Blue and Gold Illustrated

FOOTBALL RECRUITING athleticism and instincts to drive on routes and make plays on the football. Jackson makes up for his lack of elite speed with the ability to quickly get to top speed, giving him good range in coverage. He has some hip stiffness, which slows down his transitions and keeps him from being a top-level man defender. CHACHO ULLOA Corona, Calif. (Centennial High School) Measurables: Checked in at 5-11 and 186 pounds at The Opening regional in Los Angeles … He ran a 4.59 in the 40-yard dash, posted a 4.2 pro shuttle and vertically leaped 34.8 inches at that event. Rankings: Rivals rates him as a three-star recruit and the No. 27 safety in the country … Ranked as the No. 49 player in California by Scout. Statistics/Honors: Made 59 tackles, picked off three passes, recorded eight passes broken up and forced three fumbles to help lead Centennial to a 12-3 season and the Southern Sectional champion- ship last fall … After his junior season, was named a third-team all-state defensive back. Recruitment: Unofficially visited Notre Dame in June for the Irish Invasion, and he plans on return- ing for an official visit Oct. 17 when Notre Dame hosts USC … Arizona State, Michigan State, Stanford and Vanderbilt join Notre Dame in his top five, but only the Irish and Cardinal have been able to lock in official visits. BGI's Take: Ulloa is often knocked for not being an elite athlete, but his summer testing times at The Opening regional in Oakland were better than Bur- ton and Jackson. He is a smooth athlete with quick feet and loose hips, but he lacks explosiveness. He stays light on his feet, is fluid in his backpedal and shows quick transition ability off the hash, although his pedal technique could use some refinement. What makes Ulloa productive as a safety are his instincts and ball skills. He reads routes extremely well, shows excellent anticipation and has top-level vision. He gets his hands on a lot of throws at the high school level and is disruptive in the pass game. Where he needs the most work is as a tackler. He has to get a lot stronger and work on bringing more force in the run game. NIGEL WARRIOR Suwanee, Ga. (Peachtree Ridge High School) Measurables: Listed at 5-11 and 188 pounds at The Opening in Beaverton, Ore. … Ran a 4.53 in the 40- yard dash and posted a vertical leap of 37.9 inches. Rankings: A consensus four-star recruit … Ranked as the No. 3 safety and No. 43 overall player in the land by 247Sports … Rivals rates him as the nation's No. 4 safety and No. 53 overall prospect … Listed as the No. 3 safety and No. 50 overall player in the land by Scout. Statistics/Honors: As a junior, finished the sea- son with 71 tackles, five interceptions, six passes broken up and two blocked punts … Was named to the Associated Press 6A all-state first team and the Atlanta-Journal Constitution all-state first team as a defensive back. Recruitment: Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, Or- egon and Tennessee are considered the favorites for one of the top safety recruits in the nation … Still plans to go through the recruiting process and take five officials … Has already visited Tennessee and continues to insist that Notre Dame will get an of- ficial visit, although a date has yet to be set. BGI's Take: Warrior certainly has the bloodlines to be an elite defensive back. His father — former Tennessee All-American cornerback Dale Carter — was a first-round draft pick and spent 14 years in the NFL, making four Pro Bowl appearances. He has explosive downhill speed and power, closing well on the football and displaying good instincts in the pass game. He is outstanding against the run, using his thick, athletic build to play with excellent power, a skill that will only be enhanced as he gets stronger. He shows some tightness in the hips, which limits his ability to quickly change direction and makes him ideally suited for the strong safety position. What makes Warrior so productive is his intelligence and instincts. He had 11 passes defended as a junior, showing off his ability to make fast reads on quar- terbacks and anticipate routes. ✦

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