Been thinking about what losing Darnay Holmes and/or Elijah Gates would do to this class. And I don't think it's pretty. Here's kind of the class I think we all had for the Bruins heading into the dead period a few nights ago:
Quarterback
1. Austin Burton (3-star)
Running back
None
Wide receiver
2. One of either DeAndre McNeal (unranked) or Bryan Thompson (4-star)
Tight end
3. Jimmy Jaggers (4-star)
4. Maybe Carson Terrell (3-star)?
Offensive line
5. Kanan Ray (4-star)
6. Jaxson Kirkland (3-star)
7 and 8. You'd have to imagine UCLA will land two more O-linemen, but who will they be? Zach Sweeney (2-star), Isiah Moore (2-star) and Jax Wacaser (3-star) are probably the ones left that UCLA has the best shots with, but who knows?
Defensive line
9. Jaelan Phillips (5-star)
10. Greg Rogers (4-star)
11. Cassius Peat (3-star)
12. Martin Andrus (3-star)
13. Odua Isibor (3-star)
14. I think UCLA probably lands one more here. Whether that's Dalyn Wade-Perry (3-star), My-king Johnson (3-star), Aliki Vimahi (3-star) or Popo Aumavae (3-star), with the way Angus is recruiting this year, I'd give him one more of those guys.
Linebackers
15. Rahyme Johnson (4-star)
Secondary
16. Darnay Holmes (5-star)
17. Elijah Gates (4-star)
18. Quentin Lake (3-star)
19. Jaylan Shaw (3-star)
20. Chaz Ah You (4-star)
21. UCLA offered a few DB/WR/Octo Spencer type athletes this month: Emmanuel Flowers (2-star), Morrell Osling (3-star) and Branden Smith (2-star). I think UCLA lands one of those, maybe all three if Holmes/Gates go elsewhere.
So where does that leave UCLA? The breakdown:
2 Five-stars
7 Four-stars
12 Two- and three-stars
21 Total prospects
That class right there is 9 out of 21 four- and five-star prospects.
How does that compare to the last half decade or so at UCLA?
12 out of 30 in 2016
12 out of 19 in 2015
12 out of 19 in 2014
18 out of 25 in 2013
9 out of 26 in 2012 (Mora's first year)
3 out of 17 in 2011
So it's probably the worst year in Mora's tenure, considering Phillips, Rogers, Holmes, Ah You and Gates are the only Rivals250 four- and five-stars in the class, and Ah You is technically 2019.
But what happens if UCLA loses Holmes and Gates?
We're talking only seven out of 21 prospects with four- and five-star rankings. Only three of those guys you'd pencil in to the two-deep right away (Rogers, Phillips and Jaggers), with only one, maybe two, slam-dunk future starters (Phillips and Rogers).
Needless to say, either way, this class is going to be pretty rough. But if it loses Holmes and Gates, it'll easily be the worst since Rick Neuheisel's final year here.
Quarterback
1. Austin Burton (3-star)
Running back
None
Wide receiver
2. One of either DeAndre McNeal (unranked) or Bryan Thompson (4-star)
Tight end
3. Jimmy Jaggers (4-star)
4. Maybe Carson Terrell (3-star)?
Offensive line
5. Kanan Ray (4-star)
6. Jaxson Kirkland (3-star)
7 and 8. You'd have to imagine UCLA will land two more O-linemen, but who will they be? Zach Sweeney (2-star), Isiah Moore (2-star) and Jax Wacaser (3-star) are probably the ones left that UCLA has the best shots with, but who knows?
Defensive line
9. Jaelan Phillips (5-star)
10. Greg Rogers (4-star)
11. Cassius Peat (3-star)
12. Martin Andrus (3-star)
13. Odua Isibor (3-star)
14. I think UCLA probably lands one more here. Whether that's Dalyn Wade-Perry (3-star), My-king Johnson (3-star), Aliki Vimahi (3-star) or Popo Aumavae (3-star), with the way Angus is recruiting this year, I'd give him one more of those guys.
Linebackers
15. Rahyme Johnson (4-star)
Secondary
16. Darnay Holmes (5-star)
17. Elijah Gates (4-star)
18. Quentin Lake (3-star)
19. Jaylan Shaw (3-star)
20. Chaz Ah You (4-star)
21. UCLA offered a few DB/WR/Octo Spencer type athletes this month: Emmanuel Flowers (2-star), Morrell Osling (3-star) and Branden Smith (2-star). I think UCLA lands one of those, maybe all three if Holmes/Gates go elsewhere.
So where does that leave UCLA? The breakdown:
2 Five-stars
7 Four-stars
12 Two- and three-stars
21 Total prospects
That class right there is 9 out of 21 four- and five-star prospects.
How does that compare to the last half decade or so at UCLA?
12 out of 30 in 2016
12 out of 19 in 2015
12 out of 19 in 2014
18 out of 25 in 2013
9 out of 26 in 2012 (Mora's first year)
3 out of 17 in 2011
So it's probably the worst year in Mora's tenure, considering Phillips, Rogers, Holmes, Ah You and Gates are the only Rivals250 four- and five-stars in the class, and Ah You is technically 2019.
But what happens if UCLA loses Holmes and Gates?
We're talking only seven out of 21 prospects with four- and five-star rankings. Only three of those guys you'd pencil in to the two-deep right away (Rogers, Phillips and Jaggers), with only one, maybe two, slam-dunk future starters (Phillips and Rogers).
Needless to say, either way, this class is going to be pretty rough. But if it loses Holmes and Gates, it'll easily be the worst since Rick Neuheisel's final year here.
