Why Nico Falah Will Choose UCLA

Offensive tackle Nico Falah is a wanted man.

The talent from St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower, Calif. has offers from programs scattered all across the country—including from powerhouses such as Florida, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Oregon and Southern Cal.

Despite the noteworthy list of competitors, the UCLA Bruins are sitting firmly at the top of Falah's list.

Let's take a look at a few reasons why Falah will ultimately decide to bypass those other options, and come to Westwood for college... 

Possible Early Playing Time

Falah is a highly regarded prospect—earning a four-star ranking by both Rivals.com and Scout.com. In fact, Scout has Falah rated as the second best tackle prospect in the entire nation.

In regards to the depth of the UCLA offensive line, it's quite shallow.

Both the talent level and sheer number of members on the line has to be enhanced if the Bruins are to make some noise in the conference.

With Falah's talent, he quite possibly could be in line to play as a true freshman—even possibly snagging a starting spot. 

Stalwart Jeff Baca will graduate after this year, and aside from Xavier Su'a-Filo and Greg Capella, there is a drop in talent level.

UCLA does possess young linemen with potential (Torian White, Simon Goines, Jake Brendel, Colby Cyburt), but the Bruins need to continue the process of adding top notch talent from the high school ranks.

Falah would be a great place to start.  

Family Ties to UCLA

A huge aspect in UCLA's favor is the family ties that Falah has to the school.

Falah's father is an alumnus of the university. With the natural tie to the school via his father, there's no question that his love for the school may be a bit deeper than for the other schools clamoring for his services.

Despite publicly denying that this will have any sort of influence in his recruitment, Falah coming from a pro-Bruin family is certainly an aspect and angle that UCLA will look to promote.

The Appeal of the School

From a completely non biased prospective, there's a lot to like about the university.

The academics at the school are superlative. According to a recent world ranking, UCLA ranked 9th in the world in terms of academic reputation.

UCLA is also ranked as the second-best public school in the country.

In terms of the campus location, one would be hard pressed to find a more picturesque and safer area.

The university not only has a gorgeous campus, but it's located amidst "the three B's" of Brentwood, Bel Air and Beverly Hills.

Another benefit for Falah specifically is that he's a native of Southern California. Barring traffic, it's less than an hour from the university to his hometown. 

With the said qualities of the university, it truly does sell itself.   

The Competition for Falah

Despite his impressive offers list, the prevailing notion is that Falah will choose between UCLA and Southern Cal.

The allure of the Trojans is undeniable. Not only do they offer tremendous tradition and history, but they also are a perennial power nationally year in and year out.

In addition, their current recruiting class is quite impressive. Being a possible addition to such a stellar class would definitely be intriguing.

For all those reasons, it would not be a surprise to see Falah opt to be a Trojan. With that said, UCLA also presents a pretty strong case.

Falah has a great relationship with UCLA offensive line coach Adrian Klemm.

Klemm is known to be a very personable guy, and has gotten multiple offensive lineman from his previous school (SMU) into the NFL. Also, his three Super Bowl rings during his time with the New England Patriots might hold some clout as well.  

This could ultimately be a head (USC) versus heart (UCLA) issue for Falah.

In the end, the Bruins will win out due to Falah's comfortability with the school, the relationship he has with the staff and his familial ties.