UCLA Football: A change in staff sometimes comes with a change of heart

The recruiting game is one of constant commitments, decommitments, pulled offers and, for the unfortunate chunk of high school football players, no offers at all. With the UCLA Football staff in transition the Bruins are beginning to feel the strain on the recruiting trail.

There’s been news on almost every front concerning UCLA Football in the past week. We’ve learned which new staff members are coming aboard, which bowl game the Bruins will play in and last but not least, how recruits are handling the developments of the staff. Unfortunately for the Bruins it’s not going well so far.

Now it’s not panic time, not even close. The recruitment process plays out this way every season with young high school players being swayed from school to school with promises of early playing time, athletic facilities and often find a favorite recruiter in a position coach.

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However when a position coach takes a new job, or is otherwise relieved of his duties, recruits may feel a sense of loyalty to that coach instead of the school and choose to reopen their recruitment.

The UCLA Football team faced that very scenario this week and it’s only Monday. On the first day of the work week the Bruins lost three players from their 2018 class. RB Lentivone Lesane, LB Kolin Demens and Cam’ron Jones all announced they are decommiting from the Bruins today.

While the Bruins would love to have as many talented skill positions for Chip Kelly‘s new offense, the loss of Lesane is off-set with speedy back Kazmeir Allen’s pledge a few days ago. The linebacker position is one of need and the Bruins have only a short few months to recruit some which is why Demens’ is a loss at a position of need. It was reported that Don Pellum, the former Oregon Ducks LB coach, has been hired and will fill the same role with the UCLA Football team.

Jones is the one that really hurts and comes on the heels of reports that Bruin DB coach Demetrice Martin will not be retained. Martin had been an ace recruiter for UCLA and was Jim Mora’s right hand man from day one. While losing Martin may hurt the Bruins in the next few days, you can’t hold onto one coach that doesn’t fit your philosophy nor should you force a staff of a new head coach. Especially when landing that new head coach was such a monumental hire for your team.

Still, the talented Texas DB would be a huge boost to a team that is also looking a little thin at the safety position for 2018 and will be relying on youthful players next year that saw action this year because of injuries to the defense. Of course the Bruins could still convince him to sign with them on Nation Signing Day. There’s plenty of race yet to be run.

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There is going to be a brief period of upheaval in the recruiting phase of the UCLA Football team as the coaching staff is finalized but this too shall pass. Remember, Kelly was able to do so much while at Oregon without the resources that UCLA affords him in the recruiting world. You have to believe he’s going to bring in even better talent than those Oregon teams and that will give him even more ammunition against a PAC-12 that’s already on notice.