The UCLA football team has made the top 10 for top tight end Ethan Rae (Orange Lutheran/Orange, CA) who has the hands that Chip Kelly is looking for.
Offers have been handed out and now it is up to the many student-athletes across the country to trim down the number of schools they are looking to call home for the next few years. One of those, 4-star tight end Ethan Rae, has UCLA football among his final choices.
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Along with the Bruins, the Orange County product has several elite teams in his Top 10, including Alabama, Arizona State, Colorado, Florida, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State, TCU, and USC.
Despite the many offers, it is looking like UCLA could be the the last team standing.
Rae was recently offered by UCLA back on May 9, so it seems as if he was just waiting for Kelly to make a move. Though he is not yet committed, and one should reserve excitement until ink hits paper, it is good to see that the Bruins are getting a lot of attention as top recruits are looking toward Westwood as a college football destination.
So who is Rae and what can he do?
First off, he is 6’5, 240 lbs., so he is big and has no problem throwing his weight around. He is strong enough to create and hold blocks for the run, but can also put the hit on defenders when carrying the ball, giving him a few extra yards after contact.
He also has some sure hands and can get into the open space, which is something that Kelly can use in his system. His speed is also something that could put a gleam in the coach’s eye. For a big man, he can hit the gap and accelerate rather quickly. That’s just not fair at that point.
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If Kelly can get a commitment from Rae, the Bruins will be stacked for several years at the tight end position. Now that is some forward thinking.