Next Steps for UCLA After Missing on 4-Star Brady Edmunds

Bob Chesney has done an amazing job recruiting top-tier talent to commit to play for UCLA football.

UCLA has had difficulty recruiting top-tier talent to commit to the Bruins, as it has not had a recruiting class ranked higher than 30th since 2018, according to Rivals. While the Bruins' recruiting class has dropped after they haven't landed a commitment since June 30, they still have the 17th-ranked 2027 high school class per Rivals.

Chesney has been able to bring in players on defense, such as Juju Johnson, George Toia, Myles Baker, and Colton McKibben, as well as on offense, such as Matthew Gregory, Jackson Roper, Kingston Celifie, and Zac Fares.

While Chesney has gotten players from multiple positions, there's one he hasn't yet, and it's the most important position on the football field: the quarterback.

For the past few months, Chesney has been making progress in his effort to flip Ohio State commit Brady Edmunds, but recently Edmunds has shut down his recruitment and will remain with the Buckeyes.

UCLA’s Recruitment of Edmunds

NEWS: Four-Star QB Brady Edmunds is locked in with Ohio State and has shut down his recruitment, he tells me for @Rivals

Edmunds, an Elite 11 finalist, has been Committed to the Buckeyes since December 2024https://t.co/HuyiQ4jkOS pic.twitter.com/VSceOPrSSw
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) July 23, 2026

Edmunds is a 4-star prospect from Huntington Beach, California, ranked as the 234th-best player in the class, the 18th-ranked QB, and the 19th-ranked player in California according to Rivals.

Edmunds is an experienced pocket-passing quarterback with a 6'5", 235-pound frame, who can drive the ball down the field with his arm and is a capable player who can move outside the pocket and use his legs to pick up yards.

Huntington Beach quarterback Brady Edmunds visits Ohio Stadium on the day of the Ohio State Buckeyes football game against UCLA on Nov. 15, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

With Edmunds being a highly touted recruit in California, Chesney seized the opportunity and worked hard to recruit him over the past several months. Chesney would have Edmunds on campus to see what he has built in Westwood and would even arrange an official visit to UCLA. Chesney would make it a very difficult decision, as it seemed UCLA was gaining momentum to flip him from Ohio State.

However, Edmunds has come out on social media, shut down his recruitment, and stuck with Ohio State, saying he will no longer talk to any other schools.

Where Does UCLA Go Now?

With Edmunds off the board, there aren't many options left in the 2027 class. The highest-ranked uncommitted quarterback is 3-star Julian Reese II, whose recruitment seems to be a lock for Wake Forest.

For Chesney to land a quarterback for the 2027 class, he might have to look at the 2028 high school class and convince them to reclassify.

A player Chesney could look at is Josiah Boyd, from California, and the second-highest-ranked quarterback in the class, as well as Koa Malau'ulu, another California prospect who has been the starting QB for St. John Bosco since his freshman season.

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