By Greg Lewis
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
Whatever happens in the Sun Bowl to the 6-5 Bruins, plans for the future have already been laid.
“One of the first things we’re going to do is try and get the defense to play the way it did the first three games of the season,” defensive coordinator Bob Field said.
The defensive line was decimated by injuries this season, but next year everybody, including 2000 preseason All-American end Kenyon Coleman, will be back. Coleman and Sean Phillips missed almost the entire season with knee and ankle injuries. Also missing significant time due to injury were Ken Kocher, Rusty Williams, Anthony Fletcher, Mat Ball and Asi Faoa.
One of the ways the team prepares for the future is to take advantage of the extra practice time that a bowl berth provides. Seniors have had the day off from practice on more than one occasion.
“Right now we’re working on fundamentals and techniques, as well as incorporating our young guys with scrimmages,” head coach Bob Toledo said.
Although the defense did not perform up to expectations this season, there will probably not be a major change in philosophy in any part of the team.
Another area Toledo highlighted that will require attention is the ability to break long runs.
After evaluating what works and what needs to be improved, the coaching staff will invite other coaches from around the country to share information. In one season when Terry Donahue was coach, former Chicago Bears defensive coordinator and Philadelphia Eagles head coach Buddy Ryan came to teach the nuances of the 46 defense.
One major change that could happen is the departure of offensive coordinator Al Borges. San Jose State has contacted Borges about its open head coaching position, and Borges has said that he is interested.
As far as player personnel, the Bruins graduate only 12 seniors – including Jason Bell, Drew Bennett, Oscar Cabrera, Gabe Crecion, Jermaine Lewis, Kory Lombard, Brian Polak, Mike Vanis, Tony White and Jason Zdenek.
Juniors Freddie Mitchell, DeShaun Foster, Robert Thomas, Marques Anderson and Brian Poli-Dixon have all sent letters to the NFL to inquire as to their probable draft status, and will receive responses some time early next year. Toledo has said that he believes Mitchell is the only one ready for the jump. Mitchell previously indicated that he would like to remain in Westwood, but the fourth-year junior may be swayed if he is convinced he will be a top draft pick.
Toledo and his staff have done a superlative job recruiting, gaining 14 verbal commitments, including some of the top players in the country. UCLA has the third best recruiting class in the country according to Rivals.com, with some top prospects still waiting to decide. The Bruins have 18 scholarships to give, 19 if Mitchell leaves.
UCLA got off to an early start, receiving verbal pledges from three top players within a day of signing day for the class of 2000. Safety Matt Ware (Los Angeles), linebacker Marvin Simmons (Long Beach) and offensive lineman Bob Cleary (Lake Elsinore, Calif.), all tops at their position in California, gave the Bruins the jumpstart to the recruiting drive.
“I committed so early because I’ve been a Bruin all my life,” Ware said. “My family has season tickets, and I see the program on the rise. It just felt right.”
The three said they quickly got to work helping recruit some of area’s other top players.
The other 11 recruits, in chronological order of commitment:
- Ed Blanton (6-foot-9, 300 pounds, OL, Napa, Calif.): Huge lineman who chose UCLA early over Michigan and Nebraska. Very strong but will probably redshirt to work on technique.
- Jacques Lazarus (6-2, 190, Athlete, Palisades, Calif.): Highly productive and versatile running back who may end up in the defensive backfield.
- John Sciarra, Jr. (6-1, 185, QB, La Cañada, Calif.): Heady quarterback and the son the 1976 UCLA Rose Bowl winning quarterback. Shows excellent poise and confidence in the pocket.
- Collin Barker (6-9, 315, OL, Wortham, Texas): Toledo scores big again in Texas with this mammoth offensive lineman. Size alone makes him a player to keep an eye on.
- Spencer Havner (6-3 220, LB, Nevada City, Calif.): Tough, with a nose for the ball, just like a linebacker should be. Could contribute right away.
- Matt Mosebar (6-8, 265, OL, Santa Ynez, Calif.): Athletically gifted lineman with great bloodlines; he is the nephew of former NFL great Don Mosebar. Also standout volleyball player.
- Matt Clark (5-10, 175, RB/DB, Reseda, Calif.): Track star who is tough as nails. Probably will be moved to the secondary, where his speed will serve him well.
- Marcus Cassell (6-0, 170, CB, Bellflower, Calif.): Tremendous athlete, but still raw. Offered a scholarship based mostly on potential. Huge upside.
- Tyler Ebell (5-8, 170, RB, Ventura, Calif.): National single-season record holder with 4,220 rushing yards, and he still has one game left. Rushed for more touchdowns in senior year (61 for a state record) than scoring machine Foster (54) did as a senior. Nicknamed Mighty Mouse, Ebell is not physically imposing, but says his vision is his biggest asset.
- Junior Taylor (6-3, 185, WR, Mesa, Ariz.): Bruins scored a coup from the desert with the big and speedy Taylor. If Mitchell leaves, Taylor could be given a shot to play his first year.
- Jibril Raymo (6-3, 200, S, Beverly Hills, Calif.): The second best safety in California has a reputation as a huge hitter. Born to play strong safety
Top players UCLA is still after:
- Michael Craven (6-1, 215, LB, La Quinta, Calif.): Competing with Simmons and Kevin Simon for the honor of being the top linebackers in the country. Still deciding between UCLA and Stanford but may be leaning towards the Bruins.
- Kevin Simon (5-11, 215, LB, Concorde, Calif.): A definite winner: he has never lost a game in high school at De La Salle. Incredibly strong athlete with a mean streak. If Craven and Simon both committed to UCLA, along with Havner, it would probably be the best group of high school linebackers ever to go to one school.
- Shaun Cody (6-5, 255, DE, Hacienda Heights, Calif.): The best pass-rusher in the country, he has huge stats despite being constantly double and triple-teamed. Also excels at tight end. Toledo i s fighting Notre Dame, and Cody might be at the top of the Bruin wish list.
- Quan Cosby (5-10, 180, ATH/DB, Mart, Texas): Versatile athlete who is coveted by many of the nation’s top programs. Is a capable returner as well as cornerback and quarterback.
- Nic Costa (5-11, 190, QB/DB, Aloha, Ore.): Toledo likes bigger quarterbacks, but with Costa’s tremendous speed, he may come on board as a DB and try his arm at quarterback. Strong arm and incredible footspeed.
- Reggie Williams (6-4, 215, WR, Tacoma, Wash.): The nation’s top wide receiver whose skills have been described as freakish. Has also caused numerous injuries as a hard-hitting safety. Probably a long-shot for but still someone for whom the coaches will keep a scholarship open.
There will most likely be some surprise recruits come signing day, with UCLA scrambling to attract defensive lineman in particular.
UCLA opens the 2001 season with games at Alabama, at Kansas and home against Ohio State. Against them the Bruins should have an early idea of what kind of season to expect.