UCLA lands JUCO DB Je’Vari Anderson commitment

UCLA plucked another prospect from high school powerhouse De La Salle on Wednesday as safety/linebacker Je’Vari Anderson announced his verbal commitment to the Bruins for the 2018 recruiting class.

Anderson went to Laney College out of De La Salle, the Bay Area school that also produced UCLA defensive lineman Boss Tagaloa and tight end Devin Asiasi. The 6-foot, 220-pound recruit is head coach Chip Kelly’s 14th known verbal commit for the 2018 class with two weeks left until National Signing Day.

During two seasons at Laney, Anderson had 32 tackles and three interceptions. He was also considering Kansas State, Cincinnati and UNLV.

Anderson is the second defensive back commit for the Bruins during the past week and third overall. He joins fellow three-star prospect Patrick Jolly, who pledged to UCLA on Sunday, and St. John Bosco High safety Stephan Blaylock, who signed his national letter of intent last month.

Anderson’s versatility could also allow him to bolster UCLA’s thin linebacker group that struggled with injuries last season. The Bruins were so shorthanded at linebacker that they made a midseason move to convert Keisean Lucier-South from defensive line. UCLA’s old coaching staff frequently converted defensive backs to linebackers as three of the team’s linebackers last season — DeChaun Holiday, Brandon Burton and Leni Toailoa — were recruited to play in the secondary.

Kelly’s recruiting class ranks 31st in the country and fourth in the Pac-12, according to 247 Sports’ composite rankings. With eight commits already signed, the Bruins can ink the remainder of their recruiting class on Feb. 7, the first day of the traditional signing period.

Laney Football All-America

The Laney College football team placed seven players on two community college All-America teams, including University of New Mexico commit running back Ahmari Davis (James Logan HS), University of Idaho commit offensive lineman Bruce Burns (Arroyo HS) and University of New Mexico commit defensive lineman Erin Austin (Heritage HS), who were named to both teams.

The three Eagles players were named to the 2017 All-America Community College Team and the 2017 All-California Community College Region I Team.

Also named to the Region I team were running back Marcel Dancy (West HS-Oakland); Texas A&M – Commerce commit linebackers Joseph Butler (Sam Houston HS-San Antonio), Cameron Nathan (Antioch HS) and defensive back Je’Vari Anderson (De La Salle HS)

Davis rushed for 1,359 yards and scored 17 touchdowns as Laney went 9-2, won the National Valley Conference championship and went to the Northern California playoffs.

Dancy rushed for 1,033 yards and scored 15 touchdowns, three of them on receptions. The one-two punch of Davis and Dancy gave the Eagles two 1,000-yard rushers in the same season for the first time in the school’s 52-year football history.

Butler led the NVC in sacks with eight and Nathan was fifth in the conference in tackles-per-game with 5.8.

All players, except for Nathan, are sophomores.

By Scott A. Strain

Laney College Sports Information

Eagles open season at CCSF on Saturday, Sept. 2

Is the third time a charm for the Laney College football team?

The Eagles open their season on Saturday, Sept. 2, at City College of San Francisco and are looking to defeat the Rams for a third consecutive time. Game time is 1 p.m.

Last season, en route to a, 9-2 finish Laney, for the first (and only) time, defeated CCSF twice in one season. The Eagles stunned the Rams 18-13 in Oakland on Sept. 2, and then knocked them off again on their home field, 49-35, on Dec. 3 in the San Francisco Community College Bowl.

“Wining lets everybody know they can be beat. (Beating them twice) took a little luster off them,” Laney head coach John Beam said. “They can be beat. The coaches are confident, the players are confident and our fans are confident.”

It was a fitting end to a fine season. Question is: Can Laney do it again in a hostile environment against a team thirsting for revenge?

The answer is yes, probably. Despite losing six players to Division I schools, the Eagles return both quarterbacks from last season and the top two running backs from an offense that led the state in rushing yards per game.

Quarterback Noah Suszckiewicz threw for 257 yards and four touchdowns in the bowl victory over CCSF and Andrew Ve’e provided a dual threat at QB with his running and passing ability.

“He has really matured and is throwing the ball very well,” Beam said of Suszckiewicz. “Andrew has really been steady.” Both quarterbacks could see action against CCSF.

In 2016, Suszckiewicz completed 65 of 166 passes for 1,076 yards and nine touchdowns. Ve’e was 53 for 99, 778 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Also returning are running backs Marcel Dancy (162 carries, 961 yards, four touchdowns) and Ahmari Davis (95-684, seven touchdowns). 

The top return receiver is Devond Blair Jr. (12 receptions, 232 yards, two touchdowns). Beam is evaluating a group of talented freshmen to fill the other spots. Jared Smart (5-11, 170) from Dublin High School and Angelo Garrett (5-9, 155) from McClymonds are two of the prospects.

Returning linebacker Joe Butler (6-foot-4, 215) leads the defense. Butler made the game-saving interception in the end zone in the first CCSF game.  Erin Austin (6-3, 280, Heritage HS) anchors the defensive line. “He is as good as anybody in Northern California,” Beam said of Austin.

Defensive back Je’Vari Anderson (6-0, 220, De La Salle) comes from a wining program and is a “tremendous player,” Beam said.

“But this is community college football and you worry about depth, injuries and how life experiences affect players.”

NOTES—Laney is ranked 12th in the preseason JC Athletic Bureau poll, CCSF is 10th…The Eagles play three of the Top 25 schools: CCSF (10th), Butte (3rd) and Modesto Junior College (11th), the latter two at home…the last time Laney defeated CCSF two years in a row was in 1984-1985.

By Scott Strain

Laney College Sports Information