UPPING THE ANTE VICTORY OVER OKLAHOMA RAISES UCLA'S STOCK WITH RECRUITS.Byline: Brian Dohn Staff Writer Jerzy Siewierski, a defensive tackle at Reed High of Sparks, Nev., watched UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX dismantle Oklahoma on Saturday, then discussed his college options with his mom. When it came to the Bruins, he found only positives, with the final piece being the 41-24 beating of the Sooners. To him, it meant UCLA was back in the college football spotlight. The following day he gave a non-binding oral commitment to coach Karl Dorrell Karl Dorrell (born December 18, 1963 in Alameda, California) is the first black head coach in the history of the UCLA Bruins college football team, a position he took on December 18, 2002. . And Siewierski, the No. 2 rated player in Nevada by rivals.com, isn't the only one of UCLA's recruiting targets to place great emphasis on the Bruins easily defeating a program with Oklahoma's pedigree. In fact, 10 of UCLA's high-profile, non-committed targets for the 2006 class, each said it was imperative to see the Bruins win such a game, and prove Dorrell's model for rebuilding is working. ``When they beat (Oklahoma), that shows the program has made a complete turnaround, that (UCLA) is someone to look out for, and it definitely means a lot to me,'' said Long Beach Poly receiver Terrence Austin, who said UCLA leads Notre Dame Notre Dame IPA: [nɔtʁ dam] is French for Our Lady, referring to the Virgin Mary. In the United States of America, Notre Dame for his commitment. ``That's a big thing for me because they're on the rise, they're coming up, and it shows me that if I did chose that program, then I will be in that situation with the possibility of winning a national championship.'' The biggest win of Dorrell's three-year tenure catapulted UCLA into the top 25 for the first time in nearly three years. It is well known in college football that the Big 12 Conference is known for brawn brawn n. 1. Solid and well-developed muscles, especially of the arms and legs. 2. Muscular strength and power. 3. Chiefly British The meat of a boar. 4. Headcheese. and the Pacific-10 for its beauty. That No. 25 UCLA (3-0) played the more physical game was a surprise. Crenshaw's Darian Hagan Darian Hagan (born February 1 1970 in Lynwood, California) is a former American football and Canadian football player, who, since February 2005, is an assistant coach of the University of Colorado Buffaloes football team. Jr., rated the No. 5 safety in the country, said UCLA's win, ``helps a great deal'' in making a decision. Sylmar's C.J. Gable gable Triangular section formed by a roof with two slopes, extending from the eaves to the ridge where the two slopes meet. It may be miniaturized over a dormer window or entranceway. , rated the No. 5 running back, said USC An abbreviation for U.S. Code. remains his leader, but after nearly ruling out the Bruins, he re-opened his recruitment with UCLA. ``At first I didn't even look at UCLA because they weren't that good, but now they're having a good recruiting year, and they're undefeated,'' Gable said. ``I was impressed (with) how good they played. First, I thought they would have a losing season, but now they're doing real good. I didn't think they'd be that good.'' Much of recruiting is about perception, and it has been a while since the Bruins posted a victory that caused such a stir. UCLA's staff, led by Dorrell and recruiting coordinator Eric Bieniemy Eric Bieniemy, Jr. (born August 15, 1969 in New Orleans, Louisiana) is a former professional American football running back in the NFL from 1991 to 1999. He was an All-American out of the University of Colorado and was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the 2nd round of the , already put together a strong recruiting class, led by five offensive linemen, before the season began. But now some of the most high-profile players in Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, are taking an extended look at the program. Colton's Allen Bradford, the No. 1 linebacker in the country, said he was impressed by the win. ``I think they needed that win,'' said Bradford, who added speculation of him heading to USC is not true. ``I think it's important for them to win that game, and to have the points that they scored. I think it's very important.'' Oklahoma is not the caliber of team it was the last two years, when quarterback Jason White Jason White is the name of:
``I knew (UCLA) was a program on the rise, but that was obviously a huge win for them,'' said Mission Viejo Mission Vi·e·jo A community of southern California southeast of Irvine. It is mainly residential. Population: 96,300. High's Konrad Reuland, the No. 1 tight end in the nation. ``I have a feeling just from watching them play, that they can keep it going. That is very important to me because I want to play somewhere for a championship. ``I always liked Notre Dame, and (UCLA) was still on my list of schools even before the game, but it definitely showed me a lot. It was definitely a positive.'' An issue that is much closer to resolution after the victory is Dorrell's status. In the vicious world of recruiting, coaches from other schools would bring up Dorrell's security, several recruits said. He entered the season with a 13-14 mark, and was coming off a bowl loss to Wyoming. Reuland's teammate, running back Chane Moline, who is the No. 5 fullback in the nation, said that is no longer an issue. ``I knew they weren't doing so hot, and I knew Dorrell had to turn it (a round) pretty soon or he was going to lose his job,'' Moline said. ``I don't think he's going anywhere anytime soon now.'' Moline considers himself a ``soft'' commitment for the Bruins - he plans to take official visits to UCLA, Utah and Mississippi - but added ``I did not make any kind of commitment'' to the coaching staff. However, the Bruins are his leader, and could be tough to beat, especially since his brothers, starting defensive tackle Chase and walk-on linebacker Chad, play for UCLA. Among the recruits attending the Oklahoma game were Moline, Reuland, Bishop Amat of La Puente La Puente (lä pwĕn`tē), city (1990 pop. 36,955), Los Angeles co., S Calif., a suburb of Los Angeles; laid out 1841, inc. 1956. Primarily residential, the city manufactures hardware, electronics, and paper products. linebacker Jonathan Cornell, Hagan Jr., and Westlake High defensive end Jeff Miller
Jefferson B. "Jeff" Miller (born June 27, 1959), American politician, has been a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since 2001, representing , who said he came away impressed by the atmosphere. Miller lists UCLA, Oklahoma and Oregon as his top three schools. ``It was cool to really see how into it the fans really are, and the atmosphere they play in, and how excited they get on the sidelines On the sidelines An investor who decides not to invest due to market uncertainty. on the sidelines Of or relating to investors who, having assessed the market, have decided to avoid committing their funds. ,'' said Miller, the No. 18 defensive end. ``It seemed like everyone was into it. It was definitely more than I thought.'' UCLA has 16 non-binding oral commitments, but long-snapper Christian Yount will not enter school until January 2007, so will not count against the 2006 class. It gives UCLA, at this time, five more scholarships to fill before reaching the NCAA NCAA abbr. National Collegiate Athletic Association limit of 85, but that number could rise via offseason attrition. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. NCAA rules, coaches are not allowed to talk about recruits until receiving a signed national letter of intent. Signing day takes place in February. However, Bieniemy, in his first year as recruiting coordinator, said feedback has been strong from high school seniors. ``When you're doing what we're doing, kids tend to pay more attention to you,'' Bieniemy said. ``So right now we just have to keep riding this wave, and keep doing our job of preparing our kids and getting them to play well on Saturday, because it's paying off in the end. ``When you have such big victories, it does show that our program is heading in the right direction. I know there were some kids, probably across the country sitting around, saying, `Well, we just want to wait and see how UCLA is going to perform.' So right now we're off to a good start. The key is maintaining the level of play, and also keep convincing prospects around the country that, `Hey, UCLA is the place you need to be.' '' Brian Dohn, (818) 713-3607 brian.dohn(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): 5 photos Photo: (1 -- color) no caption (poker chips) (2 -- color) Terrence Austin (3 -- color) C.J. Gable (4 -- color) Jeff Miller (5 -- color) Allen Bradford |
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