The annual Five-Star Challenge kicks off here in Atlanta tomorrow, but today was media day, so I had the chance to talk with a bunch of UCLA targets to get a read on where their recruitment stands. Here were my notes:
-Four-star defensive back Deommodore Lenoir has a top 10 but I still think UCLA looks pretty good here. He called Oregon his frontrunner, but I think the Bruins aren't far behind. Lenoir said he talks to coach Demetrice Martin "almost every day" and he likes the fact that the Bruins were on him early. He doesn't seem to be in any hurry to make a commitment, though.
-Four-star cornerback Thomas Graham sure sounds like a guy that has UCLA on top of his list at the moment. He too says he talks with coach Meat just about every day. Oregon, Arizona and Notre Dame are the Bruins' main competition here, but I'd put my crystal ball to UCLA for now.
-Four-star cornerback Jaylon Redd didn't have much of an update for me today, so it sounds like it's still Oregon and UCLA here. He says he speaks with coach Meat just about every day as well. He said two of his officials will be to Oregon and Notre Dame, but UCLA won't get one because they are local.
-Four-star linebacker Rahyme Johnson said he still talks to Scott White just about every day, which is fairly significant news. I had heard the Bruins were pondering dropping him after the decommitment, but it sounds like White is still all in on him. It's pretty much Nebraska, UCLA or Notre Dame here for the Salesian linebacker.
-Five-star DE/OLB Jaelan Phillips told me he's 100 percent locked in to UCLA and won't take any visits outside of his Westwood trips. He revealed a pretty good nugget to me this morning when he said recent O-line decommit Will Farrar is still in the UCLA commitments' group chat. He thinks the Bruins still have a shot with Farrar. He also said he's getting good UCLA vibes from guys like four-star DL Greg Rogers, five-star LB Baron Browning and four-star WR Tarik Black.
-Four-star DL Greg Rogers has a top six of UCLA, USC, Oklahoma, Michigan, Colorado and Arizona State. I got the vibe, though, that UCLA definitely leads here. He's great friends with Phillips and Hunter Echols and he too is a member of the UCLA commitments' group chat.
-Four-star WR Tarik Black has been rumored to be a UCLA lean, and he pretty much admitted to me they're probably the team to beat right now. Black says he has a tremendous relationship with Eric Yarber, and after visiting last February, he really likes the Bruins. He's going to try to make it out for an unofficial this summer and then he's also coming back for an official in the fall. He said he's looking to make a silent commitment in August and then announce the pledge at an all-star game.
-Scott White is working his tail off with five-star LB Baron Browning and four-star LB Will Ignont. The two national linebackers said White is recruiting them the hardest and they have legit interest in UCLA because of it. The rumor with Browning is that it's UCLA or Ohio State right now, and he essentially confirmed that for me. He's looking to take an official to both schools in the fall. Ignont, meanwhile, has schools like Auburn and others currently ahead of UCLA, but he's trying to unofficially visit as well as officially visit in the next few months to see if the Bruins should be higher on his list.
-Four-star DL Martin Andrus has a top 10, but he glowed about UCLA. He has a great relationship with Angus McClure and he loves that the Bruins offered first. I still think this comes down to UCLA-USC.
-Four-star TE Jimmy Jaggers is going to visit both UCLA and USC for their camps later this month and then he's looking to make a July decision. I think it'll come down to one of those two schools, so the unofficials at the end of June will be big here.
-Four-star 2018 TE Mustapha Muhammad said he's going to visit UCLA for its camp later this month. There was a lot of buzz from reporters today that he might be the best TE in the country in 2018.
-Five-star RB/LB Dylan Moses has UCLA in his top five, but he told me he really hasn't heard from the Bruins in a month or two. So I wouldn't read too much into this one. Although he did say he's going to try to officially visit in the fall.
-I spoke with our Alabama reporter Andrew Bone for a while about Najee Harris, and per his sources, Alabama appeared ready to concede that Harris was definitely going to flip. Yet Harris took another visit to Bama this weekend, and now Bone's sources are telling him Harris reaffirmed his pledge on the trip. So he may not be the UCLA lock we've thought he was just yet.
-Five-star DL and nation's No. 1 player Marvin Wilson said he's going to visit UCLA and USC this summer, but it sure sounded like it will be just a trip to see Los Angeles.
-Five-star DB Lamont Wade continues to list UCLA and says he's going to visit this summer, but it sounds like East Coast schools are way out in front for him regardless.
-Four-star defensive back Deommodore Lenoir has a top 10 but I still think UCLA looks pretty good here. He called Oregon his frontrunner, but I think the Bruins aren't far behind. Lenoir said he talks to coach Demetrice Martin "almost every day" and he likes the fact that the Bruins were on him early. He doesn't seem to be in any hurry to make a commitment, though.
-Four-star cornerback Thomas Graham sure sounds like a guy that has UCLA on top of his list at the moment. He too says he talks with coach Meat just about every day. Oregon, Arizona and Notre Dame are the Bruins' main competition here, but I'd put my crystal ball to UCLA for now.
-Four-star cornerback Jaylon Redd didn't have much of an update for me today, so it sounds like it's still Oregon and UCLA here. He says he speaks with coach Meat just about every day as well. He said two of his officials will be to Oregon and Notre Dame, but UCLA won't get one because they are local.
-Four-star linebacker Rahyme Johnson said he still talks to Scott White just about every day, which is fairly significant news. I had heard the Bruins were pondering dropping him after the decommitment, but it sounds like White is still all in on him. It's pretty much Nebraska, UCLA or Notre Dame here for the Salesian linebacker.
-Five-star DE/OLB Jaelan Phillips told me he's 100 percent locked in to UCLA and won't take any visits outside of his Westwood trips. He revealed a pretty good nugget to me this morning when he said recent O-line decommit Will Farrar is still in the UCLA commitments' group chat. He thinks the Bruins still have a shot with Farrar. He also said he's getting good UCLA vibes from guys like four-star DL Greg Rogers, five-star LB Baron Browning and four-star WR Tarik Black.
-Four-star DL Greg Rogers has a top six of UCLA, USC, Oklahoma, Michigan, Colorado and Arizona State. I got the vibe, though, that UCLA definitely leads here. He's great friends with Phillips and Hunter Echols and he too is a member of the UCLA commitments' group chat.
-Four-star WR Tarik Black has been rumored to be a UCLA lean, and he pretty much admitted to me they're probably the team to beat right now. Black says he has a tremendous relationship with Eric Yarber, and after visiting last February, he really likes the Bruins. He's going to try to make it out for an unofficial this summer and then he's also coming back for an official in the fall. He said he's looking to make a silent commitment in August and then announce the pledge at an all-star game.
-Scott White is working his tail off with five-star LB Baron Browning and four-star LB Will Ignont. The two national linebackers said White is recruiting them the hardest and they have legit interest in UCLA because of it. The rumor with Browning is that it's UCLA or Ohio State right now, and he essentially confirmed that for me. He's looking to take an official to both schools in the fall. Ignont, meanwhile, has schools like Auburn and others currently ahead of UCLA, but he's trying to unofficially visit as well as officially visit in the next few months to see if the Bruins should be higher on his list.
-Four-star DL Martin Andrus has a top 10, but he glowed about UCLA. He has a great relationship with Angus McClure and he loves that the Bruins offered first. I still think this comes down to UCLA-USC.
-Four-star TE Jimmy Jaggers is going to visit both UCLA and USC for their camps later this month and then he's looking to make a July decision. I think it'll come down to one of those two schools, so the unofficials at the end of June will be big here.
-Four-star 2018 TE Mustapha Muhammad said he's going to visit UCLA for its camp later this month. There was a lot of buzz from reporters today that he might be the best TE in the country in 2018.
-Five-star RB/LB Dylan Moses has UCLA in his top five, but he told me he really hasn't heard from the Bruins in a month or two. So I wouldn't read too much into this one. Although he did say he's going to try to officially visit in the fall.
-I spoke with our Alabama reporter Andrew Bone for a while about Najee Harris, and per his sources, Alabama appeared ready to concede that Harris was definitely going to flip. Yet Harris took another visit to Bama this weekend, and now Bone's sources are telling him Harris reaffirmed his pledge on the trip. So he may not be the UCLA lock we've thought he was just yet.
-Five-star DL and nation's No. 1 player Marvin Wilson said he's going to visit UCLA and USC this summer, but it sure sounded like it will be just a trip to see Los Angeles.
-Five-star DB Lamont Wade continues to list UCLA and says he's going to visit this summer, but it sounds like East Coast schools are way out in front for him regardless.
