Class of 2023 Athlete Donavyn Pellot Commits to UCLA Football
One of the top-ranked recruits in Nevada has committed to the Bruins, who have now added to their class of 2023 for the first time in nearly two months.
Silverado High School (NV) athlete Donavyn Pellot has verbally committed to UCLA football, his coach Andy Ostolaza told the Las Vegas Sun on Tuesday morning. Pellot – who plays running back, receiver and defensive back for Silverado at the high school level – became the seventh prospect to join the Bruins’ 2023 recruiting class when he officially announced his decision Wednesday night.
Pellot chose UCLA over Arizona, Arizona State, BYU, Colorado, Colorado State, Fresno State, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico State, Northern Arizona, UNLV, Utah State, Washington and Washington State. Most schools were recruiting Pellot as a linebacker, and the Bruins were no exception.
Inside linebackers coach Ken Norton Jr. ran point for Pellot's recruitment, and now the 6-foot-2 multi-position player joins four-star linebacker Tre Edwards and three-star safety Ty Lee as the third player the veteran coach has reeled in during his first cycle. Wide receivers coach Jerry Neuheisel did also play a part in bringing Pellot into the fold, but he is still expected to be a linebacker regardless.
Darius Muasau and Kain Medrano are likely to part ways with the program following the 2023 campaign. JonJon Vaughns, Damian Sellers, Jeremiah Trojan, Choe Bryant-Strother and Jalen Woods are poised to be the veterans in the position room by then, and the group will have additional depth with Pellot, Edwards and Lee all on their way to Westwood as well.
Pellot racked up 66 tackles and three interceptions in 2021, in addition to adding over 1,200 yards and 17 touchdowns on offense.
In four games for Silverado so far in 2022, Pellot has carried the ball 24 times for 237 yards and five touchdowns. As a receiver, the Las Vegas, native has hauled in 12 receptions for 299 yards and four touchdowns. Pellot has also made an impact defensively, tallying 18 tackles and one interception en route to four victories to begin his team's campaign.
Pellot is a three-star recruit, according to 247Sports, but he does not have ratings from Rivals, ESPN or On3. 247Sports has Pellot pegged as the No. 5 player in Nevada, while nationally, he ranks No. 35 among athletes.
Two of UCLA's commits now come from Nevada, with the other being three-star Liberty (NV) defensive lineman AJ Fuimaono. Neither are nationally ranked, but both are top-seven prospects in their home state.
Fuimaono was the last recruit to commit to UCLA, and he made his announcement all the way back on July 26.
Since Pellot does not have a rating in the 247Sports Composite, he slots in as the lowest-ranked commit out of the seven so far for UCLA. As a result, his commitment does not move the needle for the Bruins in the team rankings, keeping the blue and gold stuck at No. 85 in the nation and No. 11 in the Pac-12.
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PHOTO COURTESY OF DONAVYN PELLOT/TWITTER
