UCLA football is on a major recruiting roll in Orange County.
Sure, USC landed JT Daniels but in just the past two days, the Bruins have received verbal commitments from three standout seniors-to-be: Mission Viejo All-County cornerback Olaijah Griffin (6-0, 170), rising Mater Dei wide receiver CJ Parks (5-11, 175) and talented JSerra defensive end Abdul-Malik McClain (6-4, 230). Griffin and Parks committed on Sunday while McClain pledged on Monday.
Earlier in July, UCLA landed a commitment from talented St. John Bosco wide receiver Devon Cooley, a former county star at Buena Park.
“Everyone committed is awesome,” Cooley said in a direct message via Twitter on Monday. “They all look hungry to be successful and will push me to be a better player and person.”
Here’s a brief look at the Bruins’ recent commits with comments from Cooley:
Olaijah Griffin, Mission Viejo: The Diablos have sent several players recently to USC but the Bruins land a highly-athletic shutdown corner. The Bruins are building tons of depth in their secondary and won’t be disappointed by Griffin. In addition to his cover skills, he’s an aggressive player who tackles well. He has starred on special teams and also played receiver.
“I love that Olaijah committed because going against him and the other commits everyday in practice? Iron sharpens iron,” Cooley said.
CJ Parks, Mater Dei: Some around the Monarchs’ program consider Parks the 1A to touted ace receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. Parks plays with a similar bulldog mentality that many associate with St. Brown. With St. Brown injured during the Battle at the Beach passing tournament in July, Parks and his gold cleats shined by making athletic leaping catches and aggressively taking on all comers.
“CJ Parks is a beast,” Cooley said. “Hopefully, we play side by side after we face each other this season.”
St. John Bosco quarterback Re-al Mitchell was trying to recruit Parks to join him at Iowa State.
Abdul-Malik McClain, JSerra: McClain transferred into Santa Margarita before last season and quietly played well. He produced outstanding video against powerhouse St. John Bosco and Ohio State signee Wyatt Davis. He’s a tall, athletic defensive end who runs well enough to play outside linebacker.
“There is no doubt that everyone committed can ball at the next level,” Cooley said. McClain’s younger brother, Munir McClain, is a fast and sure-handed junior-to-be receiver that the Bruins would certainly love to land.
In another recruiting twist late Monday night, the UCLA-committed Cooley was offered by Utah.
Please send football recruiting news to Dan Albano at dalbano@scng.com or @ocvarsityguy on Twitter