Bruins Extend Offer to 5-Star 2028 Quarterback

Over the past month, new UCLA head coach Bob Chesney and his staff have been highly active on the high school recruiting trail, extending offers to and making progress with some of the top prospects in the country.

While the Bruins are targeting players at several positions, Chesney has been prioritizing quarterbacks, extending offers to five signal-callers in the past week alone, including a five-star recruit and a top-10 overall prospect in the 2028 class.

UCLA Offers Top 2028 Quarterback

On Jan. 29, UCLA extended an offer to Christopher Vargas, a five-star quarterback from St. John’s Preparatory School in Danvers, Massachusetts. He shared on X that the Bruins had offered him, writing, "#AGTG I am blessed to receive an offer from UCLA.”

#AGTG I am blessed to receive an offer from UCLA @UCLAFootball @Coach_DKennedy @StJohnsPrepFB @M2_QBacademy @speedcoachDB pic.twitter.com/QU9YL7UxqM
— Christopher Vargas 2028 QB (@chris_vargas2) January 29, 2026

UCLA was the 12th Division I program and the 10th Power Four school to offer Vargas, joining Auburn, Boston College, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Syracuse, and Texas A&M.

Although he’s only a sophomore at St. John’s Prep, Vargas has already established himself as one of the top signal-callers in the country. He’s coming off a strong 2025 campaign, during which, according to his Hudl, he recorded 2,083 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions.

Nov 29, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9) carries the ball against the Southern California Trojans in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Vargas would be a monster addition to the Bruins’ 2028 class and would set the program up at the quarterback position for the foreseeable future. 247Sports’ composite rankings list him as the No. 7 overall player nationally, the No. 2 quarterback, and the No. 1 prospect in Massachusetts.

While it’s still early in Vargas’ recruitment, a few programs have already made progress. Earlier this month, Rivals’ Chad Simmons reported that Virginia Tech head coach James Franklin has been making a push for the five-star quarterback and that Miami, Oregon, and USC are also firmly in the mix.

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

The good news for Chesney and the Bruins is that Vargas isn’t expected to make a decision anytime soon, which should allow UCLA to build a relationship with him and continue making progress in his recruitment over the next few months.

Although most of the Bruins' focus has been on the 2027 cycle, Vargas is now the third 2028 quarterback UCLA has offered in the past two weeks, joining Hunter Fujikawa, a three-star prospect from Hawaii, and Jamar Howard, a three-star prospect from California.

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

It’s clear that Chesney is actively looking for his quarterback of the future, and if the Bruins can make a strong early impression on Vargas, they should be able to compete for one of the top signal-callers in the 2028 class.

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