The In-Depth Analysis of the Former Mountie Playmakers

Football fans will be marking their calendars on Sept. 4, the first Saturday of college football, where 53 games are scheduled to begin the 2010 season.

The first set of games however will start on Sept. 2 where 18 games will be played followed by two more games the following day.

A handful of those games will be aired on ESPN during the three-day period, a few of them featuring former Mountie football players. The names are as follows:

VIDEO: (April 1, 2010) Hebron “Loni” Fangupo discusses his return to practice and his marriage.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SHELLY CASTELLANO

HEBRON FANGUPO
SCHOOL: USC
POSITION AT MT SAC: Defensive Tackle
GAME TIME: Sept. 2 @ Hawaii – 11:00 EST on ESPN, ESPN3
ANALYSIS: After breaking his leg in a game against Washington State on Sept. 26 (and seeing the video on how he broke it, ouch), I cringed at how the bone was broken once the X-rays and MRI were revealed. The one thing that I knew about Loni (his nickname) was that he wasn’t going to let this be the end of his football career. He’s been through too much in his young life for it to just stop and that wasn’t going to happen.

According to an article from the OC Register written by Michael Lev in June, USC suffered a blow in their defense when their senior defensive tackle Christian Tupou suffered a season-ending knee injury in a spring game on May 1.

Defensive line coach Ed Orgeron said Fangupo and two of his teammates were needed to step up and make adjustments to fill the void Tupou occupied.

Earlier this year (around May), I met with Fangupo and his girlfriend (now his wife) Rebecca during his off-time discussing plans for his marriage (he asked me to be his photographer for his wedding). Fangupo said his leg was sore but was feeling fine and pretty much on the way in getting back in shape. He said that his mobility was an issue but he was ready and willing to get back to where he needed to be through progressive rehab.

As far as his persona goes, he was the same Loni I knew back when he spent his time at Mt. SAC–happy, cheerful and enjoying life. He still had that distinctive laugh that you would hear every now and then during a conversation. Fangupo has a kind of humor about him that leaves you appreciating him. Aside that, Fangupo has a strong will and knows what he wants and very likely gets what he wants.

With an extra year of eligibility granted stemming from his leg injury last September, Fangupo will be ready to go and ready to pound. During his time playing at Mt. SAC, Fangupo had persevered through most of the season hampered with a shoulder injury that slowed him down before coming to USC. Pain has never been an issue on the field with Fangupo. His heart and determination will completely overshadow that once he steps onto the field.

READ A Q&A ON HEBRON FANGUPO BY CLICKING HERE

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PHOTO COURTESY OF LIFE

JACOB HARFMAN
SCHOOL: USC
POSITION AT MT SAC: Kicker
GAME TIME: Sept. 2 @ Hawaii – 11:00 EST on ESPN, ESPN3
ANALYSIS: Based on 2009′s statistics, Harfman has fared rather well against opponents in punting and kickoffs.

Opponents have averaged 40.9 yards in punting while Harfman has averaged 39.8. His longest punt was a 59-yard boot–including 4 other kicks that went beyond 50+ yards. Nine of the punts have gone inside the 20-yard line with no blocks recorded.

On kickoffs, Harfman has averaged 65 yards from the distance with 11 touchbacks and two going out of bounds.

Harfman has always been someone who works continuously on mechanics and technique. From his Mt. SAC days, his long distance field goal kicking was always in tact. On most days in practice, I saw him consistently unloading the football through the uprights in the 40-49 yard range without any trouble.

I was rather intrigued by one stat in which Harfman went for a field goal 50+ yards out during a game. I wonder if Coach Kiffin will even look into that at all during this fall. From recent reports, Harfman and Houston have been dueling it out for that job—may the best kicker win.

READ A PREVIOUS ARTICLE ON JACOB HARFMAN BY CLICKING HERE.
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VIDEO: The footage shows a handful of plays and moves from Lancer when he was with Mt. SAC in 2007 and 2009 (redshirted in 2008).

PHOTO COURTESY OF ERIC REED - SGVN

LANCER TUITELE
SCHOOL: University of Hawaii
POSITION AT MT SAC: Running Back
GAME TIME: Sept. 2 VS USC – 11:00 EST on ESPN, ESPN3
ANALYSIS: Lancer Tuitele (formerly known as Lancer Iosefa) is a class act. As a person he is very professional, very approachable and respectable a person can be. During our one-on-one conversations, Tuitele has answered all my questions thoroughly and ranked among the few interviewees that made my job rather easy.

His character and his leadership showed last season as he and his brother Burton (who also may be playing for Hawaii) were few of the vocal leaders for the Mounties.

From my observations, I have never ever seen any of the coaches (Jastrab, Craft, Russell or Purcell) mention or instruct anything to the brothers. Tuitele always seemed to know exactly what the next drill was and was a step ahead of almost everyone during the plays. He knew what his role was.

The one thing I found real entertaining during practice drills was his roadrunner-like speed that he displayed during 7-on-7′s or 11-on-11′s bumping into one lineman and then another moving through the pocket bobbing and weaving and clearing aside the opposing secondary out to the open. Tuitele is a passionate person when playing and is a presence as a running back and during warm-up drills. On occasion he is quiet, but also can be vocal and encouraging to his teammates.

In 2007, Kevin Craft and Tom Craft came to Mt. SAC with an offensive game plan. This game plan centralized on executing various pass plays and routes which put some limitation to Tuitele’s abilities. Having played third behind running backs William Woods and Craig Williams, Tuitele managed to lead the backs in touchdowns with 7 that year.

With only 54 carries as opposed to Woods’ 131 and Williams’ 93, Tuitele made it count where it was needed–scoring the touchdown. His best performance came in the second game against Mt. San Jacinto where he went for 6 carries running a total of 88 yards and 2 touchdowns.

The main weapons in the Mountie offense came from the receiving end. Former Utah receiver/special teams Aiona Key had 80 receptions for 1,112 yards and 17 touchdowns while teammate Matt Austin (playing for Utah State) caught 69 passes for 985 yards and 9 touchdowns. The rest of the receiving pack combined for 17 touchdowns–adding that to the totals of Kevin Craft minus the running game.

Had Tuitele been the leading running back, he might’ve recorded more than what he had statistically as he recorded 54 carries with 214 yards.

Aside that, Tuitele was a 3.0 student at Mt. SAC. The off-time that he spent on 2008 allowed him to concentrate on his studies and his work. This proved well academically as he was able to focus in more on his playing time the following year which led him to obtaining a state and national championship before leaving Mt. SAC.

Before the 2009 season, Craft wanted to devise a special running game that combined with the various passing plays. He wanted to use Tuitele and Burton to help add production from behind the pocket with special formations rather than the constant schemes of the passing game. Tuitele was able to step into the limelight in his second year doing more than what he did in 2007 and ended the season drastically improving his stats with 122 carries for 509 yards rushing and 9 touchdowns.

By adding everything up from the moment he came to Mt. SAC to the time he stepped off the gridiron, Tuitele has collected his awards and accomplishments and has made an open road to success.

Now in Hawaii, still with much to prove, Iosefa’s determination and character is going to take him far and with that, it will surely be a factor to his success.

At one point during his time at Mt. SAC, BYU had expressed interest in signing both Lancer and Burton. I wonder why they never revisited that offer to both.

For Sept. 4, I’m not expecting much to happen in the start of Tuitele’s first year (seeing that he will be behind the current backs who are starting for Hawaii), but any kind of contribution that he does make will be more than satisfactory from observance. Tuitele is so much more than what’s written on paper and I’m hoping the Hawaii coaching staff takes note of this.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF WVILLUSTRATED.COM

BRUCE IRVIN
SCHOOL: University of West Virginia
POSITION AT MT SAC: Defensive End
GAME TIME: Sept. 4 VS Coastal Carolina – 3:30 EST on ESPN3
ANALYSIS: The one thing I really liked about Irvin during his time at Mt. SAC was his humbleness.

Irvin knew at the JC level, he was going to be bigger than life. Irvin knew that there was buzz about his athleticism–his freakish speed to go along with his tall 6-foot-something frame. But above all that, Irvin knew it all but went about it in modesty-a quiet guy who did what he was told and at the end of the day, it was just another day at the job.

He rarely smiled. But when he did, he would let you know that he was enjoying that moment.

At Mt. SAC he had a lot to smile about.

With offers coming as far west as it carried to the far east, choosing where to go was a rather big deal for Irvin.

During one-on-one conversations, Irvin said that as long as he was given playing time, he’d go anywhere. Much of the talks during the time were him going to Tennessee, USC or Arizona State. But to West Virginia?

I never heard West Virginia being an option during our ‘off-the-record’ talks.

But Irvin will fit right in with the team and I believe he’s made the right choice for the school he’s playing for.

What more can I analyze about Irvin?

He can run, he can use his body well for speed and strength and for his height, it’s amazing to see how he zig-zags against the opposing linemen.

READ A PREVIOUS ARTICLE ON BRUCE IRVIN BY CLICKING HERE.

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MATT AUSTIN
SCHOOL: Utah State University
POSITION AT MT SAC: Wide Receiver
GAME TIME: Sept. 4 at Oklahoma – 7:00 EST
ANALYSIS: I want to leave football for a moment and talk about Austin’s athleticism.

Matt Austin is an amazing basketball player. During the off-season from Mt. SAC football, I happened to roam in the campus gym and saw a large number of guys playing a pickup game. One of the guys I noticed was Austin himself and here’s what I picked up from his playing:

Austin can handle the ball extremely well. While he doesn’t dribble-drive too much, he’s extremely quick going down the key and is always scoring for the team.

Austin can shoot … he can shoot … he can shoot. And when he misses, the opposing rebounders stop and stare and before they know it, Austin has snagged the rebound and scooped it in for a two points.

Austin hustles. His vertical leap is amazing. For his tall 6-foot-3-inch height, he jumps with shocks coiled tightly beneath his sneakers.

Getting back to football, add everything that I’ve mentioned and integrate those skills to his football game.

Austin is a fun-loving, outgoing, outspoken person. He enjoys the company of friends and has a passion for sports. But he also knows when to turn off the switch and turn on his football game switch.

When Austin plays, he makes them. He uses his height and leaping ability to his advantage and at Mt. SAC, there have been more than enough highlight plays that I’ve witnessed in practice and in games.

Despite the broken foot he suffered last season, Austin plays with energy but he knows how to harness it on the field.

The big question is how will he fare against Oklahoma’s secondary and how will he adjust if he goes on a funk early in the game. Do I predict first-game jitters from Austin? Maybe so.

But once he finds his niche, no matter how tall his defender is, Austin is going to be everywhere in the field.

This will be a big game for him and his fans.

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PHOTO BY JAMES CHOY

MATT FAULKNER
SCHOOL: San Jose State University
POSITION AT MT SAC: Quarterback
GAME TIME: Sept. 4 at Alabama – 7:00 EST on ESPN3
ANALYSIS: San Jose State had a bad 2009.

To make matters worse, three of their first four games will be against big time schools.

The Spartans will start the season against the number one team in Alabama at Alabama. Then they’ll travel to Wisconsin to play against the Badgers the following week before their home opener against Southern Utah on Sept. 18. As they return back to the road, they’ll be facing Utah a week after.

Spartans head coach Mike MacIntyre has his hands full.

So does Matt Faulkner.

My analysis: There is no other person that I would have in this situation than Matt Faulkner.

Faulkner is not what you call a human highlight of limelight proportions. Faulkner is not a flashy media-expose’ type of person.

Faulkner studies, works at what he does and executes.

This is why he won the state and national championship at Mt. SAC.

To put it simply, Faulkner is all-class. At 6-foot-2 205 pounds, he may seem like your typical All-American quarterback but behind his healthy build, there lies more than that smile on his face.

Statistically, going 217-for-355 with a total of 3,303 yards passing and 29 touchdowns and 13 interceptions is not bad in anyway.

Who he was off the field is what mattered to me as he carried that persona on the field.

To others, Faulkner was a genuinely nice guy. He was nice to the media, nice to his players, his peers and his family.

Someone once told me, ‘Character counts and when it does everything else falls in place.’ If this saying goes for many then Faulkner is one who is capable of accomplishing any task — great or small.

With the beginning of the season near, this is a big task for Faulkner.

He is a coach’s perfect pupil. He will listen and do. He works hard at whatever mistakes he makes and once handled he will produce.

This is what I saw of him in 2009.

Come September 4, against the number one team in the nation, he will have his hands full. But don’t be surprised if his hands are emptied before the clock goes to zero.

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OTHER PLAYERS TO WATCH:

** Eddie Williams and UCLA at Kansas State – 3:30 EST on ABC.
** Chris Ramos and Idaho vs. North Dakota – 9:00 EST

Malcolm Murray’s return adds punch to the Mt. SAC defense

PHOTO BY SHERAZAD SHAIKH - Malcolm Murray (left) leaps airborne in attempt to intercept a pass from the opposing wide receiver.

The path that Malcolm Murray took in playing football at Oklahoma State may have been short lived.

But the welcome back party of Nick Lamaison from Tennessee and Murray will add depth and leadership to the Mounties roster come this Fall.

Murray helped lead the Mt. SAC defense win the state and national championship by edging out San Mateo up in Northern California 7-6 last December. Murray’s defensive play was instrumental in that game catching two key interceptions to solidify the Mounties’ second title, their first won back in 1997.

With his unfortunate release from Oklahoma State a few weeks ago, a number of teams were interested in Murray’s services, notably UCLA and Portland State.

However, the 6-foot-2 inch Junipero Serra High School product said coming back to Mt. SAC made the most sense.

“I’m already familiar with the coaches there and with the system,” he said. “So I felt, ‘why not try to defend our championship?’”

Murray will return to familiarity as he likely will cover the free safety position once more this Fall.

“My goal this season is to improve on everything I did wrong last year,” he said. “I want to work on everything in my repertoire but I want to get more tackles and interceptions especially.”

With the defensive tandem of Vai Lutui and Bojay Fillimoeatu, who both will help lead the defensive front, the Mounties will come into the 2010 season very much loaded as they were last season.

“It feels good being back at Mt. SAC,” Murray said. “Hopefully we’ll have the same outcome as last year.”

Stay tuned for a special feature on Malcolm Murray in September.

COLUMN: Give Kevin Craft another shot

PHOTO COURTESY OF BRUINSBOARD.COM - Former starting quarterback Kevin Craft is hoping to revitalize an unfortunate season last year with the possibility of replacing Kevin Prince this Saturday.

In an L.A. Times article written today by Chris Foster, the story stated that Kevin Craft may replace jaw-injured Kevin Prince. But it also said that Richard Brehaut is expected to be the quarterback after seeing some time in the San Diego State game two weeks ago.

Come on guys, give Craft a break.

Despite the numerous interceptions he threw last year, you also have to factor in that only one starter was present in an offensive line that was inexperienced.

There were a ton of injuries that have appeared long before the season started and we were all exposed to the news that the Bruins would have a rough beginning not because of Kevin Craft, but because of the missing starters

If there’s one thing I known of Craft, is that he’s not a media kind of guy. By having his name in the back burner during this past off-season, my guess was that a lot of pressure was put off of him and by displacing him from the center of attention was something that he must have appreciated. It allows him to concentrate, focus better and get himself more acclimated to what he needs to learn.

Craft is cerebral, he just wasn’t given the right chess pieces last season to really do what he wanted. Despite learning from a new offense with Norm Chow and getting firsthand experience being schooled from head coach Rick Neuheisel, Craft deserves that second chance to show what he can do now that his chess pieces are ready to go.

While reports are that Brehaut is a good quarterback, Craft is due for a big outing since his miraculous second-half performance against Tennessee last season.

If it comes to be that Craft does not produce from his unfortunate last season, then I will state otherwise, but until then …

let’s try him out, make that happen.

Neuheisel impressed with former Mountie Williams

PHOTO BY JAMES CHOY - UCLA's Eddie Williams prevents USC's Hebron Fangupo from getting any entry to the quarterback during a Mt. SAC practice in 2008.

In a August 10 article written by the Orange County Register, UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel said that he was impressed with the quickness of former Mt. SAC offensive lineman Eddie Williams.

The two former Mounties very well may go head-to-head this season come Nov. 28 when they face each other at the coliseum.

Unveiling the 2009 Mt. SAC football playmakers – Part 1

After a heartbreaking loss to Butte last year in the state championship game, the Mt. San Antonio College Mounties will be seeking atonement as their first game of the 2009 season approaches with less than a month away.

Former quarterback Nick Lamaison (Now at Tennessee) led the Mounties to a big start in the 2008 season delivering a MVP-like performance with quick pass attacks and the ability to put points on the board early in games. With his contribution the Mounties provided offense that many opposing teams could not handle. However, it wasn’t until the latter half of the season when Lamaison suffered a leg/ankle injury that limited his playing time.

By watching from the sidelines, his teammate and backup quarterback Tyler Vanderzee stepped in and gave an impressive debut and performance against Fullerton and a better-than-expected contribution throughout the rest of the season. Lamaison was able to put in some minutes fighting his injury but Vanderzee took the load and helped carry the Mounties to the state championship game.

Vanderzee’s ability to bob, weave and scramble inside and outside the pocket provided key plays to help the offense come through for the team but unfortunately came short as the team sputtered in the end.

Along with Vanderzee, the class of ’09 consists of many great weapons that Mt. SAC has to offer. As one coach put it, “This team has probably 14-15 players who will make it to D1 easy.”

The following is a list of the first of many players who will help in getting that state championship for Mt. SAC:

PHOTO BY JAMES CHOY - Sophomore wide receiver Lester Thomas leans out for a one-handed catch during a run-and-catch drill at practice.

LESTER THOMAS
STATUS: Sophomore
POSITION: Wide Receiver
SCHOOLS INTERESTED: Central Florida, South Florida, Fort Valley, Michigan
OTHER SCHOOLS THOMAS IS INTERESTED IN: Tennessee, BYU, UCLA, Utah, Texas, LSU, Georgia, Clemson, Hawaii

JAMES’ ANALYSIS: Thomas is a humble person and a ‘to-himself’ kind of guy. He is low-key, speaks very little but let’s his game speak for itself. Clearly he has the best hands on the team and almost always catches any pass that comes to him. He moves well enough to beat his defender in receiving the short 5-15 yard pass or the long 20-50 yards. He loves to run deep and go for the long bomb.

On a few occasions, Thomas has made some spectacular catches, a couple of them with one hand leaving teammates in oohs and aahs. Despite not being with the team last year, Thomas is definitely one of the weapons that will contribute in giving Mt. SAC that chance to go far in the post-season.

PHOTO BY JAMES CHOY - Sophomore wide receiver Jesse Canada pushes away a Golden West defender while running for a touchdown.

JESSE CANADA
STATUS: Sophomore
POSITION: Wide Receiver
SCHOOLS INTERESTED: New Mexico State, Arizona State, Boise State, Syracuse, TCU, Utah, Utah State, Tennessee
OTHER SCHOOLS CANADA IS INTERESTED IN: Canada has said that he would like to go anywhere but Utah and Tennessee really excited him.

JAMES’ ANALYSIS: The receivers’ coach said Canada and teammate Lester Thomas are two players who will be significant and pretty much the goto guys for the upcoming season. Canada stands (from my guess) about 6’2″, has nice acceleration in his speed but uses his height well in receiving catches.

Although at times he has missed some passes during practice (what receiver doesn’t), Canada plays on a whole different level and raises his game noticeably during the games.

Despite the stats showing him only with 70 receptions, 927 yards receiving with 8 touchdowns, Canada is more than what is shown on paper. Offensive coordinator Tom Craft has a philosophy in bringing a balanced offense attack giving not one or two receivers the extra yardage but anyone who is open to receive and to get the extra yards. Lamaison completed many of his passes not targeting on one receiver alone but to everyone–picking his spots and delivering the passes.

With teammates Matt Austin and Gabe Tuata both moving on (both were the top two receivers statistically last season), Canada will be one of the first group to get that opportunity.

NOTE: The University of Utah called with interest in signing Canada but there was no word if any further talks went on with that. Canada said Tennessee had called him at the end of last season with interest but nothing had resumed afterwards.

Lane Kiffin was named head coach for Tennessee on Dec. 2 last year which gives the possibility that his staff was interested with Canada considering the final game of the season for Mt. SAC ended on Dec. 13.

It’s obvious Canada likes Tennessee. But does Kiffin like Canada?

Will Kiffin revisit contact with Canada if he comes through with an impressive sophomore year? If it happens, there surely will be more D1 schools knocking at his door.

PHOTO BY JAMES CHOY - Sophomore running backs Burton & Lancer Iosefa will work together to help the Mounties' running game this year.

LANCER & BURTON IOSEFA
STATUS: Sophomores
POSITION: Running Back
SCHOOLS INTERESTED: BYU (May be other schools interested but unknown at this time)
OTHER SCHOOLS IOSEFAS ARE INTERESTED IN: Utah, ASU, Hawaii

JAMES’ ANALYSIS: Lancer said this past spring BYU offered a package deal to have both brothers come to the team.

There hasn’t been word if the Iosefas are willing to break up and go separate ways. If they choose to leave together to other schools, it’ll be a tough call for those schools interested to consider it. But if BYU is offering that package, then there really is no option but to go that way.

On the field, the two athletes are quick. They love to swerve and run and turn and speed away from the pocket and take off to the end zone on every play/drill. While it’s hard to determine the difference between both in their running style, Burton has been impressive throughout last season with his quickness. He rushed for 780 yards with 143 carries and 10 touchdowns, three of those games he rushed for 100+ yards.

Lancer on the other hand had limited touches with the ball during his time in 2007 playing alongside Kevin Craft. During that year, the emphasis was more on gaining passing yardage than with the running game.

After that season Coach Tom Craft organized some plays and schemes to incorporate a running game in the offense. With a bad leg injury in the beginning of last season, Lancer was unable to play and had to sit out. This year he has the opportunity to redeem himself and work with his brother together for the first time at Mt. SAC and deliver a 1-2 punch against the defense.

While their heights might seem problematic against the toughness of the opposing defense, the two brothers find no major problems dealing with the Mt. SAC defense during the drills and move swiftly through the pocket almost every time.

From jcfootball.scout.com:

The Iosefas’ So Cal Combine Results from Spring 2009

Burton Iosefa
5′8 1/2″, 183
Forty: 4.63, Shuttle: 3.97, Vertical: 35.4, Bench: 15 reps of 225

Lancer Iosefa
5-7, 180
Forty: 4.67 (laser), Shuttle: 3.91, Vertical: 39, Bench: 18 reps of 225

NOTE: If both can share and breakout with some good statistics on paper, they will also find many D1 schools knocking at their door.

PHOTO BY JAMES CHOY - Sophomore offensive lineman Joe Unga will help defend the Mt. SAC offense this fall.

JOE UNGA
STATUS: Sophomore
POSITION: Offensive Line
SCHOOLS INTERESTED: Oregon State, UCLA, Kansas, Weber State, Washington, Louisville
OTHER SCHOOLS UNGA IS INTERESTED IN: Unga said he would like to go to any of the schools previously mentioned BUT he said, “I would love to stay out here in the west.”

JAMES’ ANALYSIS: Unga is 6’6″ 310 pounds. His twin brothers, Kevin and Devin are playing at Oregon State. If Unga chooses to stay close with family (which might be all the more reason to consider Oregon State as his first choice) it’s pretty evident where he would want to go. However, with UCLA calling and his cousin Eddie Williams playing for the Bruins this year, it might require some more time in deciding where he’ll go. But then again, maybe not.

“If UCLA calls, I want to come play–I love Southern California,” he said.

With former teammate Dominique Gaisie up at University of Washington as well as former Mt. SAC assistant coach Demetrius Martin, the sweepstakes for Unga become more interesting. Having played with Williams beside him and going head-to-head against USC’s defensive tackle Hebron ‘Loni’ Fangupo numerous times during practices, Unga will be prepared and ready for whatever comes his way for the Mounties this year.

“My mission this year is to help the offensive line, work as a team and work as a brotherhood,” Unga said. “The more we talk, the more comfortable we’ll be.”

Unga has the perfect height and body to be a presence in the offensive line. His strength will allow anyone playing beside him to aid in warding off the charging defensive line. Despite the exceptional job Unga has provided in protecting Lamaison last season, he said he also wants to get better physically and work on his mechanics more.

“I think I’m in good shape but I can be better,” he said.

Unga’s So Cal combine workout results this past Spring:

Joe Unga
6′6″, 310
Forty: 5.04 (h), Shuttle: 4.5, Vertical: 27.8, Bench: 10 reps of 225

PHOTO BY JAMES CHOY - Defensive end Bruce Irvin will help lead the frontline defense to give opposing teams problems.

BRUCE “BJ” IRVIN
STATUS: Sophomore
POSITION: Defensive End; Linebacker; Safety
SCHOOLS INTERESTED: Tennessee, USC, LSU
OTHER SCHOOLS IRVIN IS INTERESTED IN: None

JAMES’ ANALYSIS: Irvin is a monster. The six-foot five-inch sophomore has been working hard during the summer to get into shape. While it’s hard to tell, Irvin seems the same on his upper body but looks more defined. My guess is that the coaching staff is looking for him to utilize more quickness when playing on the defensive end. Irvin has spent time in the summer working real hard with his academics to make an easy transition out of Mt. SAC and into wherever he goes.

The rumor with USC is that head coach Pete Carroll was interested in Irvin but talks may have died down. According to sources, Carroll was impressed with Irvin’s combine results and loved Irvin’s speed. By being accompanied with the rest of USC’s defense, Irvin would be an instant and effective chess piece in the Trojan’s lineup.

From my opinion, it really looks like Irvin is on his way to Tennessee. He seems set on it for sure and is making no mention of conflictions with his choices. But Irvin has all that left aside for now and is locked in for the upcoming Mt. SAC season. Irvin said there’s some unfinished business that needs to be done at the junior college.

“I’m pumped about everything that’s going on and I’m ready,” he said. “There’s business to handle at Mt. SAC–people think we’re a joke but we got a lot to prove this year.”

Bruce Irvin
6′5″, 240
Forty: 4.36 (h), Shuttle: NA, Vertical: 34.3, Bench: 20 reps of 225

The following story/feature will be a first of many profiles of Mt. SAC football players to be looked at. For more questions, email James Choy at James909@gmail.com.