UCLA Offers 4-Star Safety From in State

Bob Chesney has had a hectic first few weeks as UCLA’s head coach. Not only were he and his staff highly active throughout the transfer portal window, but they’ve also been active on the high school recruiting trail, as they continue to target some of the nation’s top prospects.

Over the past few days, the Bruins have extended offers to several prospects across multiple recruiting cycles, including a four-star safety and a top-340 player in the 2027 class from California.

Bruins Offer Top 2027 In-State Safety

On Jan. 24, UCLA extended an offer to Malakai Taufoou, a four-star safety from Junipero High School in San Mateo, California. He shared on X that the Bruins had offered him, writing, “AG2G!!! UCLA offered!”

AG2G!!! UCLA offered!@Coach_DiMike @PadreFootball_ @coachwalsh20 @coachmons @Ogthetruth @BrandonHuffman @GregBiggins pic.twitter.com/aa8QUkFitf
— Malakai Taufoou ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@Malakai_Taufoou) January 24, 2026

The Bruins' offer to Taufoou comes on the heels of a home visit safeties coach Anthony DiMichele took with the four-star defensive back. UCLA is the 19th Division I program to offer him, joining Arizona State, Michigan, Ohio State, and others.

UCLA enters Taufoou’s recruitment relatively late, as several programs have already made significant progress with the young safety.

UCLA helme — Jul 29, 2022; Los Angeles, CA, USA; A detailed view of UCLA Bruins helmet during Pac-12 Media Day at Novo Theater. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

In a December interview with Rivals’ Greg Biggins, Taufoou said that Arizona, Arizona State, Cal, Tennessee, USC, and Washington were the six programs showing the most interest in him and that he planned to narrow down his list in the near future and take visits with those remaining schools.

Rivals’ Recruiting Prediction Machine currently gives Cal the best chance to land Tauffou at 12.1%, but no program has really established itself as a leader in his recruitment.

Dec 9, 2025; Los Angeles, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins football coach Bob Chesney speaks at introductory press conference at Renee Luskin Conference Center Centennial Ballroom. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Although he still hasn’t officially trimmed his list, it’s clear the Bruins will need to make up a lot of ground in the coming weeks to have a chance of securing a commitment from the California native.

Tauffou is coming off a strong junior season at Junipero, where, according to his X, he recorded 50 total tackles, six tackles for loss, and four interceptions. He’d be a welcome addition to the Bruins’ 2027 class, with Rivals’ industry rankings listing him as the No. 330 overall player in the country, the No. 33 safety, and the No. 31 prospect in California.

Nov 29, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) carries the ball against UCLA Bruins defensive back Key Lawrence (4) in the second half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

While Chesney and company currently face an uphill battle to land Taufoou, it’s not out of the realm of possibility for UCLA to win his recruitment.

If the Bruins can continue making progress with him in the coming weeks and get him out to Westwood for an official visit this offseason, they should be in a position to at least compete for one of the top defensive backs in the 2027 class.

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