What Missing Out on Top 2026 Recruit Means for UCLA

The final two.

It’s been a position that the UCLA Bruins have been rather familiar with as of late when recruiting.

Even though UCLA has done fairly well for itself on the recruiting trail for the class of 2026 (ranked 21st compared to 36th in 2025), there have been several swings and misses that had the potential to boost its class even more.

Four-star quarterback Oscar Rios chose Arizona over the Bruins. Four-star wide receiver Vance Spafford chose Miami. And now, four-star running back Brian Bonner chose Washington.

Bonner would’ve been huge for this program. The SoCal kid would’ve bumped the Bruins up a few notches in the recruiting rankings, and when it would’ve been time to enroll, he would’ve been a massive spark on the gridiron.

Running back has long been a need for the Bruins, especially since Zach Charbonnet left for the NFL. And once DeShaun Foster took over, TJ Harden wasn’t the same running back, so he had to skip town.

UCLA did a decent job at putting a band-aid on its situation in the backfield. Junior transfer Jaivian Thomas from Cal is one heck of an option, who led the Golden Bears in rushing and yards per carry. And Anthony Woods provides a ton of promise after having a tremendously successful career at Idaho.

But on the recruiting trail, the Bruins need to be better at winning the commitment of running backs, especially given that Foster wants to emphasize running the ball.

Foster, a former running back himself, understands the importance of a top-notch run game. That’s why he won the commitments of two four-star offensive linemen and a three-star of ’26.

But now it’s scramble mode. Only one of their running back targets, Sharroid Whitehead, remains at large with no commitment or lean anywhere. UCLA made an offer to Whitehead back in March, with no set decision on a commitment anytime soon.

Other than that, the Bruins may have to wait until 2027 to get their next blue-chipper out of the backfield, unless they look to the portal.

Duece Jones-Drew, son of former Bruin Hall of Famer Maurice, may be a solid option, as 247Sports has his interest labeled as “Warm,” but other than that, there’s nothing else to report.

Needless to say, Bruin fans should at least take some solace that their team is consistently a finalist for top recruits. By ranking standards, the 2026 recruiting class is the best one that UCLA has had since 2018, where it had the 19th-best class.

The time will certainly come. There’s too much momentum surrounding the Bruins to think that a couple of misses is going to get in the way of the true vision.

Foster implemented the “D.R.E.” system for a reason. Discipline, Respect, Enthusiasm. They already have discipline and have earned the respect of their peers. The enthusiasm is already here, but there’s even more to come.

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