ESPN.com’s Jamie Newberg says that he can’t recall Boise State ever beating UCLA for a recruit — let alone one who is from Southern California, grew up a Bruins fan and had an offer from the school — but that’s what happened with three-star DT Jeff Worthy.

Worthy believes that Boise has a better chance at reaching a BCS bowl than either of his other finalists, UCLA and Nebraska — which is probably true. Still, as Newberg says, perhaps this is a sign that the Broncos are finally breaking through on the recruiting trail and no longer being looked at as a team that has gotten lucky for a few years but as a bona fide national power. Boise has traditionally signed only a handful of three-star prospects per year, relying largely on two-star guys or lower. But four of the Broncos’ six commitments for 2011 are three-stars.

This newfound prosperity could also explain why the Broncos pulled an offer to unrated S/LB Israel Marshall of Arizona. Before, they might have waited on a guy like Marshall. Now, they can afford to thank him for his time and move on to someone else, knowing that they have a pretty good shot of landing that next prospect.

It’s not the first time a kid has turned down UCLA for the Broncos. I’m sure it won’t be the last time either.

Masoli considering La Tech. Ha.