UCLA Football Recruiting: The Final 2016 Defensive Big Board
DEFENSIVE TACKLE
After the loss of star nose tackle Kenny Clark to the 2016 NFL draft, the Bruins find themselves in desperate need of new talent, especially of the instant impact variety, on the interior defensive line starting in 2016.
UCLA received one of its earliest commitments in the class from Osa Odighizuwa (Portland, OR/Douglas), the younger brother of recent Bruin defensive line star Owa Odighizuwa. Strangely enough, despite his bloodlines, Osa profiles less like his brother, who was a 5-star recruit and one of the most remarkable physical specimens as a recruit in recent memory, and more like a smaller version of the aforementioned Kenny Clark.
Osa lacks an explosive get-off from the snap, but has great strength and plays with good leverage. Like Clark was in high school, Osa is a decorated high school wrestler in Oregon and it shows in his balance and the use of his hands.
Needing tackle depth that was more likely to contribute immediately in 2016, the Bruins went out in October and landed junior college lineman Nick Terry (Elk Grove, CA/American River C.C.). Terry shows the ability to be an instant depth player at the very least in his film, exhibiting the powerful hands, strong base, and surprising agility necessary to be a solid Pac-12 defensive tackle.
Of the uncommitted recruits still remaining for UCLA, there is a very convincing argument to be made that 4-star nose tackle Boss Tagaloa (Concord, CA/De La Salle) is the most important for the Bruins to reel in. With his size, strength, agility, and low center of gravity, Tagaloa can be the multi-year fixture at nose tackle that is the fulcrum of any truly successful 3-4 defense.
Having offered Tagaloa when he was just a high school sophomore, UCLA is Tagaloa’s long-time favorite school and it has seemed likely for a while that Bruin defensive line coach Angus McClure’s persistence in recruiting Tagaloa would lead to a UCLA commitment. Despite hard-charging Michigan‘s best efforts, the smart money currently has the best nose tackle in the West choosing to be a Bruin when Signing Day rolls around.
24/7’s Crystal Ball has the Bruins as a strong favorite to land Tagaloa.
Finally, a defensive tackle target who has recently emerged as a realistic potential commit for UCLA is 4-star Garrett Rand (Chandler, AZ/Hamilton). A long-time Wisconsin commit, Rand has recently given UCLA a long look because of the uncertain direction of Wisconsin’s defense after the departure of ace defensive coordinator Dave Aranda to LSU. Angus McClure, ever the opportunist, seized that opening to create a competition for Rand in January where none previously existed after Rand’s commitment to Wisconsin back in October.
UCLA Bruins
Wisconsin only just replaced Aranda on Wednesday with former USC defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox, but the prolonged state of limbo prompted Rand to take an official visit to UCLA last weekend, and the Bruins are rumored to have moved into a virtual dead-heat with the Badgers in Rand’s estimation. With only one day of in-home visits left before coaches return to their respective campuses to host the final weekend of official visits, Wilcox will likely be in the Rand home today (Thursday, January 28) to sell Garrett on the new Wisconsin defense. But if Rand doesn’t reaffirm his commitment to the Badgers shortly after meeting Wilcox, then a flip to UCLA could very well be on the cards.
Although he is a seemingly a lighter defensive tackle at 270 pounds, Rand may very well be the strongest high school player in America, as he reportedly bench presses an absurd 560 pounds. In addition to his almost superhuman strength, he is freakishly agile and explosive for his size.
Coming from behind to close on one of the best defensive tackles in the West would be a stunning and substantial coup for the Bruins, who will have accomplished their goal of restocking their interior defensive line in a big way should they manage to reel in the dream duo of Tagaloa and Rand on Signing Day next week.
Next: Linebacker