San Marcos (CA) San Marcos WR Kyle Philips (image via Rivals)
As most of you know by now, UCLA fired head coach Jim Mora after a 28-23 loss over the weekend. The Bruins are 5-6 and have one remaining matchup against 5-6 Cal, which isn’t anywhere close to a guaranteed win. The Bruins elevated offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch (Michigan’s passing coordinator in 2015-2016) to interim head coach, but he wouldn’t be a splash hire long-term for UCLA.
Here’s a look at UCLA’s recruiting situation for 2018 and 2019:
2018 commits with Michigan offers: LB Kolin Demens, WR Jahan Dotson, CB Olaijah Griffin, WR Kyle Philips, QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson
2019 commits with Michigan offers: WR Kam Brown
Roster players offered by Michigan: OT Alex Akingbulu, DT Martin Andrus, TE Devin Asiasi, WR Demetric Felton, CB Darnay Holmes, WR Theo Howard, TE Jimmy Jaggers, RB Soso Jamabo, LB Mique Juarez, DE Keisean Lucier-South, DE Jaelan Phillips, CB Adarius Pickett, LB Kenny Young
It may not seem like Michigan recruits against UCLA very heavily, but when Jim Harbaugh and some of his staff first came from California, they had a lot of connections. I think Michigan’s staff may be redirecting their efforts since California kids are so difficult to recruit. Obviously, Devin Asiasi spent his freshman year at Michigan and has been redshirting for the entire 2017 season, so I doubt he’s going anywhere unless he wants to sit out another year. The only other player that Michigan was close to getting was Lucier-South, who appeared to be a Michigan lean at one point.
As for the 2018 and 2019 recruiting classes, Demens might be name that jumps off the screen. From Detroit (MI) Country Day, he’s the younger brother of former Michigan linebacker Kenny Demens, but the Wolverines coaching staff wasn’t pushing hard for him at any point, and the coaching change probably won’t change that. Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, from Las Vegas (NV) Bishop Gorman, was considered a Michigan lean at one point, but he followed Fisch to UCLA and the Wolverines already have two quarterbacks committed for the 2018 class.
Michigan recently offered Kyle Philips, who plans to visit Michigan in early December. Otherwise, the coaching staff doesn’t seem close to getting anyone on campus, even though they have continued to recruit Olaijah Griffin. It will be interesting to see if UCLA’s next coach (hot names include Chip Kelly and Kevin Sumlin) can keep all of these players.
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I don’t see anybody flipping until we get this team turned-around and start beating teams with actual pulses.
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I don’t see anyone flipping, either, but we’re still 8-3 with two 10-3 seasons over the previous two years. A team with an 8-3 rebuilding year might look better to some than a team that’s 5-6 with uncertainty on the horizon.
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