Between UCLA’s need at QB and their interest in you, are you surprised how fast things moved with them?
“I think things are moving a little faster as a process as a whole. The UCLA thing has really lighted it up. That’s a great situation there. As a whole, I was looking to make my commitment in September probably, but now it’s looking like July. I was going to take a trip to Boise State a couple weeks ago, but they got a commitment. When you start losing opportunities because you’re taking too much time, I didn’t want to get involved in that.”

As a 17-year-old, is it difficult knowing your future in some way depends on other kids your age? Is that overwhelming?
“It’s really a process. You look at everything, and the key is just to stay prepared. You have to know what other guys are doing. You have to know what you’re looking for. No one offers one QB anymore. Some people have three, some have five. Usually it’s the same three to five throughout the country. There are the same guys on every board, you have to see who else is interested in.”

Talk about your relationship with Coach Neuheisel, and if his time in Colorado affects your relationship…
“Coach Neuheisel is a great guy. I hung out with him at the camp for about an hour, working with him. I was younger (when he was at Colorado) and not in the process that I am now. It’s different when he’s in LA – yeah, I look back at him a little bit and we can relate a little better, about where his kids went to school. There’s an easier way to relate, but he still went to UCLA, and it’s his place, and he loves it. We can relate on a lot of different levels.”

Were you recruited by USC?
“It was a while back, two months ago, but I talked to a defensive line coach, a brief kind of deal, and they thought they were gonna get Wittek and another guy, and I don’t think anyone there expected to get two in a week. I’m not sure what the situation looks like with guys staying. As far as I know, USC is out of the mix for me.”

Any thoughts on the sanctions?
“I’m not sure how much it’ll have an impact on me. It’s a close LA school, and it makes it harder for them to do things – it’s probably worse for Matt Barkley, who as a sophomore and junior will have to deal with not being in a bowl. But it’s not as big a deal for a recruit like Wittek. I don’t know how much it will really affect their recruiting. It’s USC, a lot of guys still want to go there.”

What more can UCLA do over the next month or so to secure your commitment?
“I don’t think there’s anything more from UCLA. I love it. I’ve been there three, four times. It’s a great place. I’m just making sure there’s not a place I’d rather be. Once I make my decision, I’m not going to field calls; I’m going to know it’s where I want to be. I want to factor in everything that can happen. In the next month, I have a couple more visits, I’ll look at a couple more things. But UCLA is definitely at the top of the list.”