Burton looking at two?
Four-star Gardena (Calif.) Serra athlete Brandon Burton was one of the few elite prospects in the state to not make it out to UCLA's Spring Showcase Saturday, but according to a source, that shouldn't raise any red flags.
Once pegged as a lifelong USC lock, a source very close to Burton told us Sunday that, "If he stays in Los Angeles, he won't be going to USC." The source said that right now, Burton is telling those close to him that this may just be a two-horse race between Florida State and UCLA.
Demetrice Martin has done a masterful job recruiting the four-star ATH, who will fight for the top player in the state ranking over the next few months, and Burton said just last week that UCLA is coming after him harder than USC. But many still thought this was another Adoree Jackson, Iman Marshall or John Houston recruitment waiting to happen.
Yet, per the source, Martin's ability to sell Burton on coming in as a two-way player has him leaning toward UCLA for now if he chooses to stay in-state.
Another Serra star on the way?
We've been reporting this for a few weeks now, but yet another source confirmed to us on Sunday that four-star D-lineman Wole Betiku will likely pledge to UCLA sooner rather than later.
Betiku, like Burton, was once considered a USC lock. So when asked what ultimately changed Betiku's recruitment toward UCLA, the source said, "Tom Bradley" and his relationship with Lavar Arrington (who is Betiku's guardian).
The story has been told hundreds of times now, but Bradley's longstanding relationship with Arrington that dates back to their Penn State days gave the Bruins the edge they needed over USC. And from the sounds of things, as soon as Arrington gives his final blessing, Betiku will be Westwood bound.
More Ground Zero announcements coming
Ground Zero's 7-on-7 squad is gearing up for another huge commitment ceremony, likely late May or early June. There should be two commitments there worth watching for UCLA fans: four-star receiver Damian Alloway's and 2017 four-star corner Thomas Graham's.
Unlike Ground Zero's first commitment ceremony, which netted the Bruins Lokeni Toailoa and Demetric Felton, this one may not end up going UCLA's way however.
Alloway talks and walks like a UCLA Bruin, and appears to have them on top at the moment. Yet many in Alloway's camp are pushing him toward Cal. There's a feeling among those in his corner that Cal will get him the ball more and utilize him better from the slot position than UCLA will. So while Alloway appears to want to be a Bruin right now, UCLA is going to have to overcome a lot of negative recruiting over the next few weeks to secure his pledge. That could start as early as next week, as Alloway is planning a big unofficial to Westwood soon.
As for Graham, he too is walking and talking like a Bruin. He wore a UCLA visor Sunday and spoke glowingly of Demetrice Martin. Yet in his corner, many are pushing him toward Arizona State. He's actually from the Phoenix area, and his grandma currently lives just five minutes from ASU's campus. So while he personally sounds like he wants to pledge to UCLA at the moment, the growing pressure from his family and his camp might just force him to ASU in the end.
Parker not so solid
Four-star cornerback Jordan Parker made the UCLA pledge over the weekend, and it was a big one, given the lack of depth across the region at the cornerback spot. But after talking with him Sunday, UCLA has a ways to go to get him to sign in February.
The physical corner, who wore UCLA gloves at Sunday's 7-on tournament, said he's looking to take all five official visits in the fall and he's looking at taking several unofficials in the next few weeks to places like USC, Arizona State, Oregon and Washington as well.
So UCLA is the leader in the clubhouse, but it's far from over here.
Welcome to UCLA, Jordan...
If UCLA is going to do its best to hold on to Parker's pledge through the next nine months, Sunday's 7-on-7 tournament wasn't exactly the best foot to start off on.
Parker's 7-on team, KT DI Elite, met up with Ground Zero Sunday afternoon, and as many of you know, Ground Zero is Krys Barnes, Lokeni Toailoa, Breland Brandt and Demetric Felton's 7-on team.
So while this should have been a friendly competition between future teammates, at some point late in the game, it turned a little chippy. Parker wouldn't stop talking, and it got under Barnes' skin. The two chirped for the entire second half of the game, which obviously upset both Brandt and Toailoa (Felton missed the tournament with turf toe). When Ground Zero won on an overtime catch, Parker was visibly upset. So, naturally, Toailoa went and clapped in his face. Parker didn't like that too much, and squared up to fight Toailoa. Seconds later, both Barnes and Brandt showed up to back Toailoa.
So picture this: You had Parker squared up to fight the trio of Brandt, Toailoa and Barnes. All four, mind you, were wearing their UCLA gloves. Security ended up separating the quartet, and everybody cleared the field in a huff. About 30 minutes after the game ended, however, the foursome talked it over on the sideline and kissed and made up.
A happy ending to an inauspicious start.
Package deal still alive
Parker's best friend and former teammate at Pittsburg (Calif.), Shurod Thompson, said Sunday he's definitely looking into joining Parker at UCLA.
The problem, however, is he doesn't have the grades at the moment to get in. Yet Thompson said that was one of the biggest reasons he committed to Cal last week was to focus on his academics and "take a lot of pressure off me right now." He's transferred schools to Brentwood (Calif.) Liberty, and with Cal's guidance, he has a roadmap to get eligible now.
If he does get eligible, watch out for UCLA here. The four-star said he's happily committed to Cal, but admitted UCLA is a "beautiful" place. He also admitted he loves Demetrice Martin: "I really like his swag." And, perhaps most importantly for Thompson, he can play with Parker there. "I'm interested (in UCLA). A lot."
The four-star added, "Who doesn't want to play in L.A.?"
So depending on how his classroom work goes over the next few months, the UCLA haul of Parker could get a whole lot bigger if Thompson joins him.
Short Shots
-Three-star Fresno pass-rusher Bryson Young visited UCLA yet again Saturday for its Spring Showcase and the vibe is the Bruins are doing very well for the defensive end. Scott White is slated to spend the next two weeks in Fresno seeing Young, Darian Owens, Caleb Kelly and David Tate, so the Bruins should have a chance to grow a lead for Young in his recruitment.
-Five-star RB Najee Harris committed to Alabama last week in a surprise pledge, but the way he acted Sunday at Passing Down 7-on, it sure sounds like this one is far from over. The five-star 2017 prospect refused to do interviews, and this one has a very Ricky Town-esque feel to it. Town, an awkward, shy athlete like Harris, committed to Alabama very early in the process to get away from all the attention and hype. When the time came right to flip pledges to USC, he did it and effectively avoided all the bells and whistles that typically come with a high-profile recruitment. Harris' recruitment certainly has that same feel to it. Watch for UCLA and USC to swoop in as this one gets closer to the 2017 Signing Day.
-2017 four-star running back Stephen Carr visited UCLA for its spring game Saturday. While he said he's still somewhat open to the Bruins, he said don't read too much into the visit. He's all SC for now.
-Three-star ATH Lamar Jackson visited UCLA twice in the past two weeks and said he loves Demetrice Martin. He also visited USC twice in that same time frame, and it sure sounds like this one will come down to a UCLA- USC battle. The Bruins, though, seem to have the slight edge here early. He's looking to make a commitment on TV either at The Opening or at an All-American game in January.
-The UCLA committed linebacker trio of Brandt, Barnes and Toailoa all said Sunday they remain 100 percent solid to the Bruins. Asked what Mique Juarez's seemingly imminent flip would do to those pledges, and all three said it wouldn't change a thing. Toailoa was in fact excited that Juarez's commitment would give the Bruins arguably the top linebacker class in the country.
-Four-star ATH Beau Bisharat visited UCLA a couple weeks ago, but he said the Bruins may have gone too long without offering and will probably get cut from his finalist list when it gets released soon.
You can read the archives of The Bruin Bite over on The Bruin Bite premium board. Feel free to ask questions or comment here.
Four-star Gardena (Calif.) Serra athlete Brandon Burton was one of the few elite prospects in the state to not make it out to UCLA's Spring Showcase Saturday, but according to a source, that shouldn't raise any red flags.
Once pegged as a lifelong USC lock, a source very close to Burton told us Sunday that, "If he stays in Los Angeles, he won't be going to USC." The source said that right now, Burton is telling those close to him that this may just be a two-horse race between Florida State and UCLA.
Demetrice Martin has done a masterful job recruiting the four-star ATH, who will fight for the top player in the state ranking over the next few months, and Burton said just last week that UCLA is coming after him harder than USC. But many still thought this was another Adoree Jackson, Iman Marshall or John Houston recruitment waiting to happen.
Yet, per the source, Martin's ability to sell Burton on coming in as a two-way player has him leaning toward UCLA for now if he chooses to stay in-state.
Another Serra star on the way?
We've been reporting this for a few weeks now, but yet another source confirmed to us on Sunday that four-star D-lineman Wole Betiku will likely pledge to UCLA sooner rather than later.
Betiku, like Burton, was once considered a USC lock. So when asked what ultimately changed Betiku's recruitment toward UCLA, the source said, "Tom Bradley" and his relationship with Lavar Arrington (who is Betiku's guardian).
The story has been told hundreds of times now, but Bradley's longstanding relationship with Arrington that dates back to their Penn State days gave the Bruins the edge they needed over USC. And from the sounds of things, as soon as Arrington gives his final blessing, Betiku will be Westwood bound.
More Ground Zero announcements coming
Ground Zero's 7-on-7 squad is gearing up for another huge commitment ceremony, likely late May or early June. There should be two commitments there worth watching for UCLA fans: four-star receiver Damian Alloway's and 2017 four-star corner Thomas Graham's.
Unlike Ground Zero's first commitment ceremony, which netted the Bruins Lokeni Toailoa and Demetric Felton, this one may not end up going UCLA's way however.
Alloway talks and walks like a UCLA Bruin, and appears to have them on top at the moment. Yet many in Alloway's camp are pushing him toward Cal. There's a feeling among those in his corner that Cal will get him the ball more and utilize him better from the slot position than UCLA will. So while Alloway appears to want to be a Bruin right now, UCLA is going to have to overcome a lot of negative recruiting over the next few weeks to secure his pledge. That could start as early as next week, as Alloway is planning a big unofficial to Westwood soon.
As for Graham, he too is walking and talking like a Bruin. He wore a UCLA visor Sunday and spoke glowingly of Demetrice Martin. Yet in his corner, many are pushing him toward Arizona State. He's actually from the Phoenix area, and his grandma currently lives just five minutes from ASU's campus. So while he personally sounds like he wants to pledge to UCLA at the moment, the growing pressure from his family and his camp might just force him to ASU in the end.
Parker not so solid
Four-star cornerback Jordan Parker made the UCLA pledge over the weekend, and it was a big one, given the lack of depth across the region at the cornerback spot. But after talking with him Sunday, UCLA has a ways to go to get him to sign in February.
The physical corner, who wore UCLA gloves at Sunday's 7-on tournament, said he's looking to take all five official visits in the fall and he's looking at taking several unofficials in the next few weeks to places like USC, Arizona State, Oregon and Washington as well.
So UCLA is the leader in the clubhouse, but it's far from over here.
Welcome to UCLA, Jordan...
If UCLA is going to do its best to hold on to Parker's pledge through the next nine months, Sunday's 7-on-7 tournament wasn't exactly the best foot to start off on.
Parker's 7-on team, KT DI Elite, met up with Ground Zero Sunday afternoon, and as many of you know, Ground Zero is Krys Barnes, Lokeni Toailoa, Breland Brandt and Demetric Felton's 7-on team.
So while this should have been a friendly competition between future teammates, at some point late in the game, it turned a little chippy. Parker wouldn't stop talking, and it got under Barnes' skin. The two chirped for the entire second half of the game, which obviously upset both Brandt and Toailoa (Felton missed the tournament with turf toe). When Ground Zero won on an overtime catch, Parker was visibly upset. So, naturally, Toailoa went and clapped in his face. Parker didn't like that too much, and squared up to fight Toailoa. Seconds later, both Barnes and Brandt showed up to back Toailoa.
So picture this: You had Parker squared up to fight the trio of Brandt, Toailoa and Barnes. All four, mind you, were wearing their UCLA gloves. Security ended up separating the quartet, and everybody cleared the field in a huff. About 30 minutes after the game ended, however, the foursome talked it over on the sideline and kissed and made up.
A happy ending to an inauspicious start.
Package deal still alive
Parker's best friend and former teammate at Pittsburg (Calif.), Shurod Thompson, said Sunday he's definitely looking into joining Parker at UCLA.
The problem, however, is he doesn't have the grades at the moment to get in. Yet Thompson said that was one of the biggest reasons he committed to Cal last week was to focus on his academics and "take a lot of pressure off me right now." He's transferred schools to Brentwood (Calif.) Liberty, and with Cal's guidance, he has a roadmap to get eligible now.
If he does get eligible, watch out for UCLA here. The four-star said he's happily committed to Cal, but admitted UCLA is a "beautiful" place. He also admitted he loves Demetrice Martin: "I really like his swag." And, perhaps most importantly for Thompson, he can play with Parker there. "I'm interested (in UCLA). A lot."
The four-star added, "Who doesn't want to play in L.A.?"
So depending on how his classroom work goes over the next few months, the UCLA haul of Parker could get a whole lot bigger if Thompson joins him.
Short Shots
-Three-star Fresno pass-rusher Bryson Young visited UCLA yet again Saturday for its Spring Showcase and the vibe is the Bruins are doing very well for the defensive end. Scott White is slated to spend the next two weeks in Fresno seeing Young, Darian Owens, Caleb Kelly and David Tate, so the Bruins should have a chance to grow a lead for Young in his recruitment.
-Five-star RB Najee Harris committed to Alabama last week in a surprise pledge, but the way he acted Sunday at Passing Down 7-on, it sure sounds like this one is far from over. The five-star 2017 prospect refused to do interviews, and this one has a very Ricky Town-esque feel to it. Town, an awkward, shy athlete like Harris, committed to Alabama very early in the process to get away from all the attention and hype. When the time came right to flip pledges to USC, he did it and effectively avoided all the bells and whistles that typically come with a high-profile recruitment. Harris' recruitment certainly has that same feel to it. Watch for UCLA and USC to swoop in as this one gets closer to the 2017 Signing Day.
-2017 four-star running back Stephen Carr visited UCLA for its spring game Saturday. While he said he's still somewhat open to the Bruins, he said don't read too much into the visit. He's all SC for now.
-Three-star ATH Lamar Jackson visited UCLA twice in the past two weeks and said he loves Demetrice Martin. He also visited USC twice in that same time frame, and it sure sounds like this one will come down to a UCLA- USC battle. The Bruins, though, seem to have the slight edge here early. He's looking to make a commitment on TV either at The Opening or at an All-American game in January.
-The UCLA committed linebacker trio of Brandt, Barnes and Toailoa all said Sunday they remain 100 percent solid to the Bruins. Asked what Mique Juarez's seemingly imminent flip would do to those pledges, and all three said it wouldn't change a thing. Toailoa was in fact excited that Juarez's commitment would give the Bruins arguably the top linebacker class in the country.
-Four-star ATH Beau Bisharat visited UCLA a couple weeks ago, but he said the Bruins may have gone too long without offering and will probably get cut from his finalist list when it gets released soon.
You can read the archives of The Bruin Bite over on The Bruin Bite premium board. Feel free to ask questions or comment here.
