2012 National Signing Day: Jim Mora Reeling in Big Class for UCLA

Fans of UCLA have to be over the moon in regards to the regime of new head coach Jim Mora in Brentwood to this point—at least so far as recruiting is concerned, as Mora's 2012 recruiting class is getting better by the hour.

Not only did UCLA reportedly get a surprise commitment from 4-star wide receiver Brandon Payton (Westlake Village, CA) after he originally announced he would play at Washington just yesterday, but Payton is now joined at UCLA by defensive tackle Ellis McCarthy (Monrovia, CA), quarterback/athlete Devin Fuller (Northern Valley Regional, NJ), and cornerback Ishmael Adams (Oaks Christian, CA)—all ranked within the ESPNU Top 150.

The 6'1", 190-pound Fuller was widely considered the top high school football player in the state of New Jersey last year, and only a few weeks ago, it was widely believed he'd be attending Rutgers. But former head coach Greg Schiano's abrupt departure for the NFL opened the door for another school to swoop in and grab him, and UCLA did just that, securing a talented youngster who could one day lead an explosive Bruins offense.

Mora didn't neglect the other side of the ball either, as, in Ellis McCarthy, UCLA adds a 6'4", 305-pound beefeater of a young man, who wreaked havoc on opposing offenses in his high school career. McCarthy is rated as a 5-star prospect, is ranked in the top 25 nationally overall and is ranked in the top five in the country at his position by Rivals.

Finally, in Ishmael Adams, the Bruins were able to acquire the services of a 5'10", 180-pound 4-star prospect with a 4.45 40 time, who is rated among the top 10 cornerbacks in the nation by ESPN and should help bolster a UCLA secondary that ranked 64th in in nation in 2011.

UCLA advanced the inaugural Pacific-12 Championship game in 2011, but if Jim Mora's first recruiting class is any indication, the next time the Bruins see the field in that particular contest, they may be more force than farce.