COLLEGE FOOTBALL RECRUITING : High Schools : UCLA Misses Out on No. 1 Prospect but Not Much Else

At Oklahoma State, the athletic director says he going to complain to Big Eight Conference officials about “unethical recruiting.” Seems as though someone has been spreading rumors that the Cowboys are about to be hit with 67 NCAA violations, in hopes that potential recruits will be scared off.

“We are not under investigation,” Myron Roderick told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “We have not been under investigation. We have not been notified that we will be under investigation. . . . This is the recruiting-time rumor mill. It happens every year. This is nothing new. There’s a school or two that sink to this level and spread these rumors.”

In the Bay Area, California had a verbal commitment and a virtual lock on offensive lineman Mike Kohlmoos from Visalia Redwood--until Stanford assistant Dave Baldwin made a visit. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Baldwin allegedly told Kohlmoos that Cal Coach Joe Kapp had only one year remaining on his contract (he actually has three) and that it takes a 3.65 grade-point average to get into the Cal business school (actually a 3.0). Wednesday, Kohlmoos, one of the top prospects at any position, signed with Stanford.

“He’s 17 years old,” Redwood Coach Roger Kelly told the Chronicle. “They’ve asked them (recruits) to commit early, and he did. Now he’s changing his mind, and everybody’s mad at him.”

Isn’t letter-of-intent day fun?

Things were a little more upbeat, however, at other schools around the country as high school football players officially signed up for college. This was especially true in cities like Ann Arbor, Tuscaloosa, Norman, South Bend and, in two camps, Los Angeles.

UCLA lost quarterback Jeff George of Indianapolis, the nation’s No. 1 prospect, to Purdue and All-American wide receiver Greg McMurtry of Brockton, Mass., to Michigan, but not much else. The Bruins announced 19 signings from high school players Wednesday, including previously uncommitted defensive back Eric Turner of Ventura.

Max Emfinger, the respected recruiting analyst from Houston, said that gives UCLA the top recruiting class in the country, followed by Alabama, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Michigan, Texas A&M;, USC and Duke. The Trojans signed 18 prep prospects, although they lost out to Arkansas for defensive back Rodney Winston from Marianna, Ark. Texas A&M; made the top group despite a surprise decision by Harvey Williams to go with Louisiana State, one of about 20 top players in Texas to leave the state and bypass the violation-plagued Southwest Conference.

Linebacker Melvin Foster of Houston, rated as the top Texan at any position, is still deciding between Iowa and Oklahoma State. Iowa signed a highly touted quarterback, Dan McGwire of Claremont, and his high school teammate, wide receiver Travis Watkins. Colorado, coming off an appearance in the Freedom Bowl, signed only five players from that state, but made up for it by getting 12 recruits from Southern California. Heading the list were Pomona running back J.J. Flannigan, Vista quarterback Sal Aunese, Simi Valley running back-defensive back M.J. Nelson, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame tight end John Perak and Chino’s 6-foot 8-inch, 270-pound lineman Mark Vander Poel.

George, who passed for 3,594 yards and a national-record 45 touchdowns last season for Warren Central, told an Indianapolis press conference Wednesday he picked Purdue over UCLA and Miami because, “I just didn’t think I could leave the state. I’m just an Indiana boy.”

Within the Pacific 10 Conference, Washington, with quarterback Cary Conklin, linebacker Brad Durbin and defensive lineman Dean Kirkland leading the way, and Stanford, with Kohlmoos, quarterback Scott Stark from Mission Viejo Capistrano Valley and lineman Darran Baird from Dana Hills, also had a good year.