Alloway back from Cal, eyes UCLA next

Four-star prospect Damian Alloway is nearing a decision but he still has some final details to figure out.

The Rivals100 athlete from Fontana (Calif.) Summit visited California earlier this month and has the Golden Bears firmly in the running for his commitment. UCLA is the other finalist, but at the moment it sure sounds like the Bruins have some ground to make up with about a month to go until the announcement.

"The visit to Cal was a good experience," Alloway said. "I finally got a chance to see what it's like up there. I heard a lot of good things about it, but I finally got to see it with my own eyes. I got to see how the people act up there and the whole vibe in the community around the university. It's a college town and I like how people act with each other out there."

The atmosphere around Berkeley was not the only thing that caught Alloway's attention. The coaching staff has sold him on their air raid offense and pinpointed how he would fit into the high-octane scheme.

"They're telling me I can go up there and play the slot," Alloway said. "They're telling me I would be in the first or second rotation as soon as I get up there. And I wouldn't just stay in that position; they would move me around and get me the ball out of the backfield, too. It was all good things that they were telling me."

After holding off on making a pledge a few weeks ago, Alloway wants to commit in late May or early June before setting his sights on his senior season. Only a couple other programs would make him alter those plans.

"Really, right now with the offers I have, it's between Cal and UCLA," Alloway said. "There are some offers that could be coming in the next few weeks that could change things, and that's from Notre Dame and Oregon. Once I get those, it could really change things up.

"But if I don't get those within the next few weeks, I'm just going to shut it down and make my decision."

Recently, the Ducks informed Alloway they would be swinging through in the next couple weeks as they make the rounds in Southern California during the spring evaluation period. Notre Dame has told him the same thing.

Regardless, Alloway has at least one more trip on the itinerary before he sits down to make the call.

"I want to get out to UCLA for sure," Alloway said. "I haven't even gotten a campus tour yet, so I need to see everything. I want to have a meeting with the coaches and lay everything out on the table. I want to hear what they have to say. I want to do that before I commit to get a better feel for the program."

Alloway was credited with 1,277 yards of total offense and 18 touchdowns as a junior last season. He had three interceptions on defense.