Ellis McCarthy was one of the Cal commits to change his mind after Tosh Lupoi moved on to a job at the University of Washington.
Photo by Jose L. Marin
College football recruiting has started to resemble the Wild, Wild West.
In the center of the latest firestorm is former University of California defensive line coach Tosh Lupoi,
who switched to the University of Washington this week.
CBS/MaxPreps recruiting analyst Tom Lemming called the switch "a bigger deal than any kid committing anywhere. It's going to devastate Cal, because he's the best recruiter in the country. I know Tosh. I can understand. He wants to be a head coach. He was kind of stalled at Cal. He has a chance to be a head coach in a couple years. Now he's got a raise and a title (co-defensive coordinator)."
The change won't immediately benefit Washington, however, because No. 9 prospect
Ellis McCarthy, a 310-pound lineman from
Monrovia (Calif.), switched from Cal to UCLA.
"He was there (Cal) because of Tosh Lupoi only," Lemming said. "That shows you the power of a coach who can bring in superstars. He is worth his weight in gold.
'It was too late for (Washington) this year," Lemming acknowledged. "It's almost all for 2013."
* The nation's premier quarterback,
Gunner Kiel of
Columbus East (Columbus, Ind.), quietly enrolled at the University of Notre Dame this week. He had committed to Indiana University in preseason, then later switched to LSU.
Notre Dame commit Gunner Kiel
Photo by Warren Robison
"He could have waited until signing day (to make his first commitment)," Lemming said of Kiel. "Guys like him can wait until they are 100 percent sure. He committed too early (to Indiana), then on the spur of the moment got caught up in the hoopla (and switched to LSU). He realized his mistakes and came to Notre Dame through the back door. His family didn't want to be in another circus."
Though Notre Dame has lost a couple prospects recently, Lemming still praised the coaching staff for its ability to overcome setbacks.
"They have become one of the best counter punchers in the country," he said. "They've gotten guys back. Usually they get off to a slow start. Then they get off the canvas and knock the guy out. It seems like they do their best recruiting after guys commit to another school."
He sees Notre Dame and UCLA moving up in the recruiting rankings, while Cal is going to slip.
Lemming's weekly television show on Friday (7 p.m., EST, on the CBS Sports Network) will feature University of Iowa strength coach Chris Doyle, whom he calls "the most famous strength coach in the country."
