UCLA Football Recruiting: 2016 Offensive Big Board 1.0

Aug 30, 2014; Charlottesville, VA, USA; UCLA Bruins offensive linemen line up against the Virginia Cavaliers at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

OFFENSIVE LINE

After bringing in the top-rated offensive line class in the nation in 2015, UCLA probably thought it would be able to take it easy with offensive line recruiting in this cycle. However, as we have seen during the 2015 football season, the trenches are where games are won and lost. With ongoing upheaval on the line after the departures of Jake Brendel (graduation), Fred Ulu-Perry (transfer), and possibly Conor McDermott (draft), the Bruins need to reload with offensive line talent now as much as ever. To that end, they have already secured the commitments of 3-star guard Michael Alves (San Diego, CA/St. Augustine) and 3-star offensive tackle Alex Akingbulu (Harbor City, CA/Narbonne).

Alves is a pure road-grading guard who plays the game with bad intentions. He looks to physically dominate at the point of attack and grind the person he’s blocking into the ground.

Akingbulu, on the other hand, is a pure tackle prospect who’s dripping with physical upside. At a towering 6-foot-6, he has long arms and incredible bend. However, he is going to need to gain a lot of weight when he gets to UCLA, as his year-long athletic schedule (he’s also a high-level basketball player) leaves him extremely lean and light. He’s a prospect reminiscent of former UCLA left tackle Torian White, who had similar hurdles to overcome in order to become a Bruin starter but also possessed the same freakish upside.

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To round out the offensive line class, UCLA offensive line coach Adrian Klemm seems to have focused in on 3-star lineman Francisco Perez (Baldwin Park, CA/Baldwin Park). Perez is currently committed to Cal, but UCLA is putting the full court press on him, visiting his home yesterday, and you can never count out Klemm in a recruitment once he locks in on a target.