2026 UCLA Recruit Position Roundup: Receivers Part 2

Welcome to a new series on UCLA Bruins on SI. The 2026 UCLA Recruit Position Roundup is going to detail the Bruins' commits and what national recruiting analysts are saying about them. For the third edition of the series, we're diving into UCLA's biggest position group of 2026's recruiting class -- receivers.

Bruins wide receivers coach Burl Toller is UCLA's highest-rated recruiter on 247Sports' 2026 national recruiting rankings, sitting at No. 19 on the list and responsible for all six of the Bruins' pass-catching commits.

With that being said, let's take a look at the last four of UCLA's six wide receivers and one tight end commitments and what national recruiting analysts had to say about them.

Kennan Pula, 3-Star WR, Lone Peak (Utah)

Pula is one of two twin receiving commitments to hit Westwood for the class of 2026. His brother, Jaron, is one of the Bruins' top-rated four-star recruits who committed with Kennan back in September of 2024.

Here's what 247Sports national recruiting analyst Greg Biggins had to say about what UCLA can expect from the 6-foot-2, 195-pound pledge:

"Pula is a versatile athlete who could end up on either side of the ball in college. Prior to this year, we liked him primarily at receiver but after seeing the early junior tape, he might be an even better safety prospect. At 6-2, 195 pounds, he has a big frame, runs well and has shown excellent football instincts. He has scored touchdowns at receiver, safety and on a kickoff return and the game just looks easy for him.

"He’s a smooth strider who shows range in the secondary and covers a lot ground. At receiver, he’s a natural pass catcher and knows how to use his big frame to create separation. He has a very high ceiling and if he continues to put the work in off the field, there is no doubt he has an NFL upside to him."

Jonah Smith, 4-Star WR, Santa Margarita Catholic (California)

Smith comes in as a composite four-star according to 247Sports, making him one of the Bruins' highest-rated landings of the 2026 class. The young receiver had offers from Texas, Oregon, Michigan and Arizona, but opted to pledge to Westwood on March 13.

This is what Biggins had to say about Smith ahead of his commitment to UCLA:

"Smith is one of the more polished young receivers in the region, regardless of class. We’e been watching him since he was still in Middle School and he has always had an advanced feel for route running and how to get open. He was injured and missed much of his freshman year but had a breakout season as a sophomore for a well balanced Mater Dei squad last year. He has a good frame, pushing 6-0 and is a solid 175 pounds. He has strong hands, catches the ball well through contact and routinely wins 50-50/jump balls.

"He’s not a burner but runs well after the catch. Improving his explosiveness as an athlete should be a point of emphasis and but he has two years to do so before he hits college. He’s very smooth athletically, fluid in his movement and has excellent body control. He’s a high football IQ player who knows how to get open, when to sit or settle in a zone and reads players very well. He has a very good off the field work ethic as well, high character and an excellent student. He projects as a national recruit and someone capable of stepping in and playing early in college because of his mature/polished game."

Xavier Stinson, 3-Star WR, Vero Beach (Florida)

Stinson is part of the wave of UCLA pledges from across the coast, hailing from Florida and being one of the 13 recruits to commit to UCLA in a hot month of June for DeShaun Foster. The Vero Beach product announced his commitment on June 16, just three days after his official visit to Westwood.

This is what BruinReportOnline's Tracy Pierson said about Stinson in his scouting report of the pass catcher:

"Stinson is a different type of receiver from fellow Florida receiver Santana Carlos, who is more likely to play in the slot. Stinson is more of an outside receiver and along the lines of the Pula twins (assuming UCLA keeps those two) as a bigger receiver. As a junior last fall, Stinson had 43 receptions for 740 yards (17.2 average) and seven touchdowns.

"As an outside receiver, he shows good speed and size — he's an 11.1-second 100-meter-dash guy. So, he's not a blazer. But he's fast enough and gets pretty consistent separation while showing good natural hands, route running and ability to get off press coverage. "

Santana Carlos, 3-Star WR, Flanagan (Florida)

Carlos committed to UCLA on the same day as Stinson and is one of four Floridian pledges that the Bruins have pulled from the class of 2026, including outright four-star offensive linemen Micah Smith and Johnnie Jones Jr.

This is what Pierson had to say about Carlos following his commitment:

"At 5-11, he's the small, shifty type of receiver. He's pretty explosive and has some good short-distance quickness. His first cut can be lethal and really get him separation. You wouldn't say he's a speed burner but he definitely has some speed. He shows the ability to get behind the secondary in high school, displaying another gear down the field. With his smaller build, he's good at finding seams, and then utilizes some nice ball skills and hands and body adjustments to bring in balls. He's pretty fearless catching in traffic.

"During his junior season, Carlos caught 30 passes for 441 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 14.1 yards per catch and he also tallied 113 yards as a kick return specialist, so he was decently productive while also adding some return capability. He should provide some depth early on."

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