Rising freshman football players gain edge in early enrollment
Brett Hundley gave up his senior year in high school to play at UCLA.
By Daily Bruin Staff
April 15, 2011 2:17 a.m.
The end of a high school student’s senior year contains so many memorable moments. Some of the popular ones include senior prom, senior skip day, yearbook day and of course the luxury of ruling the school for those precious last months.
But Aaron Wallace, Sam Tai and Brett Hundley ““ each of them the stars of their respective high school football teams ““ are back at ground zero. They’ve given up their senior years, and the perks that come with it, to enroll early at UCLA and participate in spring practice.
The three would-be high school seniors enrolled in winter quarter classes and participated in offseason workouts with the rest of the team in preparation for spring practice.
Tai, an 18-year-old graduate of Liberty High School in Henderson, Nev., has no doubts that he made the right decision to enroll early.
“It’s going to put me at a huge advantage because I’ve already been with the team, and I know how the players work,” the defensive end said. “I basically had my senior year last year with all of my friends so I was just eager to get out and get started with football.”
The three have quickly become friends and banded together. In fact, Wallace, a linebacker out of Rancho Bernardo High School in San Diego, and Tai are roommates on campus.
As a five-star quarterback recruit, Hundley is often billed as the savior of the UCLA program.
Although he is quick to reject the notion of being the “savior,” Hundley’s decision to enroll early was a no-brainer in order to immerse himself in the offensive playbook.
Hundley said he has been aided by his new friends, and they’ve all helped one another adjust to the pressures of college football and college academics alike.
“It’s nice to come with a couple of other people because you’re in the same situation as those other guys, and you try to work and get better,” he said. “If you come by yourself, it’s harder.”
Coach Rick Neuheisel is no stranger to the practice of having his players enroll early.
Rising junior Richard Brehaut did the same thing in 2008 when he left Los Osos High School in Rancho Cucamonga.
“I’m proud of them,” Neuheisel said of this year’s new Bruins. “They’re all doing a nice job. I think they will be very productive players here in time.”
