Official visitor update
UCLA only ended up playing host to three uncommitted official visitors this weekend (to go along with commitments Marcus Moore, Jalen Starks, Darian Owens, Damian Alloway and Alex Akingbulu). Nobody wanted to talk on the record with me today, so quotes are going to be scarce. But here were some of the notes I gathered up on the uncommitted guys no less:
-On four-star ATH Brandon Burton: At this point, I think we're moving into the "I'd be shocked" category if he picked anyone other than UCLA on Tuesday. Multiple sources have told us this one is a wrap.
-On three-star WR Audie Omotosho: Swapped some messages with a few people close to Omotosho's recruitment today and I'd take the field over UCLA on this one. One source believed it was a "50-50 shot" for UCLA, but others didn't get the vibe he was ready to leave Texas for Los Angeles.
-On three-star RB Brandon Stephens - I haven't heard anything one way or the other with Stephens. A message sent out to the back on Saturday wasn't returned. So for now, your guess is as good as anybody's at this point. With a final four of UCLA, TAMU, Alabama and South Carolina, I’m guessing the Bruins are in a good spot here, because in talking with Rivals.com team insiders, it doesn’t seem like any of the three SEC schools are pressing for him.
UCLA’s other committed targets
UCLA is still heavily pursuing four-star Wisconsin DL Garrett Rand, and Blair Angulo caught an update from his father Sunday afternoon:
Rand has arrived at a decision, his father tells me.
Rand is set to sign Wednesday morning at approx. 7:30 a.m. during a ceremony at Chandler (Ariz.) Hamilton. UCLA and Wisconsin -- which he has been committed to since October -- are the finalists.
"He has arrived at a great decision," his father said.
This is a tough read. Rand doesn't strike me as a prospect that would drag out the process if he knew he was sticking with his pledge to the Badgers, so I'm giving the slight edge to the Bruins here until he comes out and makes a public statement.
Our Wisconsin Rivals recruiting writer, Jon McNamara, had this to say of Rand when asked about the rumor that he was heavily interested in ASU now: “This is not accurate. UCLA is the top threat to Wisconsin and I'm confident he'll stay with the Badgers.”
So Signing Day should be interesting there.
On the Paco Perez front, we had given Cal the slight edge to land him in our Week-Before-NSD Predictions article, but that will be amended this week.
In talking with a source close to the Perez recruitment this weekend, apparently the three-star has given a strong indication to UCLA that he will flip from his Golden Bear pledge on Signing Day.
Asiasi tough to read
Coveted UCLA targets Devin Asiasi and Boss Tagaloa visited USC this weekend (people apparently spotted Tagaloa on UCLA’s campus after the USC visit on Sunday for a quick unofficial), and Asiasi spoke with our Chris Swanson about the trip. Per Swanson, Asiasi seemed to not care too much that Tui was at UCLA, but then again, he seemed concerned about all the recent turnover on Clay Helton’s staff.
On UCLA, Asiasi said: “I was kind of skeptical about (the new offense), but I talked to, I met with Coach Tui, I met with Coach Mora, I met with Coach Polamalu and I met with Coach Rip (Scherer) and we touched base about what they want to do over there and all that. So I think I’m really fine with that right now so I’m not really tripping about what they’re doing and the changes that they made in the last couple weeks or last couple months.”
On USC, Asiasi said: “I didn’t want to put myself in that situation where I go into a coaching staff where I don’t know anything, I knew Coach (Clay) Helton really well at first because he was the coach that was really recruiting me and I talked to him back and forth all the time along with Coach Tui (Marques Tuiasosopo). But when Coach Tui left and then Coach Tyson Helton came in, I was kind of just, you know, like this is kind of weird, you know I have different coaches from USC, like all these different coaches and new coaches, I really didn’t know what to think about that because I didn’t feel like I should trust that, but going, taking this trip, I think it was a good thing for me because the base they set over there right now is really good and I feel like it’s going to be a strong program in a couple years.”
So Asiasi is a tough one to read for Wednesday’s announcement. But personally, I think I’m still going with USC here.
Short Shots
-Spoke with our Alabama Rivals recruiting reporter Andrew Bone Sunday night and the vibe out in Alabama is that it will come down to ‘Bama or UCLA for Mique Juarez. That’s probably a good thing for UCLA, because just three weeks ago it was UCLA or Ole Miss for Juarez. I’m still calling the Bruins here.
UCLA only ended up playing host to three uncommitted official visitors this weekend (to go along with commitments Marcus Moore, Jalen Starks, Darian Owens, Damian Alloway and Alex Akingbulu). Nobody wanted to talk on the record with me today, so quotes are going to be scarce. But here were some of the notes I gathered up on the uncommitted guys no less:
-On four-star ATH Brandon Burton: At this point, I think we're moving into the "I'd be shocked" category if he picked anyone other than UCLA on Tuesday. Multiple sources have told us this one is a wrap.
-On three-star WR Audie Omotosho: Swapped some messages with a few people close to Omotosho's recruitment today and I'd take the field over UCLA on this one. One source believed it was a "50-50 shot" for UCLA, but others didn't get the vibe he was ready to leave Texas for Los Angeles.
-On three-star RB Brandon Stephens - I haven't heard anything one way or the other with Stephens. A message sent out to the back on Saturday wasn't returned. So for now, your guess is as good as anybody's at this point. With a final four of UCLA, TAMU, Alabama and South Carolina, I’m guessing the Bruins are in a good spot here, because in talking with Rivals.com team insiders, it doesn’t seem like any of the three SEC schools are pressing for him.
UCLA’s other committed targets
UCLA is still heavily pursuing four-star Wisconsin DL Garrett Rand, and Blair Angulo caught an update from his father Sunday afternoon:
Rand has arrived at a decision, his father tells me.
Rand is set to sign Wednesday morning at approx. 7:30 a.m. during a ceremony at Chandler (Ariz.) Hamilton. UCLA and Wisconsin -- which he has been committed to since October -- are the finalists.
"He has arrived at a great decision," his father said.
This is a tough read. Rand doesn't strike me as a prospect that would drag out the process if he knew he was sticking with his pledge to the Badgers, so I'm giving the slight edge to the Bruins here until he comes out and makes a public statement.
Our Wisconsin Rivals recruiting writer, Jon McNamara, had this to say of Rand when asked about the rumor that he was heavily interested in ASU now: “This is not accurate. UCLA is the top threat to Wisconsin and I'm confident he'll stay with the Badgers.”
So Signing Day should be interesting there.
On the Paco Perez front, we had given Cal the slight edge to land him in our Week-Before-NSD Predictions article, but that will be amended this week.
In talking with a source close to the Perez recruitment this weekend, apparently the three-star has given a strong indication to UCLA that he will flip from his Golden Bear pledge on Signing Day.
Asiasi tough to read
Coveted UCLA targets Devin Asiasi and Boss Tagaloa visited USC this weekend (people apparently spotted Tagaloa on UCLA’s campus after the USC visit on Sunday for a quick unofficial), and Asiasi spoke with our Chris Swanson about the trip. Per Swanson, Asiasi seemed to not care too much that Tui was at UCLA, but then again, he seemed concerned about all the recent turnover on Clay Helton’s staff.
On UCLA, Asiasi said: “I was kind of skeptical about (the new offense), but I talked to, I met with Coach Tui, I met with Coach Mora, I met with Coach Polamalu and I met with Coach Rip (Scherer) and we touched base about what they want to do over there and all that. So I think I’m really fine with that right now so I’m not really tripping about what they’re doing and the changes that they made in the last couple weeks or last couple months.”
On USC, Asiasi said: “I didn’t want to put myself in that situation where I go into a coaching staff where I don’t know anything, I knew Coach (Clay) Helton really well at first because he was the coach that was really recruiting me and I talked to him back and forth all the time along with Coach Tui (Marques Tuiasosopo). But when Coach Tui left and then Coach Tyson Helton came in, I was kind of just, you know, like this is kind of weird, you know I have different coaches from USC, like all these different coaches and new coaches, I really didn’t know what to think about that because I didn’t feel like I should trust that, but going, taking this trip, I think it was a good thing for me because the base they set over there right now is really good and I feel like it’s going to be a strong program in a couple years.”
So Asiasi is a tough one to read for Wednesday’s announcement. But personally, I think I’m still going with USC here.
Short Shots
-Spoke with our Alabama Rivals recruiting reporter Andrew Bone Sunday night and the vibe out in Alabama is that it will come down to ‘Bama or UCLA for Mique Juarez. That’s probably a good thing for UCLA, because just three weeks ago it was UCLA or Ole Miss for Juarez. I’m still calling the Bruins here.
