Spent the evening in Fontana catching a very talented 7-on-7 tournament run by Passing Down. Spoke with plenty of UCLA targets and here were the notes:
-Four-star wide receiver Trevon Sidney said he'll be up to visit UCLA "next week" as his school is just starting its spring break. He said Eric Yarber has started to reach out much more and it's clear the Bruins want him as a receiver. Most people have him pegged for either UCLA or USC, but he said today, "It's still wide open."
-Four-star athlete David Long was tremendous at cornerback in the one game I saw. He reminded me a little bit of a healthy Johnny Johnson in high school. Quick feet and lockdown at all times. After the game, he told me Demetrice Martin has become his primary recruiter at UCLA, and it's becoming clear the Bruins want him exclusively at corner. He's visiting UCLA this Friday and it's going to be another one of those mini individual Junior Days, so I'd expect UCLA to maybe take the lead in his recruitment here. He said don't expect a commitment to come regardless of how the visit goes, however.
-Had a really interesting talk with four-star receiver Damian Alloway. He admitted he was going to pick Cal last Monday night when all the Ground Zero kids were committing, but he said there was just something about UCLA that wouldn't let him do it. He said he's been talking more and more with Noel Mazzone, and even though the Bruins got Demetric Felton last week (a slot receiver who's basically another version of Alloway), Alloway said Mazzone wants him to come onto campus so he can show the Fontana (Calif.) Summit receiver exactly how they'd use him with Felton. He's visiting UCLA on April 4, and if Mazzone can show him how he can coexist with other slot types on UCLA's roster, I'd fully expect the Bruins to be back in line for Alloway's imminent commitment.
-I also had an intriguing conversation with Scott White's babies, Curtis Robinson. Toailoa and Barnes both told me they're shutting down their recruitments because White is doing the same. The new UCLA linebackers coach told them he's done with ILB recruiting for '15. As for Robinson, White has apparently told him that if Robinson commits, UCLA will be finished with its linebacker class altogether. Many have Robinson pegged for Stanford after landing the offer a few days ago, and he just might be swayed that way as he's slated to visit there this weekend. But all his comments to me today suggested UCLA is the heavy favorite here. So much so, he's now planning a May or June commitment in order to lock in his spot (presumably at UCLA, as Caleb Kelly and other OLBs are very interested in playing for White now).
-One of the top 2017 corners in the region, Jaylon Redd told me he'll likely be out to visit UCLA next week for its spring practices. He visited Westwood a few days ago and absolutely loved it, saying he and Demetrice Martin have a great relationship. I think UCLA leads here as well.
-Four-star athlete Jack Jones was once again arguably the top player on the field in the game I watched. He played almost exclusively corner and had an interception and a few pass breakups. He can be a Rivals100 player at either CB or WR. He told me he, along with the entire B2G 7-on-7 team (which consists of studs like Javon McKinley, Joseph Lewis, Greg Johnson and more), will all be on UCLA's campus on April 19.
-Four-star wide receiver Trevon Sidney said he'll be up to visit UCLA "next week" as his school is just starting its spring break. He said Eric Yarber has started to reach out much more and it's clear the Bruins want him as a receiver. Most people have him pegged for either UCLA or USC, but he said today, "It's still wide open."
-Four-star athlete David Long was tremendous at cornerback in the one game I saw. He reminded me a little bit of a healthy Johnny Johnson in high school. Quick feet and lockdown at all times. After the game, he told me Demetrice Martin has become his primary recruiter at UCLA, and it's becoming clear the Bruins want him exclusively at corner. He's visiting UCLA this Friday and it's going to be another one of those mini individual Junior Days, so I'd expect UCLA to maybe take the lead in his recruitment here. He said don't expect a commitment to come regardless of how the visit goes, however.
-Had a really interesting talk with four-star receiver Damian Alloway. He admitted he was going to pick Cal last Monday night when all the Ground Zero kids were committing, but he said there was just something about UCLA that wouldn't let him do it. He said he's been talking more and more with Noel Mazzone, and even though the Bruins got Demetric Felton last week (a slot receiver who's basically another version of Alloway), Alloway said Mazzone wants him to come onto campus so he can show the Fontana (Calif.) Summit receiver exactly how they'd use him with Felton. He's visiting UCLA on April 4, and if Mazzone can show him how he can coexist with other slot types on UCLA's roster, I'd fully expect the Bruins to be back in line for Alloway's imminent commitment.
-I also had an intriguing conversation with Scott White's babies, Curtis Robinson. Toailoa and Barnes both told me they're shutting down their recruitments because White is doing the same. The new UCLA linebackers coach told them he's done with ILB recruiting for '15. As for Robinson, White has apparently told him that if Robinson commits, UCLA will be finished with its linebacker class altogether. Many have Robinson pegged for Stanford after landing the offer a few days ago, and he just might be swayed that way as he's slated to visit there this weekend. But all his comments to me today suggested UCLA is the heavy favorite here. So much so, he's now planning a May or June commitment in order to lock in his spot (presumably at UCLA, as Caleb Kelly and other OLBs are very interested in playing for White now).
-One of the top 2017 corners in the region, Jaylon Redd told me he'll likely be out to visit UCLA next week for its spring practices. He visited Westwood a few days ago and absolutely loved it, saying he and Demetrice Martin have a great relationship. I think UCLA leads here as well.
-Four-star athlete Jack Jones was once again arguably the top player on the field in the game I watched. He played almost exclusively corner and had an interception and a few pass breakups. He can be a Rivals100 player at either CB or WR. He told me he, along with the entire B2G 7-on-7 team (which consists of studs like Javon McKinley, Joseph Lewis, Greg Johnson and more), will all be on UCLA's campus on April 19.
