Answers, Part I
A bit of a late start today, so let's get started. I will have in the neighborhood of 11 sets of answers today, beginning with this one:
With Nelson recovering from an injury and now Honeycutt and Gordon needing surgery and a few months to recover, Do you think the Stover and Lane will no longer red-shirt?
Where did you get the idea Honeycutt and Gordon need surgery? I reported surgery has not been ruled out, but never did I report they needed surgery. As for Lane and Stover, I don't see both of them red-shirting. I think Lane has a better chance of playing more minutes than Stover, but things change.
You mentioned in the last Q&A that UCLA will not recruit any of the suc defectors because we're looking for either a big-man or a point-guard. However, Lamont "Momo" Jones is a point guard, and he was one of the recent defectors. Why aren't we going after him?
I don't know the particulars of why they are not recruiting Jones, but sources told me UCLA wasn't going after him. There are a number of reasons UCLA may not go after him, and perhaps he is not interested in UCLA. I will continue to monitor the situation and update everyone if there is any news.
George Uko finally got offered by UCLA. Now it seems he no longer has UCLA on his short list. Is he very high on UCLA's DT list?
I think UCLA will be a player when it is all said and done, but the Uko family is not happy about how long it took for George to get an offer. If UCLA is offering him, then UCLA likes him. This recruitment is a long ways from being over.
what is up with our recruiting? in your opinion are the coaches doing the wrong thing waiting so long to offer? seems like kids are getting annoyed and looking at other schools.
It is different than what I've seen in the past, but the only way to determine if it is wrong is to wait and see how it pans out. It is out of the ordinary, for sure, but it is a philosophy the staff is going with. And, at least it is getting kids ticked off they are not getting offers from UCLA, which could make the offer that much more special for someone who already holds one.
It was great to see UCLA's #1 football player walk last week. Has Troy Aikman ever made any sizeable donations to UCLA?
I don't know about donations, but he is involved behind the scenes and donates memorabilia for auction whenever he is asked to do so. I know he spoke to UCLA AD Dan Guerrero when the coaching search was ongoing.
Did Neuheisel manage to get UCLA to extend Norm Chow's contract?
Not yet. It is on the back burner for a while, and I don't know if it will be resolved until after the season.
Subway, Quiznos or Jersey Mike's?
C'mon. Jersey Mike's. Give me the Italian with oil, vinegar and peppers. And make it Giant size.
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About Inside UCLA
This is Brian Dohn's sixth season covering UCLA after spending 4 1/2 years covering the Dodgers for the Daily News and other Los Angeles Newspaper Group papers. He graduated from Rutgers, where the first college football game was played in 1869. Sure, the Scarlet Knights suffered for a long time, but now RU is doing what Jerseyans always thought was possible. Winning at Rutgers also proves winning is possible everywhere else in the nation, so underachieving coaches better be careful. Now, if only men's hoops can turn it around.
"...the Uko family is not happy about how long it took for George to get an offer."
Uko is an interesting situation. He and his family claim they are dropping UCLA because it took so long to get an offer. On the other hand, they say USC is still very high on his list even though the Trojans have not bothered to offer him at all.
Am I the only one who finds that logic confusing?
I think the level that USC is currently playing at leads to that logic from the family.
Lets be honest here, the public perception is that UCLA is desperate for quality players, especially for DT's. The consensus opinion, from coaches to annalist alike, is that Uko is a top talent. The family puts those two beliefs together and wonders what UCLA's problem is in slow playing him. Its a fair concern on their part.
On the other hand, USC has won so much and has so much talent, that the perception is one has to EARN an offer, in the truest form. That means going to their camps and continuing to hold them within one's top five, even though no offer is yet extended.
The only way UCLA can overcome this logic from recruits is winning on the field. They will then be more justified in selecting and choosing exactly who they want.
Right now, it seems a little awkward that a team coming off an 4-8 season is not rushing to players doorsteps with offers in hand, but that is just my opinion.
This is their way of trying to stick it to UCLA for not offering earlier, but time heals all wounds, and there is a lot of time left. Other coaches are getting in his ear about the Bruins offering late because UCLA would be his favorite, all things considered. I trust CRN to smooth this over. All he has to say is that because he had to play both ways last year, the coaches couldn't really observe him as a full-time DT and needed him to come to camp to see him do work in person. I suspect this is the truth.
re: Aikman, he has endowed at least one scholarship at UCLA.
i dont blame the coaching staff. Look what happened to the team the last 3 years when we offered early.
Take their time and offer the right ones.
"USC is very high on his (Uko's) list although the Trojans have not bothered to offer him at all"
USC rarely announces it's commits after being the victim of so much negative recruiting tactics by other coaches in the past few years.
Seeing that the kid is still high on USC may be telling to whether or not he is a silent commit.