Bruins Slide in 2026 Top-25 Recruiter Rankings

The loss of two commitments and a few recruiting battles knocked UCLA down a few spots in ESPN's 2026 recruiting class rankings.

Sep 14, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach DeShaun Foster watches from the sidelines in the second half against the Indiana Hoosiers at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

DeShaun Foster and UCLA had a red-hot recruiting streak in June that mostly subsided towards the end of the month and into July. An effort that saw the Bruins within the top seven in the nation's 2026 recruiting class rankings since slid as other programs caught up and the Bruins lost a few commits and recruitment battles.

ESPN updated its 2026 college football recruiting team rankings top-25. UCLA was previously placed 12th in their rankings as June closed, prior to the de-commitment of Jaron and Kennan Pula and losing recruiting battles for four-star quarterback Oscar Rios and three-star corner Dylan Waters.

With those new developments, the Bruins find themselves 17th on ESPN's recruiting rankings. This is what Graig Haubert had to say about UCLA's placement:

"The DeShaun Foster era got off to a rocky start, but the Bruins are showing some ascension. In recruiting, the former running back knows the importance of a good O-line and pulled a pair of ESPN 300 OLs out of Florida in Micah Smith and Johnnie Jones. Known as Champ, Smith was an Under Armour All-American as a junior and has shown he can play against top competition and be a well-rounded OT. Tight end Camden Jensen should help propel the run game as well, as he is a good blocker.

"The Bruins have added multiple WRs in this class, including in-state four-star Kenneth Moore. Onetime SMU commit Yahya Gaad has a sturdy, muscular build with a good initial burst and is a DE who can set the edge and be tough against the run."

UCLA has a ton of news to look forward to in the coming weeks. Three-star defensive lineman Marcus Almada was given a Crystal Ball prediction by 247Sports to land in Westwood. And interesting wrinkle in the Massachusetts product is a previously reported 'packaged deal' he has with teammate and four-star edge Carter Gooden, who has been linked to the Bruins through the recruiting process.

The Bruins were also given a promising update on four-star running back Brian Bonner, who has been on Foster's radar since the day he took the head coaching gig. In battle between the Bruins and Washington that had been presumed to be in favor of the Huskies, Bruin Report Online reported that UCLA may be closer to landing the hometown star than many think.

Despite slipping in various recruiting class rankings, UCLA still has a lot to look forward to in the waning weeks of recruitment.

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