Top UCLA Football Commit Shuts Down Recruitment

Top UCLA Football Commit Shuts Down Recruitment

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Top UCLA Football Commit Shuts Down Recruitment
ucla footbal
Jan 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins head football coach Bob Chesney is introduced during the basketball game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

UCLA has officially landed its top recruit in the 2027 class. After recently earning a fifth star in his recruiting ranking from 247Sports, athlete JuJu Johnson has shut down his recruitment, reaffirming his commitment to the Bruins.

It's a big get for the UCLA program as it looks to get its feet off the ground and finally compete in the Big Ten, and hopefully the first domino to fall of many in the future.

"After a talk with my family and god, I'm shutting my recruitment down and I'm 100% locked in with UCLA," Johnson wrote on his X/Twitter account on Thursday. "Very happy to be a part of the bruin family and excited to ball out in my city."

What's the Big Deal?

For one thing, Johnson's official pledge, commitment, and plan to sign with UCLA show the progress the new coaching staff has made in a short time. Their incoming 2026 recruiting class is ranked No. 62 in the country, per 247Sports, but their 2027 class has hovered around the top-10 and even flirted with the top-five.

ucla footbal
May 2, 2026; Pasadena, CA, USA; A general overall aerali view of the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

As the season progresses, players can tend to change their minds based on what they see on the field and on other programs coming with better offers in their pursuit of those services. With no one really knowing what to expect of the Bruins this fall, there was certainly a chance that teams would come after UCLA's top commitments until signing day.

That may still be the case for some, but there's no better selling point than keeping your top recruit in the fold.

ucla footbal
May 2, 2026; Pasadena, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins assistant safeties coach Anthony DiMichele during the spring game at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Johnson is also a rare commitment for UCLA as a 5-star player. The Bruins have only had a few 5-stars in their history, and the current staff has now landed one faster than anyone else. Johnson is the first 5-star to commit to UCLA since quarterback Dante Moore in 2023, which also makes him the first since the Bruins joined the Big Ten.

Johnson's Recruitment

JuJu Johnson is a consensus top 50 recruit, ranking as the No. 31 national recruit and No. 3 player in California, according to 247Sports. He had 22 offers from power programs, including Oklahoma, Texas, Oregon, Tennessee, Miami (FL), Georgia, Alabama, and Florida State.

He committed to the Bruins in early May, just under a month after making an official visit to Westwood. Oklahoma also received an unofficial visit from the projected defensive back, who made official visits to UCLA, Oklahoma, and Miami (FL) over recent weeks.

Johnson's decision to shut down his recruitment comes on the same day he begins his official visit with the Bruins, and this upcoming weekend is UCLA's final official visit weekend for the summer.

This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/ucla as Top UCLA Football Commit Shuts Down Recruitment.

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