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Ikaika Malloe Secures Local LB Commitment for UCLA

The former UW coach previously was recruiting DeAndre Gill for the Huskies.
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DeAndre Gill, a 6-foot-5, 220-pound linebacker and tight end from Kentwood High School in the Seattle suburbs, on Tuesday revealed his college choice, picking UCLA.

Last May, he originally committed to the Bruins.

Gill means it now.

Yet it was never a done deal before, with Gill receiving an offer from Washington and widely publicizing it in November, just days before the Huskies faced Oregon and everything came collapsing down for Jimmy Lake's coaching staff.

Gill's recruiting point man for UCLA was his recruiter for the UW — Ikaika Malloe.

The former Husky outside linebackers coach and onetime linebacker/safety took a coaching job with UCLA after he didn't join Kalen DeBoer's UW staff.  Malloe likely was the reason Gill harbored any indecision earlier, listening to him for reasons to stay in the Northwest. 

Now everyone will meet up in Los Angeles.

For Gill, he'll actually return to California after moving from Stockton in 2020 to reunite with his father and try and build some recruiting momentum in the Puget Sound region. He's a developing 3-star player who entertained just four offers, but obviously the Bruins and the Huskies saw something they liked. 

A Class of 2022 recruit, Gill spent a lot of time with his father, also named DeAndre, who serves as the junior-varsity offensive coordinator at Kentwood High. He played a six-game spring season for the Conquerors and then a full fall schedule because of the pandemic.

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