National Signing Day lands UCLA 19 strong recruits amid controversy

Though UCLA’s National Signing Day had everything, the Bruins may still come up lacking.

Make no mistake, UCLA’s 2015 recruiting class – which ranked as high as No. 4 by Scout.com – is perhaps the most talented coach Jim Mora has brought in since arriving in Westwood a little more than three years ago.

“This class had a little bit more oomph. Guys on national TV were pulling out UCLA hats. I’m not going to lie to you, that feels pretty good,” Mora said. “I think we filled needs, I think we added a tremendous amount of talent to the offensive side of the ball.”

The Bruins certainly did as they struck early and often, landing Chris Clark of Avon, Conn. – considered the nation’s top tight end – and Sotonye “Soso” Jamabo, of Plano, Texas – the top running back prospect – before the sun rose in Los Angeles Wednesday.

Mora said that the battle for Clark between UCLA and Michigan was a “battle to the end” before the Bruins landed a player Mora said gives UCLA something it hasn’t had since former Bruin Joseph Fauria in terms of his ability as a blocker and receiver.

“I just felt at home on my visit to UCLA. I know it’s really far away but all the players made me feel real comfortable,” Clark said during his televised announcement on ESPN. “I have an unbelievable relationship with the coaching staff, especially coach Mora. He’s almost become like a second dad to me over the last couple of weeks.”

Jamabo – who brought out two UCLA hats to represent his top two choices during his televised announcement – said that while he considers himself a running back, he is open to playing at receiver. Mora praised the Texan’s ability to run between the tackles, block and catch the ball out of the backfield.

“A lot of people think I’ll be a receiver, a lot of people think I’ll be a running back. It’s wherever I fit best at,” Jamabo said during his announcement on ESPNU. “I feel that I’m a running back, but wherever I’ll be the most successful at the next level is what I want.”

The pair was soon joined by another pair of talented out-of-state prospects as Oklahoma native Joshua Wariboko – a consensus four-star guard – and Georgia linebacker Roquan Smith – the country’s top middle linebacker – also announced their intention to sign with UCLA.

But while Clark, Jamabo and Wariboko faxed their letters of intent – all but ensuring they will suit up for the Bruins next season – Smith wavered as news broke that UCLA defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich had been offered a job to become the linebacker’s coach with the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons minutes after Smith’s announcement.

Mora said that Ulbrich has not yet come to a conclusion on whether he will remain at UCLA or accept the job with Atlanta.

As a result, per reports, Smith has re-opened his recruitment and will choose between Georgia, Texas A&M;, Michigan and UCLA in the coming days.

Per NCAA rules, Mora could not speak directly about Smith as he has not signed a letter of intent but said that he was confident and hopeful “(he’ll) be able to talk about more players down the line.”

And so, a morning in which UCLA appeared to be the biggest winners quickly turned to a day filled with shock, rumors and conjecture – all par for the course on National Signing Day.

While UCLA awaited Smith and Ulbrich’s respective decisions, the rest of the Bruins’ day was a mixed bag. The team missed out on talented Joseph Wicker – a four-star defensive tackle that would’ve filled a major hole on the Bruins’ defense – as he opted to attend Arizona State.

The loss of Wicker was exacerbated by four-star defensive end Cassius Peat’s flip to Michigan State, while the Bruins also missed out on two receivers that had previously committed to the Bruins. News broke early Wednesday that four-star receiver L.J. Reed will attend a junior college instead of joining the Bruins, while fellow four-star receiver Ryan Newsome flipped to in-state power Texas after committing to UCLA two weeks ago.

“We missed on some young men we wanted, that’s how recruiting goes,” Mora said, who added that defensive line is his biggest concern coming out of National Signing Day.

UCLA did land two four-star recruits, Stephen Johnson III and Cordell Broadus at receiver, though Mora said Johnson III’s position is still to be decided and he may move to cornerback. Broadus – the son of famed rapper Snoop Dogg – landed with UCLA, despite his father’s long-held allegiance to USC.

“We told him we’d stand by his decision. That’s what we did. We’re Bruins now” Snoop Dogg said during Broadus’ televised announcement. “I’m gonna back him up 1,000 percent and throw out my USC drawers”

Despite the losses of Smith, Reed, Newsome, Peat and Wicker – who was considered a UCLA-lean – the latest crop of Bruins remain an all-around talented group, particularly on offense, with the average player rating a 3.79 per Rivals and a 4 according to Scout. Most recruiting services rate USC as the only class better than UCLA’s within the Pac-12.

Five-star quarterback Josh Rosen – regarded as the top quarterback prospect in the nation by both Scout and Rivals – anchors the class he is in part responsible for bringing in.

Wariboko said that the opportunity to play with “elite” players such as Rosen made the decision to go to UCLA “that much easier for (him)” while Jamabo said that he has been in communication with Rosen, as well as other UCLA commits.

Aside from the skill position players, two position groups – offensive line and defensive back – stand out in particular for the Bruins. UCLA brought in the nation’s top center – Fred Ulu-Perry Jr. – to go with four-star tackle Andre James and four-star guard Tevita Halalilo. Three-star junior college transfer Zach Bateman caps off a group Mora said rates as the top offensive line recruiting class in the nation.

Meanwhile the secondary received major reinforcements with the addition of several long, physical and athletic players, a stated goal of Mora’s – headlined by DeChaun Holiday – rated the No. 76 overall prospect by Scout.

Joining Holiday in what Mora said is the No. 6 defensive back recruiting class are Colin Samuel, Will Lockett, Octavius Spencer and Nathan Meadors all of whom are rated a three or four-star. Mora said the group allows the Bruins to play more bump-and-run coverage due to the group’s overall physicality. However, while they will most likely start out on defense, Mora identified Holiday and Spencer as players that may eventually line up as receivers as well.

Three-star running back Bolu Olorunfunmi figures to provide a physical presence in the backfield at 5-foot-10-inches 213 pounds. A pair of four-stars – outside linebacker Joshua Woods and defensive end Rick Wade – represent solid additions to the defensive front seven.

The crown jewel of UCLA’s recruiting on the defensive side of the ball however, is five-star outside defensive end Keisean Lucier-South – who rated as the the No. 14 overall prospect by Rivals and figures to contribute heavily for the Bruins in his initial campaign.

“We’ve been building a relationship with Keisan and his family for a long, long time and it culminated today,” Mora said. “He brings that presence off the edge that you have to have in your pass rush if you want to be successful in the Pac-12.”

In all it’s a 19-man class – for now – comprised of 11 offensive and eight defensive players, and one headlined by the five-star skill position players that have for the most part eluded Mora and his coaching staff during their tenure at UCLA.

But it is also one overshadowed by the players that still got away and the coach whose stay may have come to an end.