Long Beach Poly may prove to be
a huge game-breaker the Bruins on offense. Austin is a guy who can
make big plays happen once he gets the ball in his hands.

The X-factor in all of this is coaching. A good coach can take
an unheralded player to the next level. Dorrell and his staff have
shown the aptitude in the past of finding talent that other
programs may have missed, and I have no doubt that more than one of
the less heralded players from this class will step up and make an
impact for the Bruins.

Recruiting is a crapshoot, an incredible roll of the dice.
Coaches must evaluate players for not only who they are today, but
what they might become tomorrow.

Back in 2002, former coach Bob Toledo brought in what was
thought to be the mother lode of recruiting. A top-five class was
supposed to cement UCLA as the biggest thing going in California
football, but severe attrition and players not living up to their
lofty prep credentials plagued that class.

Only quarterback Drew Olson and tight end Marcedes Lewis became
true impact players for the Bruins. In fact, many of UCLA’s
problems the past few seasons can be pointed to problems from that
highly touted recruiting class.

My point is that we can’t truly determine anything from
recruiting until two or three years down the road. These athletes
are still kids, so who knows how they’ll all pan out.
I’m putting my faith into the coaching staff that they are
doing everything they can to improve the team.

The one aspect I am secure in is that Dorrell is clearly
building the program the right way. He is stressing teamwork and
fostering a tight-knit group of athletes who get it done the right
way: with hard work and dedication. It’s even apparent to
these future Bruins.

“Talking to (offensive coordinator) coach Cable gives me a
lot of confidence,” Dean said. “It feels me feel like a
family.”

“Coach Dorrell is taking measures to help improve the
team,” said receiver/defensive back Alterraun Verner.
“I have a lot of respect for (him). It really feels like a
community and family at UCLA.”

These new recruits are already part of the Bruin family here at
UCLA. And I’m putting my faith in the coaching staff that
these players will be the ones to help lead the Bruins back to the
top of the Pac-10.

E-mail Lee at jlee3@media.ucla.edu if you feel that
Wednesday was a good day for all Bruin fans.

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