Are Bruins close on No. 2

UCLA has already landed one player from the class of 2006 in Los Banos (Calif.) offensive lineman Walter Watts and could be on the verge of landing commitment No. 2.

West Hills (Calif.) South Hills linebacker-defensive end Tobi Umodu will be getting an official scholarship offer from the Bruins this weekend and according to Husky assistant coach James Escarcega, a commitment could be around the corner.

Umodu, 6-0, 230 pounds is coming off his second straight season where he recorded 17 quarterback sacks and received 1st team all-CIF, all-valley and second team all-state underclass a year ago for his efforts. The athlete added 72 tackles, knocked down seven passes and had one interception that he returned for a touchdown.

In reviewing film of Umodu, there is a lot to like about him. He has a great burst off the ball and really closes well. He uses his hands well and has natural pass rushing skills. He's explosive getting up the field but also plays the run well and has the athleticism to run down plays from behind.

Like all Husky players, Umodu is a very aggressive and physical player and plays with a mean streak on the field. With his size, or actually his height, the coaches at South Hills have told us linebacker will likely be his best position and after watching the film, we would agree with that.

Umodu has the overall speed to play the position so the only question will be how he plays in space, can he drop in to coverage, things like that. He is very good at taking on blocks and is strong at the point of attack so that should translate well to linebacker.

"We talked to UCLA and they said they're going to be fed exing a scholarship offer in the mail this weekend," Escarcega said. "Tobi has always liked UCLA so I can definitely see him jumping on that offer shortly. He told me once he gets the offer, he wants to talk to his parents but that's really the school he's most interested in. It's close to home and he likes the education he would get there and also likes the coaches a lot."

Academically, Umodu is carrying a 2.8 GPA and is taking all honors and AP classes along with calculus. He'll take the SAT later in the year.