"I'd Probably Commit…"

"If either UCLA or Washington offered me, I'd probably commit," Nick Bruce said. "I really like UCLA all around. The kids that go there are great and I like the new coaches too. I've met most of the staff and they seem like good guys and hopefully they'll be able to do good next year. I'd rather stay close. It's not important, but I'd prefer to stay somewhat close if I can..."

Nick Bruce, the 6-foot, 212-pound, three-star weakside linebacker from Taft High School in Woodland Hills, Calif., doesn't have any scholarship offers quite yet, but hopes his showing at the Under Armour/Scout.com Combine in Los Angeles on May 31 may lead to more interest.

"It was a real good experience," Bruce said. "I liked all the guys we worked with and it was just cool to see where I stand against everyone."

So what does Bruce think about his performance? "I think I did okay," he said. "But there's still more to do and more to get better at. I definitely think I could have done better in the one-on-ones.

"There was this tight end (Levine Toilolo, Stanford commit) from Helix High School (in San Diego, Calif.) that was like 6-foot-8 and it was nearly impossible to block him," he said. "I stood there, but he still made the catches.

"There were a few guys that I think stood out but I don't really know their names," he said. "There was another tight end (Morrell Presley, USC commit) from Carson High School I think, plus linebacker Marquis Simmons (Dominguez High School in Compton, Calif., USC commit) looked pretty good."

Bruce, ranked as the No. 32 weakside linebacker in the country by Scout.com, was named to the Second-Team Defense at the L.A. Under Armour/Scout.com combine. He says he ran a 4.7 forty, 4.5 shuttle, had a 8-9 broad jump and a 28-inch vertical.

Although he doesn't have any scholarship offers yet, Bruce said he still favors UCLA and Washington solidly over Oregon, New Mexico and San Diego State. "If either UCLA or Washington offered me, I'd probably commit," Bruce said.

"I really like UCLA all around," he said. "The kids that go there are great and I like the new coaches too. I've met most of the staff and they seem like good guys and hopefully they'll be able to do good next year."

Bruce said that UCLA's proximity (30 minutes away) also helps. "I'd rather stay close," he said. "It's not important, but I'd prefer to stay somewhat close if I can."

He plans to attend a Bruins camp later this summer as well as a San Diego State camp.

"Washington is probably recruiting me the most," he said. "They send the most stuff in the mail. I really like coach 'W' (Tyrone Willingham). He's the main thing I like about them. He's a great guy and real cool. He just seems real.

"They are a hard-working team and never quit," he said. "They are up-and-coming.

"I like Oregon too because they are always a top team," he said. "They play fast and I like their speed."

While the Huskies may be recruiting him the hardest, he says that New Mexico seems to closest to offering. "They seem to like me a lot," he said. "I think they are going to offer. They said they'd really like me to visit them and that I'm the No. 1 linebacker on their chart."

As a youngster Bruce followed USC, where his dad (Mike Jones) played running back. "USC won a lot and I like how they bring it every year," he said. "They are recruiting a little, but not a lot. I'm not really looking at them."

He says that even though his dad attended USC, he never felt pressure to be a Trojan. "He just tells me to keep my grades up and to try to do something better everyday."

Bruce admits that the most important thing to him will be the chance to play early. "I just want to go where I can play," he said. "I don't want to sit and wait."

He finished his junior season with 80 tackles and six sacks. As a running back, Bruce had 523 yards rushing and six touchdowns.

"I'm a hard hitter and a run stopper," he said. "I can read the run good and know what they are going to do. I can get to the spot and make a stop, but I'd still like to get faster and stronger. I think that's what you need at the next level."

Bruce says he can bench 325-pounds, squat 490 and has a 28-inch vertical jump.

He says he wants to be a private investigator and hopes to major in criminal justice. Bruce has a 2.8 core GPA, but says he hasn't taken the SAT or ACT yet.