Bruins Make Top 12 for Intriguing OL Target

Liberty Bakersfield offensive tackle Quinn Buckey has a key connection that could help the Bruins land his commitment.

Nov 23, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins place kicker Mateen Bhaghani (94) high fives head coach DeShaun Foster after hitting a first quarter field goal against the USC Trojans at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

On Thursday, class of 2026 offensive lineman Quinn Buckey released a graphic on his social media showing the top 12 teams he is considering.

UCLA was one of the 12 to make the cut. The Bruins were joined by other Big Ten foes such as Michigan State, Minnesota and Northwestern.

One key connection that could help the Bruins' chances to land the 6-foot-7 big man is that his brother, Grant Buckey, is currently a defensive lineman at UCLA. It's easy to see why the draw of playing college football with your brother could influence your decision.

It's easy to make another connection within the Buckey family, as his brother plays at Stanford, and his father also played at Stanford before heading to the NFL, where he played with the Miami Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers.

The family has seen this process play out a number of times now, and Quinn thinks the wisdom of his father and brothers will be instrumental in guiding him through his journey.

"They talk a lot about adversity and just having to persevere through the hard things," Buckey told UCLA Bruins On SI. Once you get to campus, you have to earn your spot and the coaches' trust, and those are the most important things."

Buckey recently took a visit to UCLA and has started planning an official visit soon. He noted that the Bruins recently formed relationship is strong, and his visit to campus had a great impact on him.

"There's a lot that will go into my decision," he said. "The staff, location and campus are probably the biggest things for sure."

Buckey also commented on what he liked about UCLA and on the idea of playing with his brother in the Rose Bowl.

"I like UCLA and their great location," Buckey said. "My brother is also there, so that would be cool to play with him. I love the facilities at UCLA and the whole coaching staff."

While UCLA does have four commits in this 2026 cycle, all four are skill athletes. Landing Buckey would be a great investment in the offensive line and could begin to tip the recruiting momentum in their favor heading into the spring.

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