Analysis of SDSU Recruits Comes to Speedy Conclusion

On Wednesday, the first day high school seniors could sign national letters of intent, San Diego State Coach Al Luginbill sounded suspiciously similar to his first three letter-of-intent days.

He said what he likes best about his 1992 recruiting class is its speed.

“If we were going to change the name of San Diego State, I’d like to change it to ‘Speed U.’ ” Luginbill said. “That’s the name of the game, and the perimeter positions on defense are where you have to evaluate that.

“Our schedule is taking us in that direction, and we have to make sure we can run sideline-to-sideline with the two-deep (zone coverage). That was the thing about us offensively last season--if someone was nicked, our guy who came in didn’t slow us down. We have to get there defensively.”

And to that extent, the Aztecs signed eight players whom they intend to try at defensive back.

Sure, Fred Edwards of Antelope Valley High--who also visited USC--carried the ball 209 times for 1,340 yards and 15 touchdowns last season, but Luginbill liked Edwards’ range at defensive back, where he intercepted five passes--and nine in the past two seasons. Yes, Lincoln’s Scott Hammond averaged 23.3 yards per catch as a receiver last fall, but Luginbill watched him run, long jump, play basketball and then dreamed of Hammond in the Aztec defensive backfield.

A glance at the 1992 SDSU recruiting list shows three pure defensive backs and five more who played both defensive back and an offensive skill position last season. That’s what happens when you finish 103rd in the nation in total defense--and 90th in pass efficiency defense. Memories of Brigham Young’s Ty Detmer and Miami’s Gino Torretta each setting school passing records against the SDSU defense tend to cloud your days.

“We did not recruit a wide receiver into the program who we didn’t feel could play on the defensive side of the ball,” Luginbill said. “In the fall, we’re going to take the best athletes in this group and (place them) in the defensive perimeter positions--safety and cornerback. That was our philosophy with this class.”

As far as the defensive backs, Luginbill was particularly happy to sign Hammond--whose athleticism he compared to that of Darnay Scott--and Point Loma’s Michael Driver.

“I don’t want to put a hex on him, but I haven’t seen a pure cornerback with this type of ability in the four years I’ve been at San Diego State,” Luginbill said of Driver. “There’s an awareness and a toughness about him, and he has the ability to raise it to this level.”

And Luginbill on Hammond: “The great thing about him is he said, ‘Coach, I just want to play at the spot I can play the quickest.’ ”

Speed.

The biggest local signing is probably Point Loma’s La’Roi Glover, who picked SDSU over UCLA. Luginbill called Glover’s signing the “biggest statement in the four years I’ve been at San Diego State” and said the most difficult position to recruit is that of a natural defensive lineman.

“I think (Vista Coach) Dick Haines said it best,” Luginbill said. “In the (San Diego County 3-A) championship game, when La’Roi turned it up, it didn’t matter what Vista did. When he felt things had to be taken care of, he was a man playing with boys on the high school level. That’s an evaluation you would see from most major universities.

“He, Driver and Hammond have leadership capabilities. Their peers will follow them.”

The Aztecs ended up losing two players who had made oral commitments to them within the past month--Dalton Simmons, a 6-feet-1, 270-pound free safety from New Orleans’ John Ehret High, and Marcus Soward, a 5-11, 180-pound running back/defensive back from Rialto Eisenhower.

Simmons signed with Colorado, and Wednesday, Luginbill still wasn’t sure what had happened. Soward signed with Arizona State.

“I have no explanation (for Simmons),” Luginbill said. “Usually, young men will give you a reason. Soward told us he didn’t want to compete with Marshall Faulk. Dalton never gave us a reason why. I’m kind of confused. We’re kind of left wondering why.”

But as for Southern California, Luginbill said SDSU was well received by most players.

“No question our exposure level has gone to different heights,” Luginbill said. “I’m a realist. I understand the impact a Marshall Faulk had on our program. Let’s be honest. In three months, that young man gave San Diego State the impetus. . . . He came along at the right time.”

Aztec Notes

SDSU Coach Al Luginbill said the Aztecs offered nine San Diego County players scholarships and that six accepted. “I’d like to sit here and someday own San Diego County,” Luginbill said. “We’re not there yet. It’s a neat goal, and I’ll push and push to get there, but I don’t know if it’s a reasonable goal.” . . . Six of the 23 players the Aztecs announced were actually 1991 recruits. Tony Giacolone, a defensive lineman from Mira Mesa, will enroll in SDSU in the fall of 1992 and five players enrolled last month: Tyson Bruder, a linebacker from Chandler (Ariz.) High; Thad Culpepper, a defensive back from Pasadena Muir; Darcel Glover, a linebacker from Point Loma; Marlon Manassa, a running back from Point Loma; and Adam Norberg, an offensive lineman from Helix. . . . SDSU signed two Louisiana players this year--defensive back Leonard Jones from Carver High (Marshall Faulk’s high school) and linebacker Craigus Thompson from Higgins High. . . . Linebacker Fred Harris, the 1990 player of the year in Louisiana, still has not qualified for admission to SDSU, according to Luginbill. . . . The Aztecs signed only one community college player this season, Mesa defensive back Willie Johnson.

Where Are They From?

Name School Pos. Ht. Wt. Sheldon Anderson Washington (Los Angeles) DB/WR 6-0 185 Billy Blanton Mater Dei (Costa Mesa) QB 6-0 195 Andreal Climon Helix DB/WR 6-0 180 Michael Driver Point Loma DB 6-3 185 Fred Edwards Antelope Valley DB/WR 5-11 170 DeMario Edwards Grant (Sacramento) LB 6-0 210 Tony Giacolone* Mira Mesa DL 6-5 250 La’Roi Glover Point Loma DL 6-2 275 Scott Hammond Lincoln DB/WR 6-3 190 Peter Holt Antelope Valley K 5-10 170 Adrian Ioja Garden Grove TE 6-2 230 Leonard Jones Carver (New Orleans) DB 6-0 175 Ben Lopez Valley View (Moreno Valley) TE 6-3 255 Ricky Parker Hiram Johnson (Sacramento) DB/WR/RB 6-1 185 Mark Roe Torrey Pines OL 6-5 260 Matt Roe Torrey Pines OL 6-5 260 Craigus Thompson Higgins (New Orleans) LB 6-1 190 Willie Johnson San Diego Mesa CC DB 6-2 215

*Originally signed letter of intent in 1991; will enroll in fall, 1992.