UCLA Lands Three-Star 2026 Offensive Lineman

The Early National Signing Period for the 2026 class has come to an end, and it's safe to say that it has been an eventful 48 hours for UCLA.

After losing four of their top-rated commits at the start of the period, new Bruins head coach Bob Chesney managed to secure his first commits, including a three-star offensive tackle who signed with UCLA yesterday.

UCLA Signs Three-Star Offensive Tackle

On Dec. 5, UCLA Football announced on X that they had signed Quinn Buckey, a three-star offensive tackle from Liberty High School in Bakersfield, California, to their 2026 class.

Quinn to the Bruins. @Quinnbuckey #GoBruins x #NSD26 pic.twitter.com/nuYKndvBNS
— UCLA Football (@UCLAFootball) December 6, 2025

UCLA had pursued Buckey during his initial recruitment, hosting him on an official visit last summer. However, despite the Bruins' pursuit of him, the young offensive tackle ultimately decided to commit to Michigan State in June.

However, after the Spartans parted ways with former head coach Jonathan Smith, Buckey decommitted from the program and reopened his recruitment. The Bruins quickly started targeting him again, and eventually their efforts paid off, as now the three-star offensive lineman is officially a member of UCLA's 2026 class.

UCLA footbal — Nov 30, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins offensive linemen Garrett DiGiorgio (72) and Josh Carlin (54) during the second quarter against the Fresno State Bulldogs at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

After signing with the Bruins, Buckey spoke with Rivals' Adam Gorney about his decsion. He explained that the education UCLA offers, as well as the school's proximity to his home, were crucial factors in his decision to sign with the program.

“First of all, the academics and the school are top of the nation, can’t really beat that at the end of the day,” Buckey told Gorney. “Being in Westwood, so close to home, a super nice area, just an hour-and-a-half from home is special. Everybody wants to go live in LA so being able to go to school in LA, Westwood, a super nice part of it, will be a really good experience."

UCLA helmet — Nov 30, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins helmets during pregame warmups before playing the Fresno State Bulldogs at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

Buckey's commitment to UCLA comes shortly after Chesney was hired and while the Bruins are in a rebuilding phase. That's something that actually attracted the three-star offensive tackle to the school, as he told Gorney that he's excited to rebuild the program from the ground up.

“It’s great because you’re going to look back at it a couple years from now and say we were here from the start and we really built this school into a Big 10 powerhouse,” Buckey said. “It’s going to be a really fun experience.”

Sep 21, 2024; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; James Madison Dukes head coach Bob Chesney on the sidelines in the second quarter at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Landing an offensive lineman of Buckey's caliber was crucial for Chesney and the Bruins. He now ranks as the fourth-highest-rated commit in UCLA's 2026 class, with Rivals' industry rankings listing him as the No. 767 overall player nationally, the No. 57 offensive tackle, and the No. 57 prospect from California.

He's the fourth commit the Bruins have secured in the Chesney era, and hopefully, UCLA will be able to carry their recent recruiting momentum into the upcoming transfer portal window.

Make sure to bookmark UCLA Bruins On SI to get all your daily UCLA Bruins news, analysis and more!

Ensure you follow on X (Twitter) @UCLAInsideronSI to keep up with every story surrounding UCLA athletics!

Please let us know your thoughts on this when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.