Squad signs balanced class of promising recruits

By Greg Lewis
Daily Bruin Senior Staff

UCLA football caught a glimpse of its future Wednesday as 18
recruits sent in their letters-of-intent to enroll in Westwood.

The Bruins signed 18 players, 11 on offense, seven on defense,
17 from high school and one from junior college.

“We are very excited about this group of young men,”
head coach Bob Toledo said. “While I feel it always takes a
few years to properly assess recruiting classes, I feel this one
has outstanding potential. Our coaching staff did a great job of
assembling a well-balanced class.”

Rivals Network rated UCLA’s class as the ninth best in the
country, and it included 16 Prepstar Dream Teamers or
All-Americans. Florida State had the nation’s top-rated
class.

Offense

“¢bull; Bob Cleary ““ 6-foot-7, 285 pounds, offensive
lineman (Temescal Canyon). Extremely refined offensive lineman
known for his consistency. Excellent footwork helped Cleary become
the top offensive lineman in the state.

“¢bull; Junior Taylor ““ 6-2, 185, wide receiver (Gilbert,
Ariz.). Tall and fast receiver ranked among the nation’s top
10 receivers despite playing in a run-based offense.

“¢bull; Tyler Ebell ““ 5-9, 175, running back (Ventura).
Nicknamed “Mighty Mouse,” this speedy runner set
national records as a senior with 4,495 rushing yards and 64
rushing touchdowns.

“¢bull; Collin Barker ““ 6-9, 300, offensive lineman
(Wortham, Tex.). The biggest of the freshmen, Barker uses his
mammoth size to push defenders aside at will

“¢bull; Keith Carter ““ 6-4, 250, tight end (Pennsylvania).
UCLA went across the country to get Carter, a blocking-oriented
tight end who will work on his pass-catching skills.

“¢bull; Wendell Mathis ““ 5-11, 185, running back (Merced).
Speed back who can also take it between the tackles. One stat that
jumps out is his 9.2 yards per carry.

“¢bull; Matt Mosebar ““ 6-8, 280, offensive lineman (Santa
Ynez). Extremely tall and athletic for an offensive lineman,
Mosebar was a standout volleyball player as well. He is the nephew
of Raider great Don Mosebar.

“¢bull; Ed Blanton ““ 6-7, 300, offensive lineman (Napa).
Huge lineman who goes along with Toledo’s plan of mammoth
blockers

“¢bull; John Sciarra Jr. ““ 6-2, 194, quarterback (La
Cañada). Follows in the footsteps of John Sr., who led UCLA to
victory in the 1976 Rose Bowl. Junior made a name for himself with
an excellent touchdown to interception ratio of 3 to 1 his senior
year.

“¢bull; Jason Harrison ““ 5-11, 185, running back (San
Jose). Made a name for himself as one of the toughest and most
productive running backs in the state

“¢bull; Mike McCloskey ““ 6-5, 265, offensive lineman
(Laguna Hills). Projects to be a center at UCLA, where he will
compete with redshirt freshman John Ream after Troy Danoff
graduates.

Defense

“Our biggest concern was depth in the secondary, we had an
immediate need there. And we took care of that,” said Phil
Snow, UCLA’s new defensive coordinator.

“¢bull; Matt Ware ““ 6-3, 195, safety (Malibu). Versatile
athlete who played quarterback and wide receiver as well as safety.
Possibly the best player at his position, Ware could see playing
time as a freshman.

“¢bull; Jibril Raymo ““ 6-3, 195, safety (Beverly Hills).
Big enough to play linebacker, Raymo is known for crushing hits. He
is the top strong safety in California.

“¢bull; Spencer Havner ““ 6-3, 210, linebacker (Nevada
City). Strong and mobile playmaker who can often be found in the
other team’s backfield.

“¢bull; David Tautofi ““ 6-3, 280, defensive tackle
(Fresno). Usually UCLA stays away from the junior colleges, but the
need for depth on the DL and Tautfoti’s play steered the
Bruins toward Tautofi.

“¢bull; Marcus Cassell ““ 6-0, 170, cornerback
(Bellflower). Outstanding athlete with impressive cover skills.

“¢bull; Matt Clark ““ 5-9, 160, cornerback (Reseda). Speedy
corner who was also a star as a running back. Along with being a
tough tackler, Clark may try his hand at returning kicks.

“¢bull; Jacques Lazarus ““ 6-1, 180, defensive back
(Pacific Palisades). Had big numbers as a wide receiver at nearby
Palisades High. A versatile athlete who will play corner and
safety.

In addition, cornerback Britton Langdon of Edmond, Okla. will
probably walk-on to the team. Defensive end Evan Allen (Newhall) is
still deciding on a school.

UCLA still has two more scholarships available, and may give
them out to players who have not picked a school yet or to current
walk-ons.

Two near misses that UCLA would have liked to fill those spots
with were defensive end Shaun Cody and linebacker Michael Craven,
both in the top three in the country at their positions. They
announced Wednesday that they would be attending USC and Stanford,
respectively.

“We wanted to sign several defensive backs and offensive
linemen and we accomplished that goal while fortifying other
positions as well,” Toledo said. “The student-athletes
in this group are not only outstanding football players, they are
fine young men who will mesh well with our current group of
players.”