Bruins Have Inside Track in Recruiting : Football: UCLA Coach Terry Donahue is doing it again. He has verbal commitments from two of the South Bay’s top prep players this year.

In a letter to the editor last month, a reader wrote that UCLA football Coach Terry Donahue was “the best recruiter and worst coach in America.”

An outlandish comment, but one with a shred of truth.

Donahue is hardly the nation’s worst coach, despite the assessment to the contrary offered by a frustrated fan in the wake of the Bruins’ 3-7-1 record last season--their first losing campaign since 1979.

However, there is no denying Donahue’s reputation as a crack recruiter. UCLA’s recruiting classes have been rated among the top five in the nation four of the last five years by Super Prep magazine, and there is no sign of the Bruins’ slipping in 1990.

“UCLA is clearly in the top 10 right now,” said recruiting guru Allen Wallace, editor and publisher of Super Prep.

Donahue and the Bruins are No. 1 with two of the South Bay’s top recruits. Hawthorne running back Chris Alexander, the Bay League Co-Player of the Year, and Carson linebacker Nkosi Littleton, the Pacific League Defensive Player of the Year, have each given non-binding verbal commitments to UCLA.

Prep seniors can officially commit to a college beginning Wednesday, the first day of the national letter-of-intent signing period.

“It went well, really well,” Littleton said of his home visit from Donahue. “My parents liked him. He was nice and kind of funny, down to earth.”

Alexander had the same reaction from his talks with Donahue. “We have a good understanding toward each other,” he said.

The 6-foot-2, 220-pound Littleton, a ferocious hitter who is projected to play inside linebacker in college, picked UCLA over Washington and Colorado. It didn’t hurt that former Carson linebacker Arnold Ale, who redshirted last fall after transferring from Notre Dame, was Littleton’s host when the senior visited Westwood.

“(Ale) said it’s different from Notre Dame,” Littleton said. “He likes the atmosphere at UCLA better.”

Alexander, a speedy back who rushed for 1,133 yards and 17 touchdowns and averaged 9.3 yards per carry last season, picked the Bruins over Washington, UC Berkeley and the University of the Pacific.

“I liked the coaches and players,” Alexander said of his visit to UCLA. “It seemed like one big family.”

He was also impressed by the school’s strong academic reputation and the track team. Alexander, Hawthorne’s best sprinter, placed fifth in the state 100-meter dash as a junior and plans to run track in college.

Other South Bay seniors who have given verbal commitments or are close to making decisions include:

West Torrance defensive back Josh Moore said Tuesday that he will accept a scholarship offer from Washington. He is the only area senior, aside from Littleton and Alexander, headed to a Pac-10 school.

Bishop Montgomery’s 6-4, 320-pound lineman, Chris Maumalanga, said he has narrowed his choices to two Big Eight schools--Kansas and Missouri. He said he was recruited by several Pac-10 schools, but not the one he wanted. “The only Pac-10 team I’d go to would be USC,” he said.

Carson’s Michael Ross is considered one of the state’s best wide receivers, but because of grade problems he is being recruited only by schools willing to take Proposition 48 casualties. If he does sign, he said he’ll probably end up at Nevada-Las Vegas.

El Segundo defensive end Kenny Talanoa visits Hawaii this weekend, and don’t be surprised if that’s where he ends up. “I’ve always wanted to go to Hawaii,” he said. Another plus is that Hawaii has told Talanoa he’ll room with close friend and former El Segundo running back Erik Evans.

Leuzinger Coach Steve Carnes said quarterback-defensive back Zac Odom has verbally committed to Hawaii, where he will join his brother Mark, an outside linebacker who was named the Western Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year as a junior last season.

Two Banning defensive backs have given verbal commitments to out-of-state colleges. Free safety Curtis Daniel is headed to Michigan State, and cornerback Nizam Walter has pledged his services to Vanderbilt.

A year and several Scholastic Aptitude Tests later, former Hawthorne quarterback Curtis Conway will finally sign with USC.

Palos Verdes quarterback-safety Blake Anderson will follow in the footsteps of his illustrious father, former Miami Dolphins All-Pro safety Dick Anderson, by signing with Colorado.

Two of Alexander’s Hawthorne teammates--linebacker Sione Mahe and defensive back Kalvein Latu--have given verbal commitments, Cougars Coach Goy Casillas said. Mahe is headed to Utah, Latu to Hawaii.

Carson’s Armin Youngblood, who is being recruited as both a quarterback and a free safety, has narrowed his choices to three schools. Utah wants him as a defensive back, while Fresno State and Hawaii have said he can play quarterback.

Serra defensive back Steven Johnson and wide receiver Donald Godden have each visited Nevada-Las Vegas and Hawaii. Defensive back Clayton Lopez has visited only UNLV.

SOUTH BAY FOOTBALL RECRUITS

Player School Position Ht. Wt. Leading contenders Chris Alexander Hawthorne RB 5-9 175 UCLA* Blake Anderson Palos Verdes DB 6-1 175 Colorado* Curtis Conway Hawthorne QB-WR 6-2 185 USC* Curtis Daniel Banning DB 6-2 190 Michigan St.* Donald Godden Serra WR 6-0 160 UNLV, Hawaii Steven Johnson Serra DB 6-1 200 UNLV, Hawaii Kalvein Latu Hawthorne DB 6-1 185 Hawaii* Clayton Lopez Serra DB 5-11 180 UNLV Nkosi Littleton Carson LB 6-2 220 UCLA* John Ma’ae Banning QB-DB 6-2 190 UNLV, N. Arizona, CS Fullerton, Michigan St. Sione Mahe Hawthorne LB 6-3 220 Utah* Chris Maumalanga B.Montgomery L 6-4 320 Kansas, Missouri Josh Moore West Torrance DB 6-1 185 Washington* Zac Odom Leuzinger DB 5-11 165 Hawaii* Bobby Perkins Carson DB 6-1 170 UNLV, Hawaii Michael Ross Carson WR 6-2 175 UNLV, CS Long Beach, Fresno St. Kenny Talanoa El Segundo DE 6-5 230 Hawaii, Arizona, Arizona St. Nizam Walter Banning DB 5-11 185 Vanderbilt* Tydus Winans Carson WR 6-1 170 Fresno State Manley Woods Gardena WR 6-1 170 New Mexico* Armin Youngblood Carson QB-DB 6-0 185 Utah, Fresno State, Hawaii

* Verbal commitments