Three UCLA targets make SI All-American's Preseason SI99 Football Prospect Rankings
Of the Bruins' 10 commits for its class of 2022, not one made SI All-American's most prestigious preseason list.
SI All-American released its 2022 Preseason SI99 Football Prospect Rankings on Wednesday, listing the 99 recruits in the country for this upcoming class with the best shot at making the SI All-American First Team. UCLA football was not represented on the list, while Pac-12 rivals USC, Oregon and Arizona boasted three, one and one commit, respectively.
No Bruin commit ever appeared on any of the 13 positional watch lists SI All-American released over the past few weeks either.
However, there are 38 uncommitted recruits still on the list, so UCLA may be able to salvage some top-99 players before signing day comes and goes.
The Bruins are either finalists or have offers out on three of those uncommitted prospects. Chaparral (AZ) defensive lineman Anthony Lucas came in at No. 19, while Mater Dei (CA) linebacker David Bailey is ranked No. 57 and Rainier Beach (WA) offensive tackle Josh Conerly was one spot behind at No. 58.
Lucas was the No. 5 interior defensive lineman on the position's watch list published July 28. SI All-American's John Garcia and Matt Solorio wrote up a scouting report on Lucas, complimenting his raw pass-rushing abilities among other top-tier physical traits:
Widebody from head to toe. NFL size with good composition. Room for a little more good weight. Great Length. Solid out on the edge, but might get out-twitched at the next level. Highly coordinated when changing direction. We really like his lateral first step, because he doesn’t give any ground when trading gaps. Big, powerful stepper. His compact style of pass-rushing fits the interior better than the edge. Locking out blockers was coached into him well. Can sometimes give up his chest with low, late punches. Pad level is decent, angles of pursuit look good. Shows flashes of pass-rushing brilliance. Eyes can sometimes get lost in the backfield. Would benefit from more active hands when rushing the passer.
UCLA made Lucas' top 10 back on April 7 alongside Alabama, Michigan, Oregon, USC, Texas and others.
The 6-foot-5, 290-pound lineman is a four-star prospect in the 247Sports Composite ratings, and 247Sports Mountain Region Recruiting Analyst Blair Angulo compared Lucas to former UCLA defensive lineman Kenny Clark in his scouting report.
Lucas isn't the only one of the Bruins' remaining targets who has been compared to a former UCLA player, however. Bailey, who ranked No. 4 on the off-ball linebacker watch list, is rated four stars by the 247Sports Composite and earned a comparison to Anthony Barr from 247Sports National Recruiting Analyst Greg Biggins.
Garcia and Bryan Driskel scouted Bailey and went into detail on his all-around skills as a versatile backer that have a chance to translate to the next level:
The possibilities appear to be endless within Bailey's game. Much like SI99 2021 Mater Dei linebacker Raesjon Davis, he works outside-in under the Monarch scheme, utilizing his length and speed in space and on the edge incredibly effectively. Turn on the Servite game from this spring and one could feel comfortable projecting Bailey as a true edge talent or an off-ball 'backer. We go with the latter because of his instincts, twitch, lateral ability and awareness. It doesn't mean he won't moonlight off the edge in college, though.
Not far behind Bailey is Conerly Jr., a 6-foot-5, 275-pound tackle that ranked No. 5 on SI All-American's watch list for that position. While Washington is seen as the favorite to reel in Conerly, the Bruins are still in his top 12 as of this spring.
Without an offensive line commit in its 2022 class, UCLA is in dire need of Conerly's services. Garcia and Brooks Austin broke down what Conerly could bring to the table in college ball, focusing on his quickness, athleticism and fundamentals.
A plus athlete on both sides of the football for Rainer Beach, Conerly is dominant from opening kick to the closing whistle. The lighter frame will hold a considerable amount of weight once in a college weight program. Any offensive lineman with these hips, hands, and movement skills will translate to collegiate success with little to no doubt. Conerly has an elite quickness in his first two steps, an invaluable skill for a young lineman.
None of the Bruins' three SI99 targets have set commitment dates.
The top recruit among players who have committed to UCLA is tight end Jack Pederson, who did not make the overall top 99 or his position's watch list, but was listed as one of the Best of the Rest among tight ends.
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