Sterling Lane: Arizona lands commitment from Oaks Christian star
Arizona’s 2022 class got a nice boost on Friday after Sterling Lane – a 6-foot-2, 220-pound EDGE prospect from Westlake Village (Calif.) Oaks Christian – announced he was committing to the Wildcats.
Lane picked UofA over Colorado, Michigan, Oregon, Oregon State. He also had more than 10 other scholarship offers from around the country. Lane, a three-star prospect, took official visits back in June to Arizona, Colorado and Oregon State.
Sterling Lane took his first official visit to Arizona on June 4. It was followed by visits to Oregon State on June 18 and Colorado on June 25. It was the first visit to Tucson, Ariz., that made the biggest impression.
Lane said he loved everything about Arizona. He is high on the players and coaches, including new coach Jedd Fisch. Lane also said his parents gave their seal of approval on Arizona.
“My parents loved it,” Lane said while making his announcement. “It was my favorite visit.”
It was a favorite visit that ended up leading to a commitment.
In a COVID shortened junior season, Lane recorded 34 tackles, seven hurries and five sacks in only five games.
Lane played at Pasadena (Calif.) Maranatha for two seasons before transferring to Oaks Christian – one of the powerhouses of high school football in the Southland. As a sophomore, he totaled 66 tackles, 17 tackles for a loss and 10 sacks.
Scouting Sterling Lane
On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power says Sterling Lane is an intriguing prospect.
“Sterling Lane is a high-energy, active edge defender,” Power said. “He was productive on a per-game basis during the shortened spring season, averaging one sack per contest. Lane plays with his hand on the ground as a defensive end for Oaks Christian, but could also play as a stand up rusher at the next level.
“Lane isn’t the tallest edge player, but has long arms and is able to disrupt passing lanes. We see Lane make a bunch of second effort plays. He’ll come off of blocks and chase after ball carriers and quarterbacks well into a play. If his spring season was any indication, he should be in for another productive year at Oaks Christian.”
Good get for Arizona
Sterling Lane’s commitment gives the Wildcats 15 pledges for the 2022 class. But more importantly, it continues their success in Los Angeles. With many of the top players in the Wildcats’ backyard looking at national-level programs, Arizona must do well in LA to thrive in the Pac 12 Conference.
That’s what Fisch has done since his arrival. He’s pushed hard for UofA to make LA a priority.
It’s paid off.
Arizona has commitments now from seven California recruits, including Keyan Burnett and Noah Fifita from Anaheim Servite, AJ Jones of Ontario Colony and Tacario Davis of Long Beach Millikan from the Southland. Adding Lane to the list is a big boost. Oaks Christian is always home to some of the top recruits in the region.