Rude Recruiting Awakening for UCLA

In recruiting, the label “sleeper” can have a positive or negative connotation, depending on who’s doing the interpreting.

“Sleeper” is assigned to an athlete who has not reached elite status but may have the potential to do so.

But these “sleeper” athletes often have weaknesses and are risky prospects.

No school wants to fill its recruiting class with “sleepers” because most don’t pan out. But sometimes schools don’t have much of a choice if they have 25 football scholarships to offer and can’t get the top players to commit.

UCLA, coming off a season that ended with five consecutive losses and facing domination of Southern California recruiting by rival USC, is plunging into “sleeper” territory with increasing zeal, which could produce big rewards or big problems for Coach Karl Dorrell on Feb. 4, the national signing day.

Ever since it became clear that Dorrell’s West Coast offense was nothing short of a disaster, the Bruins have been coming up short trying to fill a critical talent shortage at quarterback.

They have already been turned down by four top quarterback prospects -- Matt Tuiasosopo (Washington), Anthony Morelli (Pittsburgh), Erik Ainge (Tennessee) and Chase Patton (Missouri). A fifth, Rocky Hinds of Playa del Rey St. Bernard, is expected to end up at USC.

UCLA has gone to Plan B, which means signing anyone available. That’s how lightly recruited David Koral from Santa Monica College got a scholarship.

The Bruins are also zeroing in on Rudy Carpenter from Westlake Village Westlake, who could commit later this month.

Carpenter, as the sixth choice for a quarterback scholarship, could turn out to be a “sleeper” success. He had one of the best senior seasons of any quarterback in Southern California. But if Dorrell didn’t enjoy having conversations with the disgruntled fathers of ex-Bruins Matt Moore and Tyler Ebell, wait until he sets off Carpenter’s father, Scott, who wasn’t afraid to pull his son out of Newbury Park over coaching and other issues last year.

Most of UCLA’s six offensive line commitments have “sleeper” written all over them for a position at which the Bruins need immediate help. Then again, the Bruins signed several prep All-American offensive linemen in recent years who proved to be big disappointments, so maybe some “sleeper” linemen will change their luck.

It’s a little early for UCLA fans to press the panic button on Dorrell’s newest recruiting class, but there are plenty of risky players in the group.

Dorrell also has lots of fence-mending to do. Newhall Hart Coach Mike Herrington remains livid over the treatment of former quarterback Moore and fired UCLA assistant Gary Bernardi, whose son, Joe, is an offensive lineman at Hart.

“The way the UCLA staff has treated members of the Hart family, there’s a good chance I’m not going to let them recruit on our campus,” said Herrington, who has had six of his players end up at UCLA since 1989.

The banishment of UCLA coaches from the Hart campus could be difficult for Herrington to pull off, because the son of UCLA assistant Jon Embree is a freshman football player for the Indians, but it’s proof that a once close relationship has been severely strained.

In a sign of the growing talent disparity between UCLA and USC, few of the Bruins’ 21 commitments were even pursued by the Trojans.

UCLA is going to be relegated to taking USC’s leftovers for at least another recruiting cycle, because it’s doubtful many juniors are going to commit until they see if changes promised by Dorrell for this fall actually take place.

Across town, the co-national champion Trojans are headed for another top three recruiting class and have virtual veto power over the top recruits in Southern California. These days, if the Trojans want someone, they usually get him.

They have commitments from Southern California’s top two tight ends, Dale Thompson from Corona Santiago and Jimmy Miller from Westlake.

One of the few exceptions has been linebacker Anthony Vernaglia of Orange Lutheran. He committed to Notre Dame in August, but Trojan Coach Pete Carroll has refused to give up, even though Vernaglia insists he’s going to sign with the Fighting Irish.

USC is focusing this month on national recruits.

They have commitments from center Jeff Byers from Loveland, Colo., who is the EA Sports national player of the year, and defensive end Jeff Schweiger Jr. from San Jose Valley Christian, who is considered the best pass rusher in the nation. This week, All-American linebacker Keith Rivers from Florida committed to the Trojans.

USC has 15 public commitments and perhaps several private ones. Quarterback Hinds is scheduled to visit this weekend and could make a final decision soon after. USC is still waiting to hear from lineman Thomas Herring from L.A. Fremont and several wide receivers.

Anyway you look at it, USC is in control of its own destiny, picking and choosing whomever it wants. UCLA coaches had better be exceptional judges of talent because their pool of potential players has decreased considerably.

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Eric Sondheimer can be reached at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.