Daniel Bailey’s college decision, viewed from a football-only perspective, might have seemed puzzling.
The talented JSerra defensive end turned down offers from two schools in powerhouse conferences, UCLA and, Duke, to commit to Yale.
But the 6-foot-3, 254-pound senior owns a perspective that spans beyond the football field. And those are the instincts he followed in making his decision.
“I always wanted to go Ivy League,” he said this week. “An Ivy League education is a really valuable thing in this world. The Ivy League name goes a long way, even after you graduate.”
Bailey credits his parents for instilling in him the importance of education. His mother is a nurse and his father, born in Jamaica, is a chemist who studied in Germany.
“My parents pushed me hard (in academics) ever since I was little,” said Bailey, the oldest of three siblings. “I’ve always wanted to make a better life for myself.”
Bailey entered Friday’s Trinity League opener against Santa Margarita with a team-leading 101/2 sacks. He plans to take his official recruiting trip to Yale in December.
RISING RUNNING BACK
JSerra running back Edward Vander (6-1, 205) is starting to hear from Pac-12 schools Arizona State and Oregon State along with Nevada and Northern Arizona. The junior estimated that he had about 29 carries last season at Paramount, but he entered Friday with 79 carries for almost 800 yards.
LUCIER-SOUTH VISITING
Orange Lutheran defensive end Keisean Lucier-South (6-5, 235), the county’s top uncommitted recruit, said he is visiting Michigan this weekend. The senior earlier visited Oklahoma. His top college choices are Oklahoma, Michigan, UCLA, USC, Oregon and Florida.
QUICK HITS
JSerra nose guard Brody Barrett (6-2, 310) committed to Appalachian State. … Segerstrom linebacker Kenari Drayton (6-2, 215) has been offered by Brown. … Mater Dei defensive lineman/fullback Malik McMorris (6-0, 288) is receiving interest from UC Davis and Montana State.
Contact the writer: dalbano@ocregister.com
