A lot of Foothill League football teams spent this past season reloading after graduating a good portion of their rosters.

The breadth of underclassmen around the league is reflected in this year's local recruiting trail, as only two players signed to play for NCAA Division I programs on Wednesday's National Signing Day.

Valencia running back Steven Manfro will play at UCLA after committing on Jan. 23, while Vikings linebacker Trevor Smyth committed to play for the Naval Academy on Sunday.

Despite his prolific prep career, during which he broke the Santa Clarita Valley's single-season and single-game rushing records, Manfro didn't receive much attention from major colleges. He received a grade of 74 (out of 100) from ESPN, while recruiting outlets Rivals.com and Scout.com both rated him as a two-star recruit.

Smyth, meanwhile, earned a grade of 45 from ESPN and a two-star rating by Rivals. He was not rated by Scout.

College of the Canyons had nine players commit to Division I schools, a level that includes the Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) and Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA). The Cougars' signees are quarterback Justin Arias (Idaho State, FCS); linebacker Khalil Bass and defensive end Jeremy Boone (Portland State, FCS); outside linebacker Justin Cudworth (Eastern Michigan, FBS); offensive lineman Steven Haunga (Arkansas State, FBS); offensive lineman Randy Horton (Nevada, FBS); wide receiver Rickeem Jackson and safety Antwan Smith (Robert Morris, FCS); and defensive lineman Emanuel Koleosho (Charleston Southern, FCS).

A 10th COC player, defensive lineman Will Namoa, signed to play for Benedictine College of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.

As usual, Southern California is home to its fair share of the nation's top recruits, according to the recruiting outlets.

Foothill League teams faced plenty of those recruits this past season. That group included Beverly Hills High defensive end Greg Townsend Jr., a four-star recruit according to Rivals, Scout and ESPN who signed to play for USC.

Canyon defeated Beverly Hills 31-21 on Oct. 1, and Townsend had six tackles in that game.

Oaks Christian knocked both Valencia and Saugus out of the CIF-Southern Section Northern Division playoffs, and the Lions did so with the help of Dillon Van Der Wal, a four-star prospect according to Scout.com who will play for Vanderbilt.

Van Der Wal was recruited as a tight end, but he primarily played defensive end this season. He recorded nine total tackles in a 42-33 win over Valencia in the Northern Division semifinals, and 13 in a 34-8 victory over Saugus in the first round.

The Centurions also faced a pair of highly touted recruits on the same team when they lost to Taft of Woodland Hills 37-26 on Oct. 1.

Taft defensive tackle Antwaun Woods, a four-star recruit according to all three outlets, had four tackles in that game and has issued a verbal commitment to USC but not signed a letter of intent. His teammate Michael Thomas, a four-star wide receiver according to Rivals, had six catches for 122 yards and two touchdowns in the game. Thomas is still undecided and reportedly has scholarship offers from Colorado and Oregon State.

College of the Canyons beat East Los Angeles 33-6 on Sept. 25, and East L.A. featured wide receiver Anthony Denham, a four-star prospect according to Scout who signed with Utah. Denham had just two catches for 21 yards against the Cougars.

Another highly touted recruit didn't perform well against COC. Cerritos Linebacker Keith McGill, a four-star prospect according to Rivals, had just two tackles against the Cougars this season, although Cerritos won the game 31-24 on Oct. 30.

USC and UCLA have drastically different recruiting hauls this season, with USC in the top five of all three outlets and UCLA struggling compared to its recent classes.

The Trojans' class is impressive considering the NCAA sanctions handed down to the program last June, which included a two-year postseason ban and the loss of 30 scholarships over three years. USC's 2011 class is highlighted by Serra of Gardena wide receiver George Farmer, a five-star prospect across the board. The Trojans did take a hit when five-star running back DeAnthony Thomas of Crenshaw switched his commitment to Oregon on Wednesday.

UCLA, meanwhile, is struggling after bringing in highly touted classes the past three years. But the Bruins received a boost when defensive tackle Kevin McReynolds, a four-star recruit from the Washington, D.C. area, signed to play for them. UCLA also signed quarterback Brett Hundley, an Arizona native, and Crespi of Encino wideout Devin Lucien, both of whom are highly regarded.