New UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel believes his first recruiting class will help the Bruins return to prominence in the Pac-10. He's aware much of the credit belongs elsewhere.

"I would be remiss if I did not credit Karl Dorrell and his staff for assembling this class," the former CU coach said of his predecessor after announcing Wednesday that 22 prep stars and a standout junior college quarterback signed letters of intent to play at UCLA next fall.

"Most of these young men committed to this institution when (Dorrell) was the head coach and our staff, especially DeWayne Walker, was able to convince them that UCLA was still the right choice," Neuheisel said. "Together, we are going to build something special. I think we addressed a lot of critical needs, especially in the skill department."

Dorrell was fired as coach of the Bruins on Dec. 3 after five years on the job, and Neuheisel, a former UCLA quarterback and assistant coach, was hired nearly four weeks later. Walker, the Bruins' defensive coordinator and lead recruiter, lost out to Neuheisel for the head coaching job, but opted to remain on the staff.

Norm Chow, a former offensive coordinator at Southern California, was hired in that capacity by UCLA, a move that likely played a role in the successful recruitment of standout prep quarterbacks Nick Crissman and Kevin Prince and junior college star Kevin Craft.

WVU dismisses 3

West Virginia football coach Bill Stewart dismissed three players charged with felony possession of marijuana with the intent to deliver.

Linebacker John Holmes, defensive lineman James Ingram and running back Ed Collington were kicked off for violating team rules, Stewart said in a statement. None was a starter.

They will, however, retain their scholarships through the end of the school year, pending the legal process.

Notable

New Mexico coach Rocky Long insisted there was "absolutely no link" between an NCAA investigation into his program and the departure of his top defensive assistant.

Arizona coach Mike Stoops apologized for saying that Arizona State has "turned into a J.C."