(Photo Courtesy of Julian Sayin/Twitter)
UCLA Football Makes Second Offer to 2024 Recruit in Quarterback Julian Sayin
The Bruins are officially going after one of the biggest rising star signal-callers in the country.
UCLA football sent a scholarship offer to class of 2024 quarterback Julian Sayin on Friday, the recruit announced on Twitter. Sayin just finished his sophomore season at Carlsbad High School (CA), his first year as a starter for the Lancers.
Even two years out from his signing date, UCLA's offer didn't exactly come on the early end – Sayin picked up FBS offers from Florida Atlantic and Florida State before even starting his freshman year of high school, and he now has offers from Arizona, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Louisville, Miami (FL), Michigan State, Notre Dame, Oregon State, Penn State, San Jose State, Texas, Texas A&M, USC, Utah and Washington State as well.
Sayin took unofficial visits to Florida State, Miami and Texas last year, but found his way to Westwood the weekend of Jan. 28 for an unofficial alongside nearly a dozen 2023 prospects.
In 12 games leading the way for Carlsbad in 2021, Sayin put up 2,769 yards, 34 touchdowns and only five interceptions on 71.5% completion and a 203.9 passer rating. On top of all of that, Sayin also notched 208 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
The 6-foot-1 quarterback led the Lancers to a 10-0 regular season in 2021, but lost the San Diego Section Open Division Championship Game to Cathedral Catholic (CA) in November thanks to San Diego State-bound running back Lucky Sutton and his 269 rushing yards.
Sayin is a four-star recruit according to both 247Sports and Rivals, but ESPN and the 247Sports Composite have yet to be released for the class of 2024. Rivals also doesn't have position or state rankings out yet.
247Sports, meanwhile, has Sayin pegged as the No. 2 quarterback and No. 14 player in the country while putting him at No. 2 among all players in California.
Early in coach Chip Kelly's tenure, the Bruins were far more particular and patient when looking for quarterbacks, notably delaying their recruitment of 2021 Heisman winner Bryce Young. The eventual Alabama star grew up going to UCLA games at the Rose Bowl, rooting for his father's alma mater, but Young did not earn an offer from the Bruins until the middle of his junior season at Mater Dei (CA), despite being a five-star prospect and consensus top quarterback in the country.
The Bruins did not earn a commitment from a top-30 quarterback in Kelly's first three full cycles, and they hardly made serious pushes for them either.
For the 2022 class, though, UCLA offered five quarterbacks and all five were top-20 at their position, hauling in elite local prospect Justyn Martin in the process. Looking ahead to 2023, the Bruins' three offers sent to quarterbacks have all gone to top-five signal-callers.
The latest offer to Sayin makes two for the class of 2024, both of which have been sent to top-four quarterbacks, the other being Elijah Brown – coincidentally, Young's successor at Mater Dei.
Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson is heading into his final season in Westwood, meaning Kelly and quarterbacks coach Ryan Gunderson will soon have to make the move to his successor. Between Martin and former Washington transfer Ethan Garbers, there are certainly options in house already, but the highly-touted crops of 2023 and 2024 quarterbacks could supply UCLA with even more potential centerpieces moving forward.
Follow Connon on Twitter at @SamConnon
Follow All Bruins on Twitter at @SI_AllBruins
Like All Bruins on Facebook at @SI.AllBruins
Subscribe to All Bruins on YouTube
Read more UCLA stories: UCLA Bruins on Sports Illustrated
Read more UCLA football stories: UCLA Football on Sports Illustrated
