UCLA Hopes to Complete Roundup : It’s Letter-of-Intent Day, the Oscars of Football Recruiting

UCLA will attempt to put the finishing touches on its second straight outstanding recruiting campaign today, hitting several areas around the country to get signatures on the day high school football players can sign letters of intent.

The Bruins’ recruiting class, already one of the top groups in the nation, could get even better, specifically with some positive news from Kentucky, where tight ends Frank Jacobs of Newport and Jeff Ellis of Louisville, the son of former boxer Jimmy Ellis, remain undecided.

Notre Dame, Kentucky and Penn State are also being considered by Jacobs, and coaches from all four schools made home visits Monday, including recruiting coordinator Bill Rees for UCLA. Ellis will decide among the Bruins, Louisiana State and Kentucky today. They figure to have a better shot at Ellis, rated as the nation’s No. 1 tight end.

For the second straight year, however, Michigan has edged out UCLA for one of the top wide receivers in the country. Tripp Welborne of Greensboro, N.C., announced Tuesday that he will go to Ann Arbor. Greg McMurtry of Brockton, Mass., picked the Wolverines last year.

If nothing else turns up, the Bruins will have to be satisfied with skimming some of the top West Coast talent--linebacker Sean Howard of Encino Crespi, quarterback Jim Bonds of Newhall Hart and linemen Brian Kelly of South Torrance, Scott Spalding of El Toro and James Rae of Anaheim Esperanza among others.

As was also the case last year, USC has had a strong finish.

Despite UCLA’s success, this recruiting year is not going to be a disaster for USC Coach Larry Smith. Linebacker Scott Ross of El Toro, defensive back Marvin Pollard of Wilmington Banning and running back Scott Lockwood of Boulder, Colo., who would be prime recruits in most any program, are all headed for USC.

Tuesday, the list got longer as Smith got a verbal commitment from offensive lineman Mike Moody of San Francisco Washington. USC did miss out on running back Mike Gaddis of Midwest City, Okla., to Oklahoma.

Steve Lee of Fontana, an All-Southern Section linebacker, picked Oklahoma, and defensive back Kevin Bayonne of Playa del Rey St. Bernard committed to Georgia. Quarterback Eric Alozie and running back Tim Jenkins, a pair of All-Southeastern Conference members from Cajon, announced for Washington and California, respectively. Redlands running back Toby Tyler chose Utah State and his teammate, tight end David Benge, will go to New Mexico State.

Recruiting Notes Arizona State has saved its best for last. The Sun Devils have received oral commitments from running back Leonard Russell of Long Beach Poly, linebacker-running back Keith Bowen of Westchester and defensive back Eric Crawford of Venice in recent days and last weekend got visits from four of the top players in California--running back Tommy Booker of Vista, wide receiver Patrick Rowe and running back-defensive back Marcus Hopkins of San Diego Lincoln, and linebacker Junior Seau of Oceanside. Hopkins picked USC Monday night, but Booker will chose between Arizona State and Washington. Rowe, who is also considering San Diego State, USC, UCLA and Illinois, doesn’t figure to decide in time to sign tomorrow, and neither does Seau, who is still looking at Colorado, Arizona State, UCLA, Brigham Young and USC. . . . Mildcats no more? Francis Peay’s first recruiting effort as head coach at Northwestern may not make national headlines, or even the top half of the Big Ten, but it is drawing attention considering the schools Northwestern is beating out. Lineman Stan Holsen of Park Ridge, Ill., whom UCLA had pursued, picked the Wildcats over Michigan, wide receiver Pat New of Lisle, Ill., went with them over Notre Dame, and tight end Mike Allaway of Tinley Park, Ill., canceled his visit to Ohio State, then committed to Northwestern over Indiana.

Tailback Brian Cleveland of Orange, Tex., canceled his USC visit last weekend and committed to Georgia. . . . It must have looked like a coaching convention at the Omaha, Neb., home of running back Leotis Flowers the last couple of days. Hayden Fry of Iowa was there Saturday, Barry Switzer of Oklahoma stopped by Sunday and Tom Osborne of Nebraska made his pitch Monday.