UCLA’s recruiting over the last few weeks has been an absolute blur. With an almost entirely new coaching staff, the Bruins have been collecting verbal commitments like stamps, some from players whom the team wasn’t even heavily involved with as recently as as a few weeks ago.

The latest verbal commitment is not one of those.

UCLA fans have known about Ellis McCarthy for a long, long time.

The hulking Monrovia High defensive tackle – rated No. 2 nationally by Scout and Rivals and No. 4 by ESPN – verbally committed to the Bruins on Monday night after the news that Cal defensive line coach Tosh Lupoi had accepted the defensive line position at Washington. UCLA offensive line coach and recruiting beast Adrian Klemm took to Twitter once more to clue fans in on the news, with a nod to new Bruins’ defensive backs coach DeMetrice Martin, “8 CLAP!!!!! My boy Meat doin’ work!”

McCarthy, who verbally committed to the Bears at the US Army All-American Game, is a dominant figure on the line, when he wants to be. Mora and his new defensive coaches will be entrusted to get the McCarthy’s full potential – Mora has preached to me that he wants kids who love football – and if he can help foster that kind of intensity, McCarthy could be one of the premier defensive players in the Pac-12 in a few years.