Florida and Miami (Fla.) are locks to make the list of finalists for Seffner (Fla.) Armwood lineman Matt Patchan. The 6-foot-7, 265-pounder plans to narrow his list of choices after he completes spring practice.

South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier and wide receivers coach Steve Spurrier Jr. took in part of a practice at Jacksonville (Fla.) First Coast on Monday. First Coast linebacker Shaq Wilson was the Gamecocks' first commitment for the 2008 class.

Kentucky, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, Alabama, Georgia and Nebraska are among the programs showing interest in Leesville (La.) wide receiver Allen Muse. The 6-foot-4, 200-pounder was impressive at the Fort Worth NIKE Camp two weekends ago, and has seen interest in his services soar.

"I really am looking for programs that have tough, aggressive defenses that allow their linemen to run," he said. "Ones like Miami, Maryland, Florida and Penn State. Those are the types of teams I like."

West
Last week, UCLA offensive coordinator Jay Norvell visited the high schools of several of the area's top quarterbacks. After weeks of exhaustive research, the Bruins decided on the quarterback they were going to offer. That quarterback was Nick Crissman of Huntington Beach (Calif.) Edison. Crissman said the offer was one he could not refuse.

"I feel awesome," Crissman said. "It's all still trying to settle in. I'm really fired up. I grew up UCLA and always dreamed about playing for the Bruins. It is an awesome feeling that I will finally have that opportunity."

In Crissman, the Bruins land a player who has the right mentality for the quarterback position and is a very good fit for the West Coast offense.

"My approach to playing quarterback is to pretty much complete the pass on every play and get the ball into the hands of our playmakers," Crissman said. "Even if I get hit after the release and it is a complete pass, it makes getting hit all that much better."

That wasn’t the only big news from top prospects out West over the past week.

Arizona picked up a significant commitment late last week from Fresno (Calif.) Edison cornerback Robert Golden.

"I've liked Arizona for a few years now," Golden said. "There's a lot of reasons why I committed to them and why I thought it was the best fit for me.

"For one, they have been recruiting me longer than anyone and really made me feel like I was a priority for them. They were one of the first schools to offer me. Even last year, when they came by the school to recruit Courtney Viney, they always made a point to make sure I knew how much they liked me.”

Golden (5-11, 170) is one of the elite corners in the West and could be the top player at his position in the region this year. He had 76 tackles and four interceptions a year ago, and has all the physical tools — as well as the toughness and work ethic — to be a big-time college player.

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