The annual NorCal Nike Camp took place today just north of Oakland, and as usual, it was one of the most stacked events of the year. There were a couple notable no-shows - four-star DE Deonte Johnson, three-star CB Elijah Hicks and four-star LB Addison Gumbs - but nonetheless, still plenty of UCLA recruiting news, notes and evals to be found:
Quarterbacks
-Four-star QB Jack Sears - He was the top performer from today from this position group and I'm not sure how close it was. He was consistent on a day where every other quarterback wasn't. I still think his weakness is pop on the football, but he has enough to where it shouldn't be an issue at the next level. He was invited to The Opening / Elite 11 Finals along with Michigan commit Dylan McCaffrey, MJD's 7-on-7 QB Jake Haener and Alabama commit Tua Tagovailoa. On the recruiting front, I have absolutely no idea what he's thinking. We spoke for a few minutes after camp and he wasn't tipping anything. He did say he's set to visit UDub tomorrow and he'll try to make it out to TAMU this summer. But otherwise, the plan is to cut it to two or three in the next few weeks and then make a July commitment.
-Other notables: I thought Tua Tagovailoa was very good today. I still have it as Tagovailoa as No. 1 and Sears as No. 2 for QBs in the region. I thought McCaffrey had kind of a funky delivery and he was also much more narrow and skinny than I imagined. He also didn't appear to be the same kind of athlete his older brother Christian is. Youngster Colson Yankoff (2018) was the most impressive of the young QBs I saw today. That '18 class out West is shaping up to be great with him, Dorian Thompson Robinson, Brevin White, Matt Corral, etc.
Running backs
-Five-star Najee Harris - I didn't think he had a super impressive day today. He stumbled quite a bit in individuals and got tackled in nearly every LB-RB tackling rep that I saw. Still, he made some great catches later in the day and earned an Opening invite.
-I didn't see four-star RB Drake Beasley out there. He was supposed to be the only other UCLA target among this group today.
Wide receivers
-I didn't watch much WR action because there were no uncommitted UCLA offerees in this group, but I thought Jamire Calvin looked really explosive early on. If he were just a little taller and bigger, he'd be a no-brainer for UCLA.
Tight ends
It was a really impressive group out there today. Most of the touted TEs and UCLA offerees lived up to the hype:
-Three-star Erik Krommenhoek - He really, really impressed me today. To the point where I not only think he's a four-star, but he might just be better than Jimmy Jaggers as well. He's right around the same size as Jaggers and Tucker Fisk, but he has softer hands and more athleticism. He's really blossomed since we saw him in Vegas a few months ago. He told me not much has changed with his recruitment, despite picking up a myriad of offers recently. I still think UCLA looks pretty good here.
-Four-star Jimmy Jaggers - He had a bit of an off day today, mostly getting shafted by the poor QB play out there. Throws were constantly behind him, which resulted in a lot of drops for the big TE. Still, the poor balls exposed the lack of catch radius he possesses and further perpetuates the narrative that he might be an OL - or a big blocking TE - at the next level. On the recruiting front, I got the vibe out there today that this one might come down to UCLA and USC, how their new offenses look and who gets which TEs in the class.
-Four-star Josh Falo - I thought he rebounded today from several really poor performances in 7-on-7. He can really shine in this environment, showing off a huge frame and solid athleticism. I don't get the vibe UCLA is a really serious player here, though.
-Four-star Colby Parkinson was my favorite TE in the event. He has top 50 potential in my opinion. He has a huge body and he can run and catch like a big receiver. He seems very firm in his Stanford pledge, however.
Offensive line
-Three-star Andrew Vorhees - The Nike coaches apparently didn't think too highly of Vorhees, not even putting him in the top 10 final group. But I actually really liked him. I think he's a four-star OL. He's a little bit stiff, but I can overlook that because he's a massive 6 feet 4, 300ish pounds and he possesses power and a little nastiness to his game. He told me before the camp that Oregon and UCLA are still probably his two favorites. If Stanford offers, though, I think it could be the team to beat. He'll camp there in a couple weeks to see if the Cardinal will offer.
-Three-star Jalen McKenzie - McKenzie is another guy out there today who I think should be a four-star OL. He has a prototype tackle frame. He struggled to bend out there today, but I'll give him a pass because he is coming off a big knee injury. On his recruiting front, it sure sounds like he really likes USC, but we're not quite sure how much USC really likes him. If SC doesn't go hard after him, I think UCLA should have a good shot here.
-Four-star Aaron Banks - He's a massive 6 feet 4, 340ish pounds. But he struggles to move his feet at that weight. Still, he showed off big-time power and strong hands. Definitely a Rivals250 guy in my opinion. On his recruiting front, I spoke with a source close to his recruitment who said UCLA looks like the early leader here. Michigan, USC and Notre Dame appear to be the biggest competitors for the Bruins for now.
-Four-star Alijah Vera-Tucker - He didn't compete in the event, nursing a small tweak, but he did do an interview for me in which he said he likes USC more than UCLA. This one definitely feels like a UDub-USC battle with Michigan probably in third.
-Three-star Popo Aumavae - He's being recruited as a DL, but he played OL today, and lost just about every rep he took. I wish he had moved to the defensive side of the ball so we could have seen him there. Nonetheless, he has a really good frame, checking in at probably 6 feet 4, 280ish pounds. On the recruiting front, I sure got the vibe UCLA was in good shape here, but he's in no hurry to make a commitment and it sounds like he'll take visits and go through the whole process.
Defensive line
-Four-star DE Hunter Echols - I thought the UCLA pledge had a day very similar to the one Keisean Lucier-South had at the L.A. Nike camp a couple years ago. His first step and his speed rush made him unblockable. I bet he lost two or three reps out of the 20 or so he took. He earned a spot in The Opening today.
-Four-star DT Greg Rogers - I loved what he did out there today. Strong, powerful hands and he rarely lost a rep out there. I thought he was the top DT, although Jay Tufele was right there with him. I talked to him after camp and he said nothing's really changed with his recruitment, so I'm going to assume this is still a UCLA-USC battle here.
-Four-star DT Jay Tufele - Like Rogers, he owned with power moves out there. After camp, he basically told me he's not considering UCLA, however. Sounded like USC or Utah to me.
-Three-star DT Marlon Tuipulotu - He was smaller than I expected him to be, but he really, really knows how to use his hands. A real technician. He said he's a very firm Washington pledge, despite taking visits. It didn't sound like he's still considering UCLA.
Linebackers
-I didn't see a single UCLA LB target out there this afternoon. The LB-RB groups were probably the weakest I've seen at a Nike event in the past few years.
Defensive backs
-Four-star CB Elijah Gates - The Elijah Gates disrespect is too real and I don't understand it. My top three CBs in the region are Darnay Holmes, Jaylon Johnson and Gates, yet Gates didn't get an Opening invite or any other love today. From the little DB-WR I watched out there, he won all of his reps and he's certainly deserving of a Rivals250 ranking. On the recruiting front, he told me UCLA is still coming after him the hardest and it still sounds like UCLA-Oregon to me here.
-Four-star S Chaz Ah You - I didn't see too much of him, but Blair Angulo told me he was his favorite DB, and I trust him. When we spoke with Ah You prior to camp, it sounded like his Stanford visit this weekend propelled the Cardinal to his favorite status, but it also doesn't sound like he'll have the test scores to get in. So UCLA still looks to be in great shape here.
-Other notables: It's a shame for UCLA that Jaylon Johnson doesn't want to follow in Johnny Johnson's footsteps, because he's a phenomenal talent. He was the fastest player in attendance today and he was the top DB performer as well. I only saw a couple reps of Trajon Cotton, but he lost both that I watched.
Quarterbacks
-Four-star QB Jack Sears - He was the top performer from today from this position group and I'm not sure how close it was. He was consistent on a day where every other quarterback wasn't. I still think his weakness is pop on the football, but he has enough to where it shouldn't be an issue at the next level. He was invited to The Opening / Elite 11 Finals along with Michigan commit Dylan McCaffrey, MJD's 7-on-7 QB Jake Haener and Alabama commit Tua Tagovailoa. On the recruiting front, I have absolutely no idea what he's thinking. We spoke for a few minutes after camp and he wasn't tipping anything. He did say he's set to visit UDub tomorrow and he'll try to make it out to TAMU this summer. But otherwise, the plan is to cut it to two or three in the next few weeks and then make a July commitment.
-Other notables: I thought Tua Tagovailoa was very good today. I still have it as Tagovailoa as No. 1 and Sears as No. 2 for QBs in the region. I thought McCaffrey had kind of a funky delivery and he was also much more narrow and skinny than I imagined. He also didn't appear to be the same kind of athlete his older brother Christian is. Youngster Colson Yankoff (2018) was the most impressive of the young QBs I saw today. That '18 class out West is shaping up to be great with him, Dorian Thompson Robinson, Brevin White, Matt Corral, etc.
Running backs
-Five-star Najee Harris - I didn't think he had a super impressive day today. He stumbled quite a bit in individuals and got tackled in nearly every LB-RB tackling rep that I saw. Still, he made some great catches later in the day and earned an Opening invite.
-I didn't see four-star RB Drake Beasley out there. He was supposed to be the only other UCLA target among this group today.
Wide receivers
-I didn't watch much WR action because there were no uncommitted UCLA offerees in this group, but I thought Jamire Calvin looked really explosive early on. If he were just a little taller and bigger, he'd be a no-brainer for UCLA.
Tight ends
It was a really impressive group out there today. Most of the touted TEs and UCLA offerees lived up to the hype:
-Three-star Erik Krommenhoek - He really, really impressed me today. To the point where I not only think he's a four-star, but he might just be better than Jimmy Jaggers as well. He's right around the same size as Jaggers and Tucker Fisk, but he has softer hands and more athleticism. He's really blossomed since we saw him in Vegas a few months ago. He told me not much has changed with his recruitment, despite picking up a myriad of offers recently. I still think UCLA looks pretty good here.
-Four-star Jimmy Jaggers - He had a bit of an off day today, mostly getting shafted by the poor QB play out there. Throws were constantly behind him, which resulted in a lot of drops for the big TE. Still, the poor balls exposed the lack of catch radius he possesses and further perpetuates the narrative that he might be an OL - or a big blocking TE - at the next level. On the recruiting front, I got the vibe out there today that this one might come down to UCLA and USC, how their new offenses look and who gets which TEs in the class.
-Four-star Josh Falo - I thought he rebounded today from several really poor performances in 7-on-7. He can really shine in this environment, showing off a huge frame and solid athleticism. I don't get the vibe UCLA is a really serious player here, though.
-Four-star Colby Parkinson was my favorite TE in the event. He has top 50 potential in my opinion. He has a huge body and he can run and catch like a big receiver. He seems very firm in his Stanford pledge, however.
Offensive line
-Three-star Andrew Vorhees - The Nike coaches apparently didn't think too highly of Vorhees, not even putting him in the top 10 final group. But I actually really liked him. I think he's a four-star OL. He's a little bit stiff, but I can overlook that because he's a massive 6 feet 4, 300ish pounds and he possesses power and a little nastiness to his game. He told me before the camp that Oregon and UCLA are still probably his two favorites. If Stanford offers, though, I think it could be the team to beat. He'll camp there in a couple weeks to see if the Cardinal will offer.
-Three-star Jalen McKenzie - McKenzie is another guy out there today who I think should be a four-star OL. He has a prototype tackle frame. He struggled to bend out there today, but I'll give him a pass because he is coming off a big knee injury. On his recruiting front, it sure sounds like he really likes USC, but we're not quite sure how much USC really likes him. If SC doesn't go hard after him, I think UCLA should have a good shot here.
-Four-star Aaron Banks - He's a massive 6 feet 4, 340ish pounds. But he struggles to move his feet at that weight. Still, he showed off big-time power and strong hands. Definitely a Rivals250 guy in my opinion. On his recruiting front, I spoke with a source close to his recruitment who said UCLA looks like the early leader here. Michigan, USC and Notre Dame appear to be the biggest competitors for the Bruins for now.
-Four-star Alijah Vera-Tucker - He didn't compete in the event, nursing a small tweak, but he did do an interview for me in which he said he likes USC more than UCLA. This one definitely feels like a UDub-USC battle with Michigan probably in third.
-Three-star Popo Aumavae - He's being recruited as a DL, but he played OL today, and lost just about every rep he took. I wish he had moved to the defensive side of the ball so we could have seen him there. Nonetheless, he has a really good frame, checking in at probably 6 feet 4, 280ish pounds. On the recruiting front, I sure got the vibe UCLA was in good shape here, but he's in no hurry to make a commitment and it sounds like he'll take visits and go through the whole process.
Defensive line
-Four-star DE Hunter Echols - I thought the UCLA pledge had a day very similar to the one Keisean Lucier-South had at the L.A. Nike camp a couple years ago. His first step and his speed rush made him unblockable. I bet he lost two or three reps out of the 20 or so he took. He earned a spot in The Opening today.
-Four-star DT Greg Rogers - I loved what he did out there today. Strong, powerful hands and he rarely lost a rep out there. I thought he was the top DT, although Jay Tufele was right there with him. I talked to him after camp and he said nothing's really changed with his recruitment, so I'm going to assume this is still a UCLA-USC battle here.
-Four-star DT Jay Tufele - Like Rogers, he owned with power moves out there. After camp, he basically told me he's not considering UCLA, however. Sounded like USC or Utah to me.
-Three-star DT Marlon Tuipulotu - He was smaller than I expected him to be, but he really, really knows how to use his hands. A real technician. He said he's a very firm Washington pledge, despite taking visits. It didn't sound like he's still considering UCLA.
Linebackers
-I didn't see a single UCLA LB target out there this afternoon. The LB-RB groups were probably the weakest I've seen at a Nike event in the past few years.
Defensive backs
-Four-star CB Elijah Gates - The Elijah Gates disrespect is too real and I don't understand it. My top three CBs in the region are Darnay Holmes, Jaylon Johnson and Gates, yet Gates didn't get an Opening invite or any other love today. From the little DB-WR I watched out there, he won all of his reps and he's certainly deserving of a Rivals250 ranking. On the recruiting front, he told me UCLA is still coming after him the hardest and it still sounds like UCLA-Oregon to me here.
-Four-star S Chaz Ah You - I didn't see too much of him, but Blair Angulo told me he was his favorite DB, and I trust him. When we spoke with Ah You prior to camp, it sounded like his Stanford visit this weekend propelled the Cardinal to his favorite status, but it also doesn't sound like he'll have the test scores to get in. So UCLA still looks to be in great shape here.
-Other notables: It's a shame for UCLA that Jaylon Johnson doesn't want to follow in Johnny Johnson's footsteps, because he's a phenomenal talent. He was the fastest player in attendance today and he was the top DB performer as well. I only saw a couple reps of Trajon Cotton, but he lost both that I watched.
