Top West Coast Linebacker Dishawn Misa Lists UCLA Football in Top 4

Misa is one of the best uncommitted linebackers still on the market for the class of 2022.

The Bruins are in the running for one of the highest-rated linebackers left out west.

Class of 2022 linebacker Dishawn Misa announced his top four on Friday, with UCLA football making the cut. Colorado, Utah and Boise State were the other three teams in Misa's top four. The Eastside Catholic (WA) linebacker has already taken official visits to all three of those schools but has yet to schedule one to UCLA.

Arizona State, California, Oregon, Oregon State, USC, Washington, Washington State, Hawaii, Wisconsin and Penn State had also sent Misa offers.

The Bruins and inside linebackers coach Don Pellum sent their scholarship offer to Misa on Sept. 1, 2020, before the start of his junior season.

Misa is rated as a four-star prospect by the 247Sports Composite and ESPN, but is a three-star according to Rivals. ESPN is highest on Misa, ranking him as the No. 102 prospect in the country, good for the No. 5 linebacker overall and No. 2 player in Washington. The 247Sports Composite has Misa at No. 254, No. 27 and No. 5 on those respective lists.

Measuring in at 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, the Sammamish, Washington, native brings good size to the linebacker position.

Misa racked up 39 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss and a blocked punt as a freshman in 2018, lining up in the linebacking corps next to now-UCLA redshirt sophomore Hayden Harris for the state championship Eastside Catholic squad. Misa returned to record 54 tackles, 1.0 tackle for loss and a forced fumble in 2019, earning Sophomore All-America honors from MaxPreps in the process.

His junior season was cut short due to an injury, and that same injury has hampered him early in the 2021 campaign as well. Misa is on the roster for the 2022 Polynesian Bowl, which will be played Jan. 22 in Honolulu, Hawaii, and televised on CBS Sports Network.

247Sports National Recruiting Editor Brandon Huffman evaluated Misa on March 15, 2020. Huffman pegged him as a future second or third round pick in the NFL Draft and had this to say about his outlook:

Instinctual player who breaks down and diagnoses plays quickly. Exceptional open-field tackler who can move sideline to sideline, get to the ball carrier and make the tackle. Does tremendous job of disengaging, closing on the play, breaking down and ending it. Continuing to develop in man coverage downfield and not getting over-aggressive. Projects as multi-year Power 5 starter and projects as second day pick.

While he ranks No. 27 among class of 2022 linebackers in the 247Sports Composite, Misa ranks No. 6 among those who have yet to commit. Narrowing that down to West Coast prospects, Misa comes in at No. 2.

UCLA is pursuing several other linebackers in that range with its class still sitting at just 11 total commits two months away from the early signing period. St. John Bosco (CA) linebacker Jalen Woods has already committed to the Bruins, as has Kentwood High School's (WA) DeAndre Gill, but there will be an immediate need for depth next fall with Caleb Johnson, Jordan Genmark Heath and Bo Calvert potentially leaving the position group in the offseason.

The No. 9 linebacker in the country, Mater Dei's David Bailey, is No. 3 among uncommitted linebackers and No. 30 among all uncommitted players. Bailey is a high target for UCLA, as is No. 11 uncommitted linebacker Harrison Taggart, who listed the Bruins in his top five in September.

Misa, Bailey and Taggart are all ranked above both Woods and Gill in the 247Sports Composite, so any one of them could help add top-end talent to the position moving forward.

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