SB Nation User Blog: BlueReign

Senior Appreciation Post

BlueReign — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:49:52 -0000

Bumped. GO BRUINS. - N

Photo Credit: Francis Specker (AP)

Its been a rough week for all that bleed Blue & Gold. But, I don't think we should forget the young men that laid it on the line on behalf of Bruins Nation, bringing us joy watching them take the field on Saturdays. I'd like to say THANK YOU for representing UCLA with honor and class to our Senior class:

Chinoso Anyanwu, Terrence Austin, Korey Bosworth, Kyle Bosworth, Reggie Carter, Kevin Craft, Nick Ekbatani, Gavin Ketchum, Chane "The Train" Moline, Ryan Moya, Logan Paulsen, Jerzy Siewierski, Trevor "Moose" Theriot, Alterraun "ATV/Old Man" Verner, Jess Ward, Aaron Ware.

Although he is not a Senior, Brian Price must be included.

Honarable Mention: Jake Dean, Brandon Bennett, Jeff Miller and Garrett Rubio.

Post whatever comes to mind whether it be a play they've made, an impression upon meeting them, a story read about them, etc.

51: "Heart & Soul" of not only our Defense but UCLA Football. Reggie's personal story has touched many and I'm sure I speak for us all in saying we wish him the best and we'll be watching you on Sundays. P.S. Those sucsters are lucky that the ref got in the way of #51.

ATV: I'll never forget him running towards me in the Rose Bowl against Cal in 2007 for a Pick 6 to save the day for the Blue & Gold. Mathematics-Applied Science major. A true "Student-Athlete" unlike the sucsters in Senorita Ross's class. Competed with Van Wilder for being in school for what seems like forever. :D

KC: I think he cost me a few years of my life but nobody can question KC's heart and unselfishness. How many people would continue to get back up time and again after the pounding he took last year on behalf of the team and UCLA? He will forever have a place in my heart.

BP: The moment I read about how BP handled Cheaty during a In-Home visit, I had a Man Crush. BP has dealt with a lot of tragedy in his life yet found the courage and resolve to continue to move on. I'm going to miss him wearing the Blue & Gold. I hope he destroys every single sucster he encounters in the NFL.

I hope we get to see our boys 1 last time and get to fire up another Game Thread.

GO BRUINS!

Jefferson no longer a Bruin verbal

BlueReign — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 06:00:40 -0000

Per ESPN:

Five-star athlete Tony Jefferson (Chula Vista, Calif./Eastlake) decommitted from UCLA following an official visit to USC and will now decide for either the Trojans or the Oklahoma Sooners, ESPN's Greg Biggins reports.

"The UCLA players really disrespected me before the game," Jefferson said. "When they saw me, they were all cussing at me, telling me to never come around Westwood again and things like that. These were guys that I had hung out with before and it was a lot of the team. I guess I kind of see it since I was committed there and was wearing USC gear before their big game but I still didn't appreciate it."

If true, I don't condone the cussing that Jefferson had to endure but WTF? I know its an official and all but why the hell is he wearing suc gear in the most heated and biggest game of the year. Did Jefferson expect our guys to show him love wearing their garbage?

I hope this kid picks suc so we beat him his entire career down at Fig Tech. Not losing any sleep over this. Our class will be fine and just like suc, the recruits all saw what a lowlife scum bag Cheaty is and how the gap between the programs got a whole lot closer.

Recruiting/Roster Thoughts

BlueReign — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:43:01 -0000

This is not meant to take BN's focus off of the game in Pullman as our boys continue their fight for Bowl eligibility nor our Ben Ball Warriors and the upcoming season.

We received BIG news tonight with the verbal from Jordon James. I agree with others that Coleman will likely be switched to FB (as he was initially recruited for) and I expect Thigpen to be utilized like Trindon Holliday down in the Bayou. The competition to be the primary back and for carries should be quite entertaining and spark some interesting debates.

What really has me puzzled is mainly the number of recruits we are pursuing. CRN is not just pursuing multiple recruits at a position of need (DT) but across the board. As we currently stand right now, we will have 16 total scholarships (assuming Kia returns using his RS) to hand out to the 2010 recruiting class. BP is the only candidate that I see leaving early. If so, 17 total rides.

Per Scout.com we currently have 13 verbals. This does not include the pending enrollment of Koster and Maka (did he qualify?). Another 3 rides are spoken for by Smith, Fauria and Mobley (if he qualifies, we all need to cross our fingers he gets to Westwood). That brings the total to 18.

Yet, CRN is still out there pursuing a lot of highly touted recruits. The logical explanation is the normal attrition programs have every offseason. However, the numbers to me dictate that there could be a lot of guys that will not be on the roster come next fall. Without singling anyone out, it isn't a secret that the JR class has not panned out the way many envisioned.

So my question to BN is: If UCLA was to politely nudge some guys out, would you be ok with it in order to bring in better talent or is this something UCLA should not engage in?

Bullough & The Defense

BlueReign — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 04:14:52 -0000

Bumped. GO BRUINS. -N

Was able to finally get out to the Rose Bowl for the Cal game. I was hoping to see improvement from the Defense after reading about the "Players Only Meeting" but what I saw was the same concerns we've raised here on BN.

Here are some stats courtesy of: CFBStats.com

Total Defense Rank: 33

Scoring Defense Rank: 45 (21.6 pts per game)

Passing Defense: 20 (168.3 yds per game)

Rushing Defense: 79 (151.71 yds per game)

Here are the stats for the 1st Quarter:

Passing Defense: 91 (390 yds, 60.5% completion rate)

Rushing Defense: 95 (291 yds, 4.48 avg per carry)

Analysis after the jump.

These are our Pass & Run defense statistics from the season thus far:

San Diego State

Pass: 18-45, 238 yds

Run: 18 carries, 39 yds, 2.2 avg

Tennessee

Pass: 13-26, 93 yds

Run: 44 carries, 115 yds, 2.6 avg

Kansas State

Pass: 21-35, 199 yds

Run: 37 carries, 69 yds, 1.9 avg

Stanford

Pass: 14-20, 198 yds

Run: 44 carries, 174 yds, 4.0 avg

Oregon

Pass: 9-17, 82 yds

Run: 43 carries, 221 yds, 5.1 avg

Cal

Pass: 14-23, 205 yds

Run: 41 carries, 289 yds, 7.0 avg

First off, I personally think its a bunch of crock using the Bullough is/was told to not deviate from the DW defense. This is Bullough's defense and he is 100% responsible for the porous results thus far. I've read the arguments that we're young. Yes, we are young relatively speaking but this team does not lack game experience. Guys like Datone, Akeem, Rahim and Tony got plenty of time on the field last season and have been in the program for at least 2 fall camps. Even if Bullough was told to keep the DW playbook, we all read quotes from guys like Reggie who indicated that Bullough has added his personal touch to the defense.

Second, I have BIG issues with the Game Planning by Bullough. Time after time, we've seen our defense come out in the first quarter and look lost. The first quarter statistics for our defense are pretty telling in my eyes. Why the defense is not ready to fire on all cylinders from the kickoff continues to baffle me. In game adjustments seem to take way too long to happen.

Don't let those passing statistics fool you. We have yet to face a single big time QB this season. We've faced Lindley (new offense), Crompton (Overrated & new offense), Coffman (new offense), Luck (RS FR), Costa (Fill in for Masoli & coming off 2 ACL injuries) and Riley (erratic). We took advantage of the first 3 but failed to do so when we entered conference play. In conference play, teams didn't need to pass a lot since they were moving the ball on the ground. Why take the risk when we can't stop the run?

I'm more critical of the game planning/scheme since conference play has started. I believe that conference games are generally tougher than non-conference games because each team has accurate scouting reports of the other therefore teams don't lack information nor film of their opponents strengths/weaknesses/tendencies. Everybody and their mama knew that we were going to get a heavy dose of Gerhardt. Yet, we still got run over by Stanford in the 1st half. One would think that Bullough would stack the box and make Luck beat us. I saw too much base defense from us instead of changing coverages and blitzing Luck to cause confusion and create pressure. We then faced Oregon starting Costa who is making his 1st career start. Once again, we should have sold out to stop the run considering Costa was making his 1st start. Same goes for Cal who is quarterbacked by an erratic Riley.

We can point out that we were starting a True FR at CB. I can see the logic in protecting him for the Stanford game but if Price was the better option over Viney (still confused as to why he has yet to play considering Pressley & Carroll have gotten into games), then the protecting Price excuse does not work with me. The decision was made to go with Price over Viney so Bullough must be responsible for this decision.

Third, assuming that Bullough's game plans were sound, he is still failing miserably. Players are responsible for executing the game plan. However, it's clear to me that the players lack discipline (penalties & over pursuit) and cannot tackle if their life depended on it. We've seen penalties by the defense at critical times during the games keeping the opponent's drives alive. We've seen players not stay home on the backside leading to Best's TD run. We've seen our failure to tackle manifest itself when James flipped the field from the 1 yd line juking his way to midfield.

Our players are failing miserably in these aspects but the responsibility lies with Bullough. Every single player on our defense has had multiple starts and has been in this system for at least a year except for Price. This is an experienced defense with Mid-Season AA at all 3 levels of the defense. The lack of depth argument doesn't fly either. There aren't many teams that have the talent and experience we have on our defense. So are people going to make the same excuse next season when we lose both Boz's, Ward, Jerzy, Reggie, ATV and potentially BP? I guess people can use the "Youth" excuse next season.

I have been very critical of Price as well as others. I believe that Price is going to be a very good player in due time but he is clearly over-matched right now. My frustration lies with the fact that we've got Viney on the bench who has proven to be a good tackler for his size and played a very good game at Tennessee yet we fail to play him. Also, the Best run is not on Price. Akeem failed to stay home and Dye from his spot came inside where everybody else was instead of staying home on the outside. Dye would have had an opportunity to tackle Best and would have had help from ATV instead of ATV being on his own. Price came from the other side of the defense and tried to stop Best but there were 2 blockers. Price showed heart/hustle and never gave up on the play. For that, I commend Price.

I've been frustrated by the offense but I cannot deny the improvement no matter how small they may be. The defense on the other hand has been pathetic when considering all factors. As of now, count me in as someone that believes Bullough is in over his head and needs to get his pink slip. I hope he proves me wrong but I have no confidence in him and his coaching abilities.

1 Bruin Finished With "Patience"

BlueReign — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 03:28:07 -0000

Bumped. GO BRUINS. -N

I can't believe how my perception of the FB program has turned a 180 in a matter of 4 weeks. There is no excuse for what has happened or has not happened with this team and program.

I don't know if this is CRN or CNC's doing but our Offense is as vanilla as KD was as a HC. The conservative/limit mistakes offense was appropriate in a hostile environment with a RS FR QB but it's as if we've been playing in Knoxville every week thereafter. They keep on talking about stretching the field vertically but I'm not seeing this done on a consistent basis. Perfect example was the KP pick 6. Yes, KP should not have stared down the receiver and not thrown the ball but IMO, the coaches did not help the situation. All game long, we've been running short routes without threatening the field vertically. Everyone on that play was running a hitch. That CB was just waiting to pounce on that route. Oregon was starting a 3rd string CB yet we could not take advantage of this matchup?!? Just boggles my mind.

The staff is not utilizing the talent on this team appropriately, specifically the WR position. At this point, I cannot tell if Austin and Embree are just not that good or if their lack of production is a product of the playcalling. Either way, Rosario/Pressley/Carroll need more opportunities. These guys have advantages physically and can pose matchup problems. People have mentioned if we have a Fade Route in our playbook. Wouldn't it have been nice to see us use Rosario and Pressley down in the Red Zone instead of trying 2 QB sneaks in a row? Why assist the opposition by not utilizing their size but instead turn them into 5-10 WR's?

Example: In the Ole Miss/Bama game, Bama came out in an empty back field. Single WR to the right and bunch formation to the left (4 WR in a diamond formation). They threw a quick pass to the receiver in the back for 7 yds. Later in the game, they use the same formation but its flipped. The defense adjusts to this but this time, McElroy hits Julio Jones for about 25 yds as he was matched up man to man. Now imagine Rosario/Pressley/Embree in the front of the formation with a guy like Thigpen or Austin in the back or let another WR beat his man 1 on 1. If a defensive minded coach like Saban and his staff can come up with a play like that, I don't see why an offensive HC such as CRN and offensive guru like CNC cannot come up with something imaginative such as this. Frustrating doesn't begin to describe my feelings.

Our defense has been solid but there should be no talk about our defense being dominant. Gerhart ran all over our defense last week and we failed to tackle James all game long. That James run from the 1 yd line is a perfect example and flipped the field. This defense has MAJOR tackling issue. They continue to fail to wrap up time and time again. When we do tackle, the opponent always gets YAC yards or leans forward for another yard or two. In our back seven, we lack guys that just come up and destroy the opponent. We don't make hits like Telemeque (former LB Poly kid at Miami) who attacks the ballcarrier (See his upending of the GT RB) instead of breaking down and getting blown bye (See Sheldon Price).

I'm not privy to what exactly Viney did but he needs to get back on the field over Price. Price is not ready and really needs to get in the weight room. He cannot shed blocks nor is he ready to come up to make sure tackles. Viney may be undersized but he does tackle well for his size.

Ganz needs to get his pink slip. Our Special Teams was actually better under the old regime. The staff needs to take a look at putting more physical guys on ST. During that Kickoff return, you could clearly see Love being manhandled and not able to shed his block. On a side note, Love for all his physical attributes plays a lot smaller and lacks the type of killer instinct one would think he'd have considering his size.

Someone posted that CRN was telling the crowd to come out next week to support the team against Cal. I'll be there but not because of CRN but because of my support for the kids. Last year was understandable considering the transition from the prior regime and the turmoil (injuries) we went through. I did not anticipate us going 10-2 or something ridiculous like that. I do expect us to at least be 6-6 and get to a bowl game. This goal is still attainable but major changes must be made.

Asking for bowl eligibility is not asking too much in today's environment. Fair or not, coaches need to win and win as soon as possible. If Paul Johnson and Rich Rodriguez can instill a new/unorthodox offense without the parts and win, I don't see why CRN and staff can win with the ingredients on this roster. If a Guz Malzahn can turn bring Auburn's offense into the new millenium, I don't see why CRN and staff can't. Many have said that we could arguably have the best staff in the nation, well.....I'm still waiting and I'm pretty damn sure I'm not the only one.

For this Bruin fan, the Honeymoon is over. Players ultimately determine the outcome of the game but this staff has failed miserably in my eyes in putting our kids in positions to succeed thus far.

Tenn Preview

BlueReign — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 04:18:27 -0000

Bumped. Good primer from BlueReign. GO BRUINS. -N

This game will be our first challenge of the season and a more accurate barometer of how much we really have improved. Nobody on our team has experienced an atmosphere quite like Knoxville. The last time UCLA entered such hostile territory was in 2003 when we went to Norman, OK. Tenn is in a similar situation as ours but the 100K orange clad fans make this a very challenging game.

When Cal went over to Tenn and got blitzed, their True FR CB, Thompson (SR now) made mention of how stunned he was by the atmosphere. He then showed it when Stallworth left him in the dust for a TD. The bulk of our roster lacks extensive game experience so I fully expect the youngsters to have the deer in the headlights look to them.

We've talked about our team's strength being the defense. Our defense must help us weather the initial storm because I expect our offense to have problems initially. They cannot start out slow against Tenn as we did against SD St.

Tenn Offense v UCLA Defense

I expect Tenn to lean on the run game. As documented, Tenn is missing experience at the WR position due to injuries. The left side of their OL (LT - Scott & LG - Richard) consits of 2 seniors with Scott being an All-Sec type of performer. Their backs (Hardesty & Brown) are on the bigger side weighing around 215 lbs. I'm not going to state the obvious (Price having a big game) but Datone will be critical in this game. He'll be matched up against Scott and if he can hold the edge, our LB's should be able to flow to the ball to limit their run game. Dye needs to take proper angles and be a sure tackler in this game because he'll need to support the front 7.

Crompton suffered the same fate like Drew by having multiple coordinators during his career but the kid has talent. Crompton is not very mobile and if we can get pressure on him, he'll make bad decisions. Tenn is playing 2 FR (Teague is starting) in their WR rotation. Every opponent will be picking on whomever is the CB opposite ATV. Viney must be ready for the challenge.

UCLA Offense v Tenn Defense

Tenn like UCLA has playmakers at all 3 levels of their defense (Williams/McCoy/Berry). Not going to mention what our OL will have to do. Prince is going to have his hands full in this environment. Prince must get the offense lined up in plenty of time for the snap and needs to ensure he looks off Berry. Franklin waived on a block early against SD St. I think Chow will use the RB as an extra blocker to help X in addition to picking up the blitzing LB. Whomever is in, must not miss their block.

Special Teams

Tenn's starting CB, Rogan is a decent return man. Hopefully our kicks are long and the coverage teams are sound.

I always respected the Tenn progam. But it is quite clear with the upset we pulled off last year and Kiffin & Orgeron's hatred for us, they'll be coming for blood against us. Asking such a young and inexperienced team to come out of Knoxville with a win may be asking too much. Whether we win or not, if we are competitive in such a hostile environment, it bodes well for this years team and our hopes for the futue of the program.

State Of The Bruin Address

BlueReign — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 02:45:01 -0000

Bumped. GO BRUINS. -N

Finally got around to finishing this. Hopefully, it isn't redundant as there are a lot of good write-ups in the web analyzing the team as a whole and by position breakdowns. I know it is waaay too early but my look into the fooball program will be more recruiting based. Based on the numbers, we are looking at a total of 19 rides. 9 rides (2 transfers & 7 verbals) have already been spoken for. There will likely be 2-3 more rides that become available due to varying reasons.

NOTE #1: Projected Starters in bold per Spring Media Guide

NOTE #2: Out of state recruits noted by state

QB: Craft (RS SR), Prince (RS FR), Crissman (RS FR) & Brehaut (FR)

Verbals: Nottingham

Offers: Tyler Bray (No Offer)

-There is talk that we might throw our names in the hat. He grew up a Bruin fan and his name has exploded onto the national scene after one of the Elite 11 camps. It's getting crowded at the position but Crissman's shoulder is a concern.

-Prince has the strongest arm, Brehaut has some jiggle while Nottingham's strength is his accuracy. The talent level at this position is returning to the days of Aikman/Bono/Maddox/McNown/etc. Prince has the tools but lacks the experience. If the OL can give him time, he should be able to manage the game and mature as the season progresses.

RB: Ramirez (RS JR), Coleman (Soph), Franklin (RS FR), Knox (RS FR), Thigpen (FR) & Hilliard (FR)

FB: Moline (SR), Theriot (RS SR), Umodu (RS JR), Allmond (FR)

Verbals: None

Offers: Jordon James, Malcolm Jones and Anthony Barr

-Barr looks to be headed to ND. We are in the thick of things for both James and Jones. Either one works but if they both want to come, we take talent. Only concern is our RB position is looking like sucs with lack of spacing.

-Read how Chow really likes Ramirez's ability to catch the ball out of the backfield and this is the likely reason he sat at #1 even when injured in the spring. A bit upright when he runs a la Dickerson but he has had some big games before. Coleman should have gotten more carries last year. Eager to see what Franklin/Thigpen can do with their speed and we'll see if Knox indeed has a lil' MoDrew in him. There probably won't be enough carries for all but I'm anticipating someone to emerge to be the man. Franklin/Thigpen/Knox can definitely be contributors in the field position game.

-Just so the FB's don't feel unappreciated.....the Moline/Theriot combo should be a source of strength for the offense and comfort for Prince. Umodu and Allmond provide depth with Allmond (Hope he gets cleared) possibly outgrowing the position. More after the jump.

WR: Austin (SR), Ketchum (RS SR), Embree (Soph), Rosario (Soph), Moutra (Soph), Johnson (RS FR), Carroll (FR), Presley (FR) & Marvray (FR)

Verbals: Josh Smith (RS JR)

Offers: Woods, Richardson, Stills, Jefferson and Lucas (MO)

-Woods is the prized playmaker of the bunch. Richardson is a

legacy that pulled his verbal. Stills and Jefferson are other options. Doubt we get Lucas to come out west while Mizzou is humming. 1 ride max since Smith will be eligible next season and I know the staff will be after George Farmer hard.

-The staff has recruited this position very well the last 2 years. The talent level has definitely increased. Our receivers seem to have problems getting separation but I'll just chalk it up to our offensive woes and learning a new system. I think we all know what we'll get from Austin/Ketchum/Embree. I'm especially eager to see if and how Carroll's speed and Rosario/Presley's size will impact the O.

TE: Paulsen (RS SR) or Moya (RS SR), Miller (RS JR), Chandler (RS Soph) & Harkey (Soph)

Verbals: Joseph Fauria (RS Soph)

Offers: Thomas and Young

-I read Coach Howard liked Miller on the DL last year before injuries shifted him to TE. I respect Chandler for being the consumate team player and not busting a T.O. for being switched constantly. Whether or not Miller and/or Chandler get moved this year, we should ink 1 more TE. Thomas is 1 of the 3 national recruits out west while Young is balling with CRN's son.

-This is arguably our strongest position. Paulsen and Moya's games complement each other very well. They are proven players who have produced at this level and I anticipate big things from them this season. Harkey provides quality depth and in due time, he will also be a force.

OL: Micah Kia (SR), Nick Ekbatani (RS SR), Eddie Williams (JR), Ryan Taylor (RS JR), Sean Sheller (RS JR), Darius Savage (RS JR), Jake Dean (RS JR), Brandon Bennett (RS JR), Mike Harris (RS Soph), Kai Maiava (RS Soph), Jeff Baca (Soph), Connor Bradford (RS FR), Nik Abele (FR), Greg Capella (FR), Stan Hasiak (FR), Xavier Su'a-Filo (FR)

Verbals: None

Offers: Ward, Kohler, Ajawara, Yandall, Henderson (MN), Innes (AZ) and Wilson (FL)

-We are looking good for Ward/Ajawara/Yandall although Ward being from Mater Dei is a bit worrisome. Kohler is leaning UDub while Henderson is a long shot at best. We aren't at the point where we can pull a kid from FL yet. Come 2011, this class will really be needed to contribute considering the losses and X possibly being on his mission. 3 or 4 should do the trick.

-This is the make or break year for the highly touted 2006 OL class. I can't tell if their underwhelming performance is due to inflated rankings or the coaching instability or both. Read how Harris has really transformed himself and eager to see how nasty Maiava is. It'll be interesting how much the JC guys and Hasiak/X are able to contribute to this position. IMO, our best bet for improvement with this unit will be based on the amount the holdovers have improved rather than being dependant upon the new additions. I'm optmistic about this unit and I think they'll surprise even the people that look at this unit through Blue & Gold glasses.

DT: Ward (RS SR), Siewierski (SR), Price (JR), Keane (RS JR), Carter (RS JR) and Edison (RS Soph)

Verbals: Moore and Flowers

Offers: Marsh, Uko, Taula, Pennix, Willis (SC), Heimuli (UT), Potoae (WA), Allen (MN), Epanesa (HI) and Lagafuaina (HI)

-Moore and Flowers is a good start but they're undersized as opposed to being behemoths. The staff is making a concentrated effort to recruit this position as we have a pressing need. Price stated he'd be back for his SR year but if he has a monster year which we all anticipate he will, he will likely jump to the NFL. That'll leave us with 3 bodies who were converted from different positions. The west is not known for producing DT's and this position has historically been a position that we've had difficulty getting talent and building depth. The out of staters seem like a longshot except for the Hawaii recruits. Uko does not mention us anymore while Taula/Pennix seem more like Plan B options. Marsh was a verbal to Cal. It's a long time till Signing Day but this is definitely a position that requires at least 2 more bodies because this class will not have the luxury of redshirting.

-Price & Siewierski is a good start but we lack depth at this position. An injury to either one of these guys will be a serious blow that we will not be able to recover from as the Pac 10 has some good RB's and there seems to be a shift in emphasizing the run more. Hopefully a couple of the backups present themselves to be viable options but this may be wishful thinking.

DE: Anyanwu (RS SR), Bosworth (RS SR), Stokes (RS JR), Jones (Soph), Holmes (RS FR), Graham (FR) and Tepa (FR)

Verbals: Jackson (RS Soph or RS JR)

Offers: Powell and Odighizuwa (OR)

-Jackson is a welcome addition seeing we'll be left with 4 guys come 2010. Powell is a heavy suc lean while getting Odighizuwa out of Oregon will be a challenge. This is another position of need should Graham and Tepa not be redshirted. Maybe Ian Davis will prove to be more than a walk-on or a bulked up Donovan Carter can fill in. In the last recruiting cycle, there was mention of Koster possibly playing DE. I'm sure there are other names that will emerge during the season and hopefully we add a body for spacing purposes.

-Love Boz's motor while we all anticipate the talented Jones (NFL written all over him) to emerge this year. Stokes is solid and we'll see what Holmes can do. We may need Graham and Tepa to suit up whether they are ready or not due to depth issues.

LB: R Carter (RS SR), Bosworth (RS SR), Schmitt (RS JR), Ayers (RS Soph), Sloan (RS Soph), Westgate (Soph), Larimore (RS FR), D Carter (RS FR), Bowens (FR), Golper (FR) and Koster (FR)

Verbals: None

Offers: Shirley, Pullard, Fehoko (HI), Elisara (HI) and Lewis (TX)

-I consider Kaiser (IE in general) and Crenshaw HS to be Bruin strongholds. In 2006, suc inked a RB class of Johnson/Moody/Gable. Yet, they offered and inked the 3 star RB, Ashley from Venice HS although they were cleaning house. I suspected it to be a move in order to ink the highly rated S, Mouton who ended up going to Michigan. I see the same thing happening with the offer and verbal for Brown at Kaiser HS. We've all read/seen the the meltdowns from Fig Tech. I see this as another sign that Cheaty is feelin' the heat from CRN (See the post about CRN runnin' into Cheatey at a inner city HS by N). I like the numbers and talent but losing Shirley and Pullard would bug me a bit. We're doing a better job mining HI for talent and Fehoko is supposed to be a good one. I believe Coach Moore has a connection with Lewis but plucking him at this stage is likely a difficult task. Thomas has the body to grow into a LB and scouts note that Jefferson may be a more natural OLB.

-I think Reggie is going to have a HUGE year being a Senior and all. Bosworth is no slouch either and like Jones, Ayers is a star in the making whom pro scouts are probably eyeing. Bosworth's injury helped in getting Sloan a lot of experience and we'll need him to spell the starters. It'll be interesting to see which of the youngsters will be ready to contribute.

CB: Verner (SR), Viney (RS Soph), Hester (RS FR), Pollard (FR), Price (FR ), Mascarenas (FR) and Sermons (FR)

Verbals: None

Offers: Richardson, Nelson (AZ) and Christian (PA)

-We are well stocked at the moment with McDonald possibly moving over to play CB. I used to think that a couple of the FR would move over to safety but I'm not so sure anymore considering the 3 verbals. Assuming status quo, think the rides need to be used to fortify the DL.

-Doesn't it seem like ATV has been around forever? We're fortunate to have him back or we'd be really worried about this position. The amount of wisdom that these cubs are going to get from just hanging around ATV is invaluable to them and the program. I like the aggressiveness/physicality that Hester brings but he'll have to tone it down because he's going to get picked on and the refs usually don't give them the benefit of the doubt. Viney adds depth and we'll see which of these youngsters are ready because we may need at least one to suit up.

S: Ware (RS SR), Love (RS Soph), Moore (Soph), Dye (Soph) and McKay (FR)

Verbals: Jefferson, McDonald and Thomas

Offers: Parker, Riley, Dargen and Flowers (AZ)

-Dargen was just offered so the logic says someone will be moved and the players on our board are likely looking elsewhere. Wherever Jefferson ends up, he is going to be a good one. WWL has him ranked at #9. I don't even remember the last time we got someone out of Michigan. Interesting to see yet another player with suc ties heading to Westwood.

-What more can we say about Moore. He lived up to all the HS hype and he like Jones/Ayers should take his game to another level. We all know if Love can stay healthy, he can be a good one. I love Dye's versatility which prevents a steep drop-off when we go Nickel. Ware adds depth so I think McKay and any of the FR CB's that get moved will likley be redshirts.

K: Forbath (RS JR)

P: Locke (RS FR)

LS: Yount (JR)

Verbals/Offers: None

-What more can you say about Forbath but Money. We'll need Locke to be able to hold his own in order to win the field position battle. Although highly touted, I expect him to have his struggles just like Kluwe/Perez/etc. when they first played. Maybe 1 of the 3 walk-on kickers will be a pleasant surprise should they be pressed into battle. Yount is doing his job since I haven't noticed a lot of trouble in the kicking game.

Final Thoughts

Our talent level has definitely increased thanks to the uptick in recruiting. Our team is still very young with only 32 of the 83 scholarship players being upperclassmen. We paid the price last season pressing youngsters into the lineup due to all the injuries. However, the experience the younger players gained was much needed because to date, the JR class as a whole has underperformed. The Soph class will be the core of the progam that complete the job of returning UCLA back to national prominence.

The early offer strategy for the 2008 class caught Cheaty by surprise. Cheatey in response followed suit in 2009 but CRN was able to battle and ink suc verbals and some of the undecided recruits on Signing Day. It'll be interesting to see what happens on Signing Day 2010 as both programs are once again going heads up for some big names.

The program is heading under the right direction under the leadership of CRN. Even if the ncaa (don't deserve capitals) fails to put suc in its place like we all expect them to, the UCLA Football brand will be taken notice by the college football nation shortly.

GO BRUINS!

Last Snapshot till Signing Day (02/04)

BlueReign — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 17:59:21 -0000

No matter what the results are, all Bruin fans should be ecstatic about the relentless effort put forth by the entire coaching staff. Our staff has been racking up the mileage heading towards Signing Day. CRN was also at the game last night where there was a contingent of 2010 recruits. In addition, we are going toe to toe for talent against suc. Something that did not happen under the prior regime. There has been a definite transformation of the UCLA FB culture.

Bruin report Online has ~~a free~~ link on the status of the remaining UCLA targets.

Bruins are in still in serious contention for many recruits including Hasek and Te'o. I'm thrilled that we are no longer a Speed Bump but a Road Block to suc. We have yet to prove it on the field, but we should all feel confident that it is only a matter of time. The combination of top notch coaching and increased talent will result in lots of W's for the Blue & Gold.

2009 FB Recruiting: Stretch Run

BlueReign — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 22:50:27 -0000

Bumped. Great discussion starting post by BlueReign re. stretch run. Would love to get feedback on this from others who are closely following recruiting as well. GO BRUINS. - N

Our staff is looking at roughly a month till Signing Day on February 4th. The class thus far is looking solid and could possibly round out into a very good class with a few additions. With the assistance of varying sources out in the www, I thought a snapshot with some predictions would be interesting.

Verbal Commits (18)

QB: Brehaut
WR: Marvay & Toma
TE: Presley
OL: Hasiak, Capella, Taylor & Johnson
DL: Warner & Graham
LB: Golper & Bowens
DB: Mascarenes, Price and Sermons
ATH: Allmond, Hillard & Williams

My Predictions:

Kennard (DE): No shot. Unless he is 1 of the silent commits? Wishful thinking on my part. I think he goes to suc like Everson Griffin.
Te'o (LB): Had some hope with the Punahou connections but this is a BYU and suc battle IMO. The pull from the Mormon faith will be too much at the end. I hope I'm wrong and he joins Toma/Hilliard and alumnus, Norm Chow.
Su'a-Filo (OL): We had a better shot with Martinez IMO. We could have had a better shot if Martinez verballed to us but now....think he ends up at BYU ultimately. There was talk of wanting to play with Martinez but with suc already having a lot of OL in the class and LSU being so far away, logic says local school wins out.
Phillip (OL): We were supposedly leading but now it's a toss up. Really hope we get this kid and I think ultimately CRN & NC will seal the deal.
Abele (OL): We lead and I think he is a silent commit. Has a good frame and potential. Some talk of him being a DT which Utah is recruiting him for. Utah coming on strong but UCLA bound IMO.
Carroll (WR): As previoulsy noted, we have a shot but CAL (childhood fav) bound IMO.
Flourney (WR): I know N doesn’t agree but I think he comes to Westwood. Whether we like it or not, UCLA has been seen as soft. Local recruits have always viewed suc as the place to go for top notch football. In addition, UCLA didn’t have the "street cred" because we didn’t recruit the City Section hard. Times have changed and continue to. We had a huge contingent of City guys last year and I’m sure Knox & D. Carter are using their influence to lure Flourney.
Wheaton (WR/DB): Has Oregon written all over him. Cousin Kenny (no not that Kenny) played for the Ducks.
Sanders (TE/DE): Think he is one of the silent commits. Gotta help that Dye picked the U at the UA game. UCLA bound IMO.
Tepa (DE): Hawaii verbal but he may be one of the silent commits. CRN has been recruiting him pretty damn hard and we really need some help on the DE position. Tepa realizes the potential for early PT and the job CRN is doing and is UCLA bound.
Van Noy (LB): Has made it well known that it is BYU. Coming for a visit but highly unlikely he comes to UCLA.
Maka (LB): Zona verbal but his parents want him to go to UCLA. Parents ALWAYS win out.
White (S): If qualified, UCLA bound.
Tonga (S): Sticking with Hawaii
McKay (S): UCLA is his dream school but has concerns about depth. It’ll be White or McKay. One or the other IMO.
Pollard (CB): Unfortunately, I see him sticking with ND. If DW was still here, then we had a decent shot in swaying him back.
Eguae (DT): Don’t know anything about him. Undersized for a DT but I doubt that he comes to Westwood. Big 12 bound somewhere.
Hubbard (OL): Elsewhere. I think he is standing in line behind the other O linemen.

I’m not sure if my figures are accurate but we will have 66 guys on scholarship next year. That leaves us with 19 rides. Only 25 per class unless you mix in some early enrollments (Presley, Brehaut & Taylor thus far) and Gray Shirts. Seeing that we already have 18 verbals, how the math works I have no clue as CRN is actively recruiting these kids. Dohn mentioned that there would be no attrition but we’ll see how this plays out. Juco’s Williams, Johnson and Warner may not qualify. Warner is a MUST get IMO or the DT position will be dire should Price leave early to the NFL. Need the scour the area for some DT’s but it may not materialize in this recruiting class (NOTE: George Uko of Chino is said to like UCLA a lot but he is a 2010 recruit). There are other kids waiting on offers from UCLA but it’ll likely be determined based on what happens with the remainder of the class.

I’m optimistic that the staff can keep the current verbals (especially Hasiak) together and supplement this solid class with some additional names. Hopefully my predictions on the bigger names are off and we see a few surprises come signing day.

Ah....the Humanitarian (Cheatey's failure of an ambush)

BlueReign — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 17:36:01 -0000

Note to Cheatey: You will never transcend beyond being nothing but a coach. PERIOD. Your PR stunts in the inner city are not genuine in my eyes and stop trying to be Coach Wooden because you ain’t and you’ll never be.

This makes things so much more clearer. It’s all about RECRUITING, RECRUITING, RECRUITING. Everything I’ve said about Kenny stands. He’s always been 6 feet underground for all I care. Lets put everything that has transpired since CRN’s arrival into context.

suc has been dominant, no question about it. They not only owned the city but the Pac 10 and was a juggernaut on the national stage. Their dominance began with the deteriorating Toledo’s years and through the KD years. Cheatey never had any competition nor was there such a credible threat such as CRN. It’s like Auburn (6 consecutive Iron Bowl wins) before Saban got to town. Tubberville was dominating the series and in state recruiting. Now that Bama has a name coach, the script has been flipped. We’re not as psycho (unreasonable) as the southerners who fired Tubberville, but the Auburn boosters who spearheaded the ouster were feeling the “heat” from Bama’s rise. I don’t agree with their decision and I question Chizik but that is a different topic.

Now comes CRN who is a proven winner and who also spanked Cheatey while he was at UDUB. A coach who is intelligent, charismatic, PR saavy, has local ties, way better looking :P, etc. A coach that doesn’t have that deer in the headlights look but can make the necessary adjustments in the heat of battle. Add to this CRN’s ability to convince DW to stay on as DC although DW wanted the HC position. DW is not perfect but he has made our defense relevant and he has been a very good recruiter as well. Kids like to play for him. If this wasn’t enough, CRN reels in NC who has tutored a laundry list of Hesiman QB’s who continued off to the NFL. Not to mention somebody whom Chetey knows wants to kick his arse and who was the true reason for their success. All this adds up to “Instant Credibility” for CRN and the UCLA Football Program. Cheatey is scum but he isn’t stupid. He saw the writing on the wall. He now knew that recruiting would no longer be a walk in the park but a battle in the Octagon. Then we come out with the ad that the “Dynasty is over” (I personally loved it). This was something that we would have never done in the past. Something this confident and fearless that you’re time is slowly coming to an end. Cheatey and scums laughed it off. Rightfully so because we have yet to prove anything nor provide the type of results to justify such. But……..

So Cheatey is feeling safe because scum was still getting the top guys while we were struggling to establish the foundation of our program. But the face of recruiting started to changed and in less than a year since CRN has arrived. Pressley who I believe orally committed during the summer before his jr year saw the light and switched. Carroll and Flourney are openly looking at us as well as other schools. We’re in a dogfight for Manti, Martinez, etc. All guys that scum targeted and I’m sure they believed they were going to get. CRN is making inroads at programs that have tranditionally been strongholds for scum (Mater Dei, LB Poly, Oaks Christian, etc.). Players at scum are telling recruits on their official vists that they regret going there because they are sitting on the bench. In the past, if recruits wanted to stay local, they really had no choice but to go to scum. Even with full depth charts, nobody in their right mind was going to put their future in the hands of KD. But not anymore. Recruits now have a legitimate and viable option at UCLA. Playing time is available, top notch coaching is available, top notch education, a campus where you’re not going to get mugged, etc. Especially if you’re an offensive recruit, who would you rather be coached by? CRN (Rose Bowl MVP/coached College & NFL Hall of Famer Troy Aikman/NFL experience) & NC (Too many Heismans/QB friendly offenses/NFL experience) or some guy named John Morton. The answer is easy and the recruits are beginning to see this IMO.

During a time where their sole focus should be on a very good Penn St. team, they’re wasting their time & energy on something so fickle and unsubstantiated as this? For real? It’s the Dead Period so maybe this is scum’s way of letting the recruits know that their staff is intact since Kenny’s main responsibility is the LA area. Oh, they’re definitely feeling the heat and tide turning. The logical thing for them to do was to contact CRN and then hash this out. But of course, that would mean that they had class or integrity. Remember, this is the guy that unilaterally decided that scum was going to wear ketchup jerseys although both coaches were discussing this. Cheatey really loves the spotlight. If indeed recruits were being told things about Kenny (no way this happened), something so trivial like this should have been left up to Kenny to address privately. Cheatey will never say it, but reading his comments, he may not be shaking in his boots but he definitely feels the threat that CRN & UCLA Football has become already.

I’m lovin every single minute of this because not only do we feel the momentum, but so does the Humanitarian at Fig Tech. CRN will get the job done. I’m ABSOLUTELY sure about this. Why? For CRN, this is a labor of love. For Cheatey, this is for his own personal glory. People achieve much more when they believe and enjoy what they are doing. The Dynasty is not over but you can be damn sure that it will be over sooner rather than later.