UCLA Football Recruiting: The Final 2016 Defensive Big Board

DEFENSIVE BACK

Heading into the final days before Signing Day, the Bruins look unlikely to land any cornerbacks in the 2016 recruiting class. Having whiffed on top local corners like recent Michigan 4-star commit David Long (Los Angeles, CA/Loyola) and 3-star Washington commit Kentrell Love (Corona, CA/Centennial), the lone remaining glimmer of hope for the Bruins at corner seems to be 5-star athlete Jack Jones (Long Beach, CA/Poly). But, as Go Joe Bruin has detailed in the past, Jones has long been considered predestined for USC and that looks to be his likely landing spot, despite the never-ending incestuous clown show called the USC coaching staff search.

Unlike the situation at cornerback, the situation at safety looks set to have a really nice yield if all materializes as expected for the Bruins. Of course, UCLA already has a 2016 safety on campus as early enrollee and 3-star Leni Toailoa (Rialto, CA/Carter) joined the team at the beginning of the winter quarter. As we detailed in the initial Defensive Big Board, Leni is the younger brother of the aforementioned middle linebacker and fellow UCLA commit Lokeni Toailoa, but was moved up a class by his father so the brothers could play football and graduate high school together.

Given Leni’s youth, he is a really nice prospect with a nose for the ball and a real physical edge. He’ll have to work on his backpedal in coverage as a safety, but he already has nice skills in run support and closer to the line of scrimmage. It also wouldn’t be a complete shock to see Leni grow into a linebacker down the road as his body fills out.

This past weekend, UCLA added another commit at safety when longtime Bruin lean and 3-star safety Keyon Riley (Anaheim, CA/Servite) committed to the Bruins during his official visit.

Keeping in line with Jim Mora‘s stated goal of adding size to the UCLA defense, Riley is a bigger safety whose strengths as a defender lie in his physicality. His style of play is reminiscent of current Bruin safety Tahaan Goodman, as Riley is at his best getting a head of steam and viciously hitting anyone who crosses his airspace.

UCLA’s remaining target at safety is 4-star two-way athlete Brandon Burton (Gardena, CA/Serra), who has been the top safety on the Bruins’ recruiting board for quite some time. Most recruiting followers know that Burton attends a high school for which no self-respecting Bruin fan has any fondness. However, for most of the summer and fall, UCLA was considered the prohibitive favorite to bring in Burton because he was one of those Serra recruits that USC wasn’t pursuing, thus leaving UCLA to pick up the pieces with a fantastic player in its backyard.

Indeed, Burton was planning to commit to UCLA in early January via an already-filmed viral video, but he held off when rumors surfaced that Jim Mora was potentially seeking to leave UCLA for an NFL job. Those rumors died down, but in that period of confusion, USC actually stepped up with an offer to Burton, thus giving him something to think about in the final days until Signing Day.

A standout wide receiver and safety in high school, Burton is one of those dynamic players who UCLA would be happy to get on campus first and ask questions about his position later. It seems likely, with Bruins defensive backs coach Demetrice Martin as his recruiter, that Burton would get his first crack at safety if he ends up in Westwood. Bruin fans will be happy either way, though, as long Burton throws his 4’s Up when he takes center stage nationally to make his commitment on ESPN’s late night Sportscenter with Scott Van Pelt airing the night before Signing Day.

Next: UCLA Football Recruiting: The Final 2016 Offensive Big Board

24/7’s Crystal Ball has the Bruins and Trojans listed as deadlocked in the battle for Burton, but all eight of the Crystal Ball picks on Burton since May 2015 have been for UCLA, so the Bruins are still considered to be the favorite to land him. That position should presumably be solidified when Burton takes his official visit to UCLA this upcoming weekend. But no Bruin fan will be totally comfortable with the idea of a Serra recruit picking UCLA over USC until Burton’s Letter of Intent is sent to the Morgan Center on Signing Day next week.