USC, UCLA Set to Sign Top Recruits This Week

USC Coach Paul Hackett might want to bring a baton to football practice next fall considering the three elite track athletes who are set to sign letters of intent with the Trojans on Wednesday.

With a clear emphasis on improving team speed, Hackett has oral commitments from defensive back Darrell Rideaux of Long Beach Poly, the defending state 100-meter track champion; wide receiver Kareem Kelly of Long Beach Poly, the defending state 200 champion, and wide receiver Marcell Allmond of St. Paul, the defending state 110 high hurdles champion.

Add three huge line recruits from Orange County, Lenny Vandermade of Mater Dei, Bernard Riley of Los Alamitos and Nate Steinbacher of Esperanza, and Hackett is on his way to strengthening two important areas in the Trojan program--speed and size.

UCLA Coach Bob Toledo is on the verge of adding to a group of offensive line recruits who rank among the best in the nation.

Last year’s recruits included prep All-Americans Mike Saffer and Blake Worley. On Wednesday, Toledo will add perhaps the top two line prospects on the West Coast in Shane Lehmann of Corona and Bryce Bohlander of Keizer McNary, Ore.

Toledo also found a replacement for kicker Chris Sailer in Nathan Fikse of Esperanza and a possible big-play defensive player in linebacker Marcus Reese of San Jose Oak Grove. Another possible impact player is defensive back Ricky Manning from Edison Fresno.

UCLA and USC remain involved in an intense recruiting battle for All-American tight end Mike Seidman of Westlake.

Three elite quarterbacks from Southern California will sign with Pacific 10 Conference schools. Chris Lewis of Long Beach Poly is headed to Stanford, Kyle Boller of Hart has committed to California and J.P. Losman of Venice is bound for UCLA. All three were Parade magazine All-Americans.

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL COMMITMENTS

USC

Oral commitments for the USC football team: *--*

Name Pos. Ht Wt School Marcell Allmond WR 6-3 195 St. Paul Sagan Atuatasi DL 6-3 290 Los Alamitos Chad Cook TE 6-4 230 Portland Jesuit Nijrell Eason DB 6-1 195 Long Beach CC Aaron Graham LB 6-2 228 Bakersfield Norman Katnick OL 6-5 245 Santa Ana Foothill Kareem Kelly WR 6-1 187 Long Beach Poly Craig Mitchell DB 5-9 170 West L.A. CC Omar Nazel DL 6-4 220 Oakland Skyline David Newberry K 5-10 172 Navarro CC, Texas Troy Polamalu DB 5-11 192 Winston-Douglas, Ore. Chris Prosser LB 6-2 215 San Diego Morse Darrell Rideaux DB 5-9 160 Long Beach Poly Bernard Riley DL 6-3 310 Los Alamitos Jacob Rogers TE 6-6 235 Oxnard Markus Steele LB 6-4 230 Long Beach CC Nate Steinbacher OL 6-6 315 Anaheim Esperanza Steve Stevenson WR 6-2 205 Covina Charter Oak Lenny Vandermade OL 6-5 275 Santa Ana Mater Dei

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UCLA

Oral commitments for the UCLA football team:

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Name Pos. Ht Wt School David Ball DL 6-5 235 Dixon, Calif. Matt Ball DL 6-5 235 Dixon, Calif. Bryce Bohlander OL 6-7 270 Keizer McNary, Ore. Asi Faoa LB 6-4 245 Anaheim Magnolia Nathan Fikse K 5-11 175 Anaheim Esperanza Akil Harris RB 6-1 190 Monrovia Blane Kezirian LB 6-6 235 Woodland Hills El Camino Real Shane Lehmann OL 6-5 275 Corona Rodney Leisle DL 6-4 305 Bakersfield Ridgeview Dennis Link LB 6-3 200 Long Beach Poly J.P. Losman QB 6-3 185 Venice Ricky Manning DB 5-9 170 Fresno Edison Deshaun McCullough DB 5-11 185 Gardena Serra Jerry Owens WR 6-3 200 Newhall Hart Marcus Reese LB 6-1 210 San Jose Oak Grove Steve Sanchez DL 6-4 270 Visalia Mt. Whitney Ryan Smith WR 6-3 208 Flower Mound Marcus, Texas Ryan Wikert DB 6-2 180 Temecula Valley

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