BOOM! JUCO Defensive Lineman Nick Terry Commits To UCLA
Sep 25, 2014; Tempe, AZ, USA; UCLA Bruins defensive lineman Kenny Clark (97) against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Sun Devil Stadium. UCLA defeated Arizona State 62-27. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
UCLA went out on Thursday night and got itself a big man to plug into the 2016 defensive line rotation, as junior college defensive tackle Nick Terry announced his commitment to the Bruins.
After last week’s news that 5-star defensive end Oluwole Betiku (Gardena, CA/Serra) had decommitted from UCLA, the Bruins had an open defensive line spot in its 2016 class to fill and did so with Nick Terry, the JUCO standout from American River College in the Sacramento area who is likely to be a member of UCLA’s defensive line two-deep the moment he walks on campus early in 2016.
"Proud to announce my commitment to UCLA"
With the high likelihood that probable 1st-round pick and current UCLA star nose tackle Kenny Clark foregoes his senior season to enter to 2016 NFL draft and the lingering possibility that injured lineman Eddie Vanderdoes might still make that choice as well, the Bruins find themselves in desperate need of instant impact talent on the interior defensive line starting in 2016. Terry shows the ability to be just that in his film, exhibiting the powerful hands, strong base, and surprising agility necessary to be a solid Pac-12 defensive tackle.
With Terry now in the fold alongside 3-star defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa (Portland, OR/Douglas) on the interior line, the Bruins are hoping to land at least one more defensive tackle in the 2016 class. The likeliest remaining target is 4-star Boss Tagaloa (Concord, CA/De La Salle), who is a longtime UCLA lean that the Bruins definitely want to lock down in the near future. UCLA also remains in the hunt for 4-star Louisiana lineman Rashard Lawrence (Monroe, LA/Neville) and 3-star North Carolina lineman (and recent Penn State decommit) Christian Colon (Charlotte, NC/Independence). A class of Odighizuwa, Tagaloa, and Terry would give the Bruins reinforcements at defensive tackle for both the present and future, and the longshot additions of Lawrence and Colon would simply be icing on the cake if the Bruins are able to land Tagaloa in the run up to Signing Day.
Welcome to Westwood, Nick!
Next: Keys to Victory: UCLA vs Colorado