The hefty expense of recruiting, with trips from Hawaii to Utah, paid dividends for UCLA on Wednesday.
Offensive coordinator Norm Chow alternated suitcases, one with shorts and sandals, the other with a heavy coat. Offensive line coach Bob Palcic spent enough time in Provo that he may be eligible to vote in city elections.
But the Bruins' recruiting strategy was successful in all climates. They filled their greatest need and sent a message across town.
The Bruins' coaches gathered offensive linemen as if they had two-for-one coupons. The haul included guard Stanley Hasiak of Hawaii Kapolei and tackle Xavier Su'a-Filo of Provo Timpview, two of the top players in the nation.
The first words out of Coach Rick Neuheisel's mouth at his post-recruiting news conference were, "Hopefully you all had a good day, I believe UCLA's football program had a great day."
It got better, as L.A. Cathedral wide receiver Randall Carroll announced he would sign with UCLA two hours later. Along with Carson tight end Morrell Presley, that gave the Bruins two players who had been committed to USC.
UCLA tied with North Carolina with the No. 4-rated freshman class according to Scout.com. But the bonus points the Bruins scored may be in perception. Hasiak and Su'a-Filo were both pursued by USC.
"I decided I wanted be a part of something big," said Presley, who has already enrolled in school. "Instead of being a part of something that was already built, I wanted to be a part of bringing something back. Instead of being a good player where they had a lot of good players, I wanted to be a great player."
Neuheisel said one-upping USC "was not the focus." But he added, "USC hasn't won as many Pacific 10 championships without having the best and the brightest. We made it clear we had zero problems competing for quality kids."
Presley's decision in December to enroll early "made noise," Neuheisel said. Presley, in turn, helped in recruiting others.
The final haul was significant for a program that had a 4-8 record last season, with six offensive linemen among the class of 24. The Bruins were 116th out of 119 major college teams in rushing and 110th in sacks allowed.
That the Bruins were able to land both Hasiak and Su'a-Filo was the direct result of recruiting efforts by Chow, a Hawaii native and former Brigham Young assistant, and Palcic.
