Posted by Spartan Phil on 1/14/2008, 7:43 am
66.74.159.122
Looks like Boise and Fresno are doing well down here and most of thers guys are quality. Last year, SJS was popping up in this column early and often.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Recruiting roundup for Orange County
Updates on Troy's Coleman and others, plus a list of where O.C.'s top players are headed.
By DAN ALBANO
OCVarsity.com
UCLA scored some major points with recruit Derrick Coleman when it hired Rick Neuheisel as its football coach.
“I was really glad,” the Troy senior running back said. “I was kind of glad because he’s an offensive guy.”
Coleman committed to the Bruins in June but took an official recruiting trip to USC after Coach Karl Dorrell was fired in early December.
After visiting the Trojans, Coleman took an official trip to Westwood the next weekend and left feeling renewed about his pledge to UCLA.
But with his approval of Neuheisel, Coleman now sounds like an even stronger commit to UCLA. On rivals.com, the All-County member is listed as a soft verbal for the Bruins.
“I’m a solid verbal (for UCLA),” the 6-foot, 225-pound Coleman said. “Everyone else is out.”
(Check out this link to OCVarsity.com's complete list of the top O.C. players being recruited.)
Coleman said he enjoyed a conversation last week with Neuheisel.
“He’s a really good guy,” he said of the coach, who had been the offensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens. “That was the first time I had talked to him and I already like him.”
Coleman also said he is not bothered by Neuheisel’s past, which includes a long list of secondary violations at Colorado.
“Whatever he did in the past is the past,” Coleman said. “You’ve just got to worry about the future and what you (can) do now.”
UCLA hopes its future includes a signature from Coleman on National Signing Day on Feb. 6.
ANOTHER BRUIN?
UCLA expressed interest last week in Mater Dei wide receiver/defensive back Carlo Valdes (6-2, 200).
Valdes said it was his first phone conversation with the Bruins since before the high school season. The senior was pleasantly surprised.
“I’ve always liked them (UCLA) since I was a little kid,” said Valdes, who has been offered a scholarship by Washington State.
Mater Dei coach Bruce Rollinson said Washington State likes Valdes’ straight ahead speed at receiver.
STILL SHOPPING?
Orange Lutheran All-County linebacker Ricky Pemasa (6-0, 210) said he is a solid verbal to Fresno State but added he might take more recruiting trips. Boise State is a possibility, the senior said.
LION KING
Westminster defensive lineman/tight end Toa Tuitea (6-3, 255) has at least 10 scholarship offers and is one of the most sought after uncommitted seniors in the county.
Arizona State and Vanderbilt are among his offers. Tuitea took an official trip to Arizona State in December and will visit Vanderbilt this weekend, his brother, Calvin Silva said.
“He really liked Arizona State and he likes the Vanderbilt coaches,” Silva said. “It might come down to those two but other schools are showing interest.”
THICK AND THIN
Mission Viejo linebacker Kameron Krebs (6-1, 210) said Cal, Oregon State, San Diego State and Utah continued to recruit him after he injured his right knee in late July. Krebs only played in the Diablos’ final two games in 2007.
Krebs played his first two seasons at Kahuku in Hawaii and plans to return to the school to graduate.
SHORT ROUTES
San Clemente offensive lineman Kevin Murphy (6-7, 261) has committed to Ivy League champion Harvard. … Santa Margarita defensive lineman Logan Harrell (6-3, 265) has a well-known god parent. Harrell’s god father is former Ram and Hall of Famer Jack Youngblood, who played with Harrell’s father, Robert, at the University of Florida. Harrell has six scholarship offers, including one from Washington State. … Kennedy coach Mitch Olson hopes that two-way lineman Jeremy Hensley (6-1, 270) will pick up some recruiting interest by playing in the inaugural Southern California Bowl on Jan. 26 at Cal State Fullerton at 1:15 p.m. “I definitely think he can go on and play (Division I-A),” Olson said. “On the field, he’s a mean and tough kid.” … Mater Dei senior-to-be quarterback Matt Barkley attended the U.S. Army All-American Bowl last week in San Antonio and was selected the Maxwell Award Club’s Outstanding Junior. The award was presented by former Philadelphia Eagles player Vince Papale, the subject of the movie “Invincible.”
Contact the writer: dalbano@ocregister.com
O.C. football recruiting list
By DAN ALBANO
OCVarsity.com
COMMITTED O.C. PLAYERS
Player School Pos. Ht. Wt. College
Blake Ayles Orange Lutheran TE 6-4 255 USC
Jeff Baca Mission Viejo OL 6-4 285 UCLA
Aaron Brewer Troy LS 6-4 215 San Diego St.
Derrick Coleman Troy RB 6-0 225 UCLA
Nick Crissman Edison QB 6-4 200 UCLA
Tim Hodgdon Tesoro OL 6-4 285 Wash. St.
Khaled Holmes Mater Dei OL 6-5 300 USC
Matt Kalil Servite OL 6-7 280 USC
Darren Koontz Los Alamitos DL 6-4 260 Boise State
Cameron Meredith Mater Dei DE 6-5 225 Nebraska
Ricky Pemasa Orange Lutheran OLB 6-0 210 Fresno State
Warren Reuland Mission Viejo WR 6-5 215 Stanford
D.J. Shoemate Servite Athlete 6-0 221 USC
Ross Williams Mission Viejo DE 6-3 215 San Diego St.
Also committed: Kevin Murphy (San Clemente, OL), Harvard
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UNCOMMITTED O.C. PLAYERS
Player School Pos. Ht. Wt. Recruited by
Andrew Abbott Mater Dei CB/WR 5-9 160 Air Force
Fresno St.
Hawaii
Sac. St.
San Diego St.
Robbie Boyer Mater Dei WR 6-1 175 Air Force
San Diego
Harvard
Andrew Douglass San Clemente LB 6-2 228 Montana
San Diego St.
Wes Fletcher Valencia RB 6-0 215 BYU
Idaho St.
Logan Harrell Santa Margarita DL 6-3 265 Fresno St.
Idaho
Idaho St.
Montana
UNLV
Wash. St.
Kory Johnson Brea LB 6-1 240 Colorado
Oregon St.
Kameron Krebs Mission Viejo LB/
S 6-1 210 BYU
Cal
Oregon St.
San Diego St.
Utah
Sean Kurtz Canyon LB 6-0 225 UC Davis
Utah St.
Anthony Laurenzi El Dorado DL 6-3 240 Hawaii
Nevada
San Diego St.
Wash. St.
Brady Lukas Esperanza LB 6-2 230 Air Force
San Diego St.
Stony Brook
UNLV
Austin Niklas Servite LB 6-2 230 Air Force
Montana St.
San Diego St.
Manuel Rojas Fullerton C/G 6-2 283 Fresno St.
Portland St.
Mississippi
Earnie Sagiao Edison LB 6-0 235 Boise St.
Fresno St.
New Mexico St.
Sac. St.
Ryan Saumur Cypress OLB/
H-back 6-2 195 Fresno St.
Idaho
No. Ariz.
Ben Tauanuu Mater Dei OL 6-5 286 Montana
Wash. St.
Toa Tuitea Westminster DL/
TE 6-3 250 Ariz.
Ariz. St.
Hawaii
Nevada
New Mexico St.
San Diego St.
Utah
Vanderbilt
Wash. St.
Carlo Valdes Mater Dei WR/
ATH/
DB 6-2 200 Ariz. St.
Oregon St.
UCLA
Wash. St.
Contact the writer: dalbano@ocregister.com
Message Thread:
« Back to thread