Ohio State commit Brady Edmunds leaves door open for UCLA – West Coast intel with decisions, flip buzz and leaders

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Official visits for June are done which means some more commitments from top West prospects are coming before their senior seasons. Here’s the latest intel on many of the top uncommitted recruits in California and some flip candidates as well:

5-star DL Marcus Fakatou

Fakatou has hit the pause button somewhat in his recruitment after a family illness required his attention back in his home state of Alaska but the three frontrunners still remain with Ohio State, Texas and Georgia. I’m told Notre Dame is still not giving up on him and we’ll see if Fakatou re-engages with the Irish.

We still like the Buckeyes here but a source said something interesting on Monday: Ohio State was absolutely the frontrunner for Chatsworth (Calf.) Sierra Canyon teammate Kasi Currie before he took his Texas visit and pledged to the Longhorns, something that caught some people at his high school and in the agency business off-guard.

Until we hear something definitive otherwise, I’m sticking with Ohio State for Fakatou but it’s worth watching.

4-star WR Eli Woodard

We talked to three sources on Woodard since his visit to UCLA this weekend and there are all diverging theories on where he ends up.

One believes it’s now a true three-horse race with the Bruins battling Cal and Miami. Another source that was in Westwood over the weekend still believes UCLA is battling from behind and that Cal probably has an edge as Woodward will choose to play with quarterback teammate Dane Weber over receiver teammate Michael “Kiko” Farinas. The third isn’t sure where he ends up but was surprised how comfortable Woodard looked during the UCLA trip.

In May after his USC decommitment, it looked like Woodard was going to be a Miami lock. It could still be the case that he ends up with the Hurricanes. But the lure of keeping that chemistry with Weber might be too much to pass up although the Bruins made it interesting over the weekend.

4-star QB Brady Edmunds

Edmunds has been committed to Ohio State since December 2024 and on his official visit this weekend in Columbus, the four-star quarterback could have shut down his recruitment and ended all speculation.

Instead, the Huntington Beach, Calif., standout said he’s going to take the next couple weeks to consider Ohio State and UCLA as to which situation is best for him. That leaves a lot of breathing room for the Bruins as this one could be really interesting down the stretch.

UCLA has made it absolutely clear to Edmunds that he’s the priority at quarterback. Could that sway him when he’s ready to make a final decision because his love and desire to play for the Buckeyes is still considerable.

A source on Monday believes Edmunds sticks with Ohio State but it’s no guarantee yet.

4-star WR Blake Wong

BYU and Ohio State are the main frontrunners in Wong’s recruitment with Oregon still very much in the picture and a decision is coming this weekend.

From a cultural standpoint, BYU makes a ton of sense. From the perspective of getting on the field early, the Cougars make a lot of sense. He also has a phenomenal relationship with position coach Fesi Sitake.

But the Norco, Calif., standout also loved his official visit to Ohio State over the weekend where it was reinforced to him once again the elite nature of receivers that come through Columbus. That definitely has him thinking but BYU seems to be trending toward the end here.

4-star S Myles Baker

Baker has been one of the more interesting prospects in recent weeks as the Cal commit visited UCLA and then was supposed to be at LSU over the weekend. He never made it to Baton Rouge, though, after Cal coach Tosh Lupoi and others had an emergency midweek visit put together for Baker to get back to Berkeley.

A source said after that visit it would be a surprise if Baker backs off his Cal pledge now as the Golden Bears might have stymied a lot of flip talk whether it would be to the Bruins, a real contender after that visit, or the Tigers, a real contender since the early parts of his recruitment. A source said UCLA remains in the picture, though, since Baker worked out in Westwood following his midweek Cal trip with commit Pole Moala and 2028 target Brandon Nash.

There have definitely been some surprises at Sierra Canyon this recruiting cycle but getting Baker back to Berkeley midweek might have been huge in shoring up his pledge.

4-star WR Ty Johnson

Johnson has moved his announcement date from July 1 to Tuesday and Arizona is the heavy favorite. Kentucky was the other school seriously involved but he didn’t take his official visit after the unexpected passing of Nic Moore canceled trips that weekend. He was in Arizona over the weekend to most likely put the final touches together.

4-star OL Lincoln Mageo

Washington is expected to load up with offensive linemen but if there is a surprise here or there with its top guys going elsewhere then the Huskies could possibly re-engage with Mageo. Even though he didn’t take his official visit over the weekend – and the circumstances around that are still being figured out – Mageo said Sunday he’s still considering Washington.

But this feels like a two-team race with Michigan and Utah way ahead right now. The Wolverines still sit in a very strong position with a July 11 commitment date planned. His connections to that staff and the prestige of playing in Ann Arbor might be too much to pass up. He also connected with multiple offensive linemen when he was in town.

Utah has definitely impressed him and given him a lot to consider especially after his recent visit to Salt Lake. His interactions with position coach Jordan Gross were great. But the Utes still have an uphill battle.

3-star QB Caden Jones

Arizona, Baylor and Washington are the three programs Jones is heavily considering and he acknowledged this weekend that everybody thinks he’s a stone-cold lock to the Wildcats but that after his visit to Baylor and his relationship with OC Jake Spavital, that has given him a lot to consider. He’s also visited Washington six times.

Still, there could be some gamesmanship being played here because it would be an absolute stunner if Jones doesn’t end up in Tucson. Arizona has essentially targeted him for its QB spot in this class since the beginning and turned down others waiting for him to make his decision. That comes July 1.

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