The Bruins picked up their biggest commitment of this recruiting class last week, with the announcement that safety Tony Jefferson out of East Lake HS (Chula Vista, CA) would be wearing the blue and gold in 2010.



Jefferson is the highest rated commit so far this year for the Bruins. He also was long rumored to be a USC silent commit, but after USC picked up two safeties already, Jefferson decided to drop the Trojans.

Not only is Jefferson an outstanding athlete, playing on both sides of the ball. He is also versatile on defense, where he will most likely be playing in college. Jefferson is a safety/linebacker hybrid with speed. He is also graduating from high school in December, so he can enroll in school early and compete in spring practice next year.

As a junior Jefferson recorded 89 tackles, two interceptions, two sacks, a pair of fumble recoveries and a forced fumble. As a running back on the offensive side, he ran for 1,322 yards and 26 touchdowns and earned All-State Underclass honors.

Thursday is Pac-10 media day in LA. Coach Neuheisel and Defensive captain Reggie Carter will be there to represent the Bruins. You can follow the coverage here. Neuheisel is scheduled to speak at 10:15.



Lastly, Colorado transfer Josh Smith is hoping that academics don't keep him out of UCLA. If he is cleared for admittance he will be a Bruin.

With the football season only 67 days away, a lot of interesting news is coming out of Westwood. recruiting is picking up and some high profile transfers are looking at UCLA as possible destinations.

First off, since football is a quarterback driven sport, UCLA picked up one of it's most important commitments, QB Brett Nottingham from Monte Vista HS in Danville. Nottingham is from a UCLA family, his father and two sisters are all Bruins. Nottingham committed on the spot once given a scholarship offer and said it was a "dream come true" to be a Bruin.


Nottingham

Nottingham also was named the top performer at the Elite 11 quarterback camp at UNLV this past weekend. Apparently he didn't have the best arm strength at the camp, but his accuracy in the short to intermediate passes was by far the best.

The Bruins also picked up another commitment on the defensive line. Wesley Flowers a defensive tackle from Edison HS in Fresno is the second player to commit from Edison to UCLA this year, joining safety Tevin McDonald. Flowers is going to have to get bigger in order to play at UCLA so don't expect an immediate impact. But it is still a great pick up for a position of need.


Flowers

Last season at the University of Colorado at Boulder, wide receiver Josh Smith was an all-purpose yard machine. Smith, from Moorepark, decided that he wants to pursue a degree in Music Producing and Colorado doesn't have that major. So Smith has been granted his release to transfer and is looking hard at coming to UCLA. Apparently, if UCLA has scholarship space, there is a good chance we will see Smith in a UCLA jersey soon.


Smith

Smith is also the uncle for highly touted running back Darrell Scott, the number one recruit coming out last year. He battled injuries last year at Colorado, where he committed to be with Smith. Although he says he will stay in Boulder, if he struggles again its possible he would transfer to be closer to home. UCLA finishedthird for him on signing day.


Scott

Another high profile player looking to transfer closer to home is tight end Joseph Fauria, nephew of former NFL tight end Christian Fauria. Joseph had been at Notre Dame and was looking to be the primary back up this year when a off the field incident got him suspended from the team. Apparently the matter was laughable and Fauria chose to transfer instead of going back to play for Charlie Weis.


Fauria

Fauria is from Encino and played with our quarterback Kevin Prince. Fauria is also a beast at 6-foot-7-inches and 250 pounds. He would likely have to sit out a year, but he also has a redshirt year that he has not taken. If he came to Westwood and sat out, he would be a sophomore for the 2010 season.

So with the Lakers season ending with a Championship and baseball heading into the dog days of summer, the only thing that is keeping me going is the thought that Football is a short 74 days away.

So I thought it would be great to look at what is going on with UCLA football at the moment. The recruiting, the exciting, and the not so great.

On the recruiting side, things are really starting to heat up. Today is the second day of UCLA's three day camp where they are able to evaluate and recruit players. The recruits that I am really excited about that are in attendance are defensive tackle from Oaks Christian, Cassius Marsh and quarterback from Danville Monte Vista, Brett Nottingham, both of whom appear to be high on the UCLA radar.

Cassius Marsh

Brett Nottingham

Yes we only have two commitments at the moment but it seems that an offer from UCLA is a big deal this year. The coaching staff is taking a slow play approach in order to get the right caliber of players into school. Our two recruits are defensive tackle Julious Moore from Washington and safety Tevin McDonald from Edison High School in Fresno. Moore fills an area of need and McDonald is an SC legacy that has come to the right side of town.

Julious Moore

Tevin McDonald

Speaking of recruiting, it is obvious that we have a great class coming in this year highlighted by stud tight end Morrell Presley, quarterback Richard Brehaut, speedy wide receiver Randall Carroll, and bug boys Stan Hasiak and Xavier Su'a-Filo. Well summer school started yesterday which means that most of the highly touted class is on campus. UCLA beat reporter Brian Dohn had this to say about the two linemen mentioned, who Dohn saw on campus yesterday;

Richard Brehaut

Morrell Presley

"On campus today and saw freshmen offensive linemen Stan Hasiak and Xavier Su'a-Filo, and thought I would pass along how big and strong they look. In my six years covering UCLA, I cannot remember two offensive linemen coming into school with that size.”
              (I will have some stuff from UCLA's camp in a little while.)

Stan Hasiak

Xavier Su'a-Filo

For anyone who watched UCLA last year knows that big linemen are something that we need to be competitive in the future and with these guys looking this big is a great thing.

We also lacked speed last year. But with what Randall Carroll did this spring running track it seems like we have some world class speed coming in. Carroll won the state championship in both the 100 and 200 meter sprints this year. He also ran the fastest 100 in the state since 1992 at 10.30.

Randall Carroll

With the talent we have coming in we should be competitive next year.

Now onto the bummer news. There appears to be a little but of an exodus this offseason with, now, five players deciding to transfer. QB/WR Chris Forcier is transferring to Fordham University. RB Aundre Dean is going to TCU. WR Dominique Johnson is transferring to Cal Poly SLO. RB Raymond Carter is transferring to Colorado State. And S E.J. Woods announced yesterday that he is looking into transferring.

Chris Forcier	Aundre Dean
Dominique Johnson	Raymond Carter
E.J. Woods

While it looks troubling to have so many players transfer in such a short period of time, it can only mean good things for the Bruins this year. All of the players listed were going to be down on the depth chart and needed some help to get some playing time. Also, coming into this offseason, with the class we have coming in, UCLA was over the 85 player scholarship limit and was going to have to make some tough decisions on what players they would be encouraging to move on or choose to not renew their scholarships. These transfers make those decisions easier. Another player you can add to those that are not coming back is QB/WR Osaar Rasshan who undertook labrum surgery on his right shoulder and took a medical retirement, ending his playing career.


Osaar Rasshan

Summer Training Camp starts for the Bruins on August 10.