Four-star middle linebacker Roquan Smith sat hunched behind the table as he rummaged through a bag below. Tension hung in the air as two fan bases – UCLA and Georgia – held their breath in anticipation for the decision from Scout.com’s No. 1 middle linebacker out of Montezuma, Ga.
Several moments later, Smith straightened up and raised his hands, flashing the UCLA gloves he was now wearing. He was committing to the Bruins.
However, when his letter of intent had still not been faxed in an hour later, UCLA fans grew anxious yet again. That anxiety boiled over soon after, when Fox Sports’ Alex Marvez reported that UCLA defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, with whom Smith built a strong relationship with, had accepted an offer to be the new linebackers coach for the Atlanta Falcons, though later reports by other outlets denied this.
Unsure of the future of who he thought would be his college’s defensive coordinator, Smith put his commitment on hold, then his coach later announced Smith’s decision to re-open his recruitment, with UCLA still in consideration.
UCLA coach Jim Mora cleared the air on the full details of the situation later Wednesday afternoon.
Mora said he received a call Tuesday night from newly hired Falcons’ coach Dan Quinn, whom he coached alongside with the San Francisco 49ers while Ulbrich played for them, asking for permission to interview Ulbrich.
“Of course I told him, ‘Absolutely not, stay away,'” Mora said. “But being the competitor that Dan is, he reached out to (Ulbrich) at some point either last night or early this morning and made him an offer to be his linebacker coach.”
Mora said Ulbrich assured him he has not yet made a decision and is still considering his options, but Mora doesn’t plan on letting Ulbrich slip away easily.
“I’m gonna fight like crazy to keep that sucker and it’s gonna be a heck of a battle because Dan Quinn is a fighter,” Mora said.
In the meantime, Mora said that Ulbrich has spoken with the recruits who signed and their families to make them aware of the situation and where he stands. Mora said he hasn’t yet given Ulbrich a timeline to make a decision.
“I’m not ready to put that pressure on him yet,” Mora said.
Ulbrich was initially hired by Mora in 2012 as the linebackers and special teams coach. He later added assistant head coach to his title and was eventually promoted to defensive coordinator last February after former defensive coordinator Lou Spanos left for the NFL. In Ulbrich’s first year as defensive coordinator, UCLA’s defense struggled at times to start the year, particularly in its pass rush, but came on strong in the latter third of the season.
As for Smith, he’ll continue to wait a few days before making a final decision and see what happens with Ulbrich during that time. His coach listed Smith’s options as Georgia, Michigan, Texas A&M; and UCLA.
Mora continues to hold out hope the four-star will add to UCLA’s strong recruit class.
“I’m obviously not allowed to talk about those who have not yet sent their NLIs in, but I’m confident,” Mora said. “I’m hopeful that we’ll be able to talk about some more players down the line.”
Compiled by Kevin Bowman, Bruin Sports senior staff.