Three-Point Stance: UCLA, Midwest linemen, Missouri-Boise State ties
Rivals national recruiting analyst Clint Cosgrove has thoughts on UCLA's coaching situation, how Midwest linemen are regaining form and the uncanny connections between Missouri and Boise State.
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1. What's going to happen at UCLA?
Heading into last weekend's matchup with USC it was rumored that Chip Kelly would be coaching his final game for the Bruins, regardless of Saturday's outcome. Some reports even made it sound as though Kelly had all but packed up his office and the UCLA brass was working to name his successor as soon as possible.
The result? UCLA beat USC handily, Kelly is still the Bruins head coach and the dismissal rumors seem to have faded – for now at least.
So, is all good in Westwood? Can we expect Kelly to lead UCLA into the Big Ten next season? That may not be the case after all. After talking with numerous sources who have knowledge of the situation, it sounds as though Kelly may have only weathered the storm long enough to finish the 2023 regular season.
I've been told that some of the initial reports were true but the timeline was incorrect, and UCLA will likely part ways with Kelly after the Bruins' season finale against Cal.
One key name to watch if this does indeed happen is that of current Arizona head coach Jedd Fisch. In fact, I speculate that UCLA's ability to land Fisch could potentially influence the direction UCLA chooses to go with its football program. Fisch is closely connected to some of UCLA's most influential boosters and is extremely familiar with the program, having previously served as offensive coordinator and interim head coach for the Bruins in 2017. His lack of experience as a head coach in 2017 may have prevented him from landing the job then, but now that he's proven to be a winner both on the field and on the recruiting trail out West, there should be little preventing UCLA's administration from hiring him this time around if they were to move on from Kelly.
A potential hiccup in UCLA successfully landing Fisch as the successor to Kelly: He's being heavily pursued by other schools with coaching vacancies. My sources confirm that Fisch has already been involved with Michigan State's coaching search. And while I would guess that Fisch would head to Los Angeles over East Lansing, here's another cog in the machine: I was told on Tuesday that Fisch is also a name to watch at Texas A&M.
There are a lot of moving parts here, but it appears the uncertainty surrounding Kelly's future is here to stay for at least one more week.
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2. Offensive linemen from the Midwest are regaining form.
There has typically been one constant in the ever-evolving recruiting landscape over the years, and that is the Midwest being a consistent producer of Power Five offensive linemen. But for some reason the past two recruiting cycles saw a notable dip in the production of elite offensive linemen from the region.
After 51 Midwest high school offensive linemen signed with Power Five conference programs in 2021 only 36 signed with Power Five schools in 2022, marking a 29.4% decline in the region's production at the position. The year 2023 followed a similar script, with 35 such players.
Things appear to be regaining form in 2024, however, as 49 offensive linemen from the Midwest have already committed to Power Five schools with a month to go before the Early Signing Period.
And that number that will continue to grow, as a group of elite offensive line recruits such as Grant Brix, Andrew Dennis and Caleb Pyfrom are among those who have yet to announce their pledges. The upward trajectory in quality offensive linemen from the region looks to be on the rise again in 2025, with 28 of the region's recruits already having Power Five offers to their name (and an additional 13 in 2026).
While there might be a number of factors for the temporary decline in elite big men (transfer portal, COVID), it seems the region is heading back to its old ways – and that is good for Midwest recruiting as a whole.
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3. Ties that bind Missouri ... and Boise State?
Missouri and Boise State aren't typically schools associated with one another, but a connection has been established lately. Missouri's quarterback coach during the 2022 season, Bush Hamdan, is a former Boise State player who left to become Boise State's offensive coordinator in 2023.
Missouri head coach Eliah Drinkwitz served as Boise State's tight ends coach in 2014 prior to taking over as offensive coordinator for the Broncos in 2015. Missouri offensive coordinator Kirby Moore recorded over 100 receptions as a receiver for Boise State from 2009 to 2013, and his brother, Kellen Moore, is perhaps the most storied player in Boise State history. Boise State has proven to be a training ground for the greatness we are seeing at Missouri today. Had Drink not cut his teeth as an up-and-coming coach for the Broncos (while establishing ties to Kirby Moore and others at Boise State), we may have never seen the perfect storm that is brewing in Columbia today.
Boise State has been good to Missouri over the years, but it may be Missouri returning the favor this time around as Kirby Moore is definitely a name to watch in Boise State's search for a new head coach.