September is here, and a long list of UCLA’s 2027 commits is set to hit the field Friday night.
The biggest recent spotlight belonged to a pair of Bruins pledges. Duece Jones-Drew turned in a strong senior debut for De La Salle, piling up 84 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns, 24 receiving yards and another score through the air. Michael Farinas also stuffed the stat sheet for Chaparral, catching six passes for 106 yards and two touchdowns, adding 15 rushing yards and even completing two passes for 89 yards and a touchdown.
Jones-Drew is also one of the names to keep an eye on this week in person, with coverage set for UCLA-Cal and a planned stop Friday night to watch him live.
Farinas will be in action again Friday when Chaparral hosts San Clemente at 7 p.m.
Here’s the full slate of UCLA’s 2027 commits and where they’ll be playing this week:
Friday, Sept. 4
Trey Hopkins - La Salle College (PA) vs. Malvern Preparatory School (PA), 5 p.m.
Aidan Ray - Plano West (TX) at Bell (TX), 7 p.m.
Colton McKibben - Carlsbad (NM) vs. Lovington (NM), 7 p.m.
Godschoice Eboigbodin - JSerra Catholic (CA) at Crean Lutheran (CA), 7 p.m.
Jackson Roper - Cherry Creek (CO) vs. Ralston Valley (CO), 7 p.m.
Jayshon Gibson - Richland (TX) at Haltom (TX), 7 p.m.
Jerry Outhouse Jr. - North Crowley (TX) vs. Southlake Carroll (TX), 7 p.m.
JuJu Johnson - Long Beach Poly (CA) at Tustin (CA), 7 p.m.
Khalil Terry - Tustin (CA) vs. Long Beach Poly (CA), 7 p.m.
Kingston Celifie - Calabasas (CA) vs. Burbank (CA), 7 p.m.
Matthew Gregory - Owen J. Roberts (PA) vs. Quakertown (PA), 7 p.m.
Michael Farinas - Chaparral (CA) vs. San Clemente (CA), 7 p.m.
Mike Davis Jr. - Mater Dei (CA) vs. Valor Christian (CO), 7 p.m.
Montana Toilolo - Mater Dei (CA) vs. Valor Christian (CO), 7 p.m.
Pole Moala - Junipero Serra (CA) at Los Alamitos (CA), 7 p.m.
Rob Larson - Folsom (CA), injured TBD, vs. Mission Viejo (CA), 7 p.m.
Thurman Lyles - Grant Union (CA) vs. Cathedral (CA), 7 p.m.
Zac Fares - Arbor View (NV) at Hamilton (NV), 7 p.m.
George Toia - Westminster Academy (FL) at Glades Day (FL), 7 p.m.
Duece Jones-Drew - De La Salle (CA) vs. Cardinal Newman (CA), 7:30 p.m.
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The return of the NFL to Los Angeles has only sharpened the competition, giving fans more options and, in some cases, stronger reasons to stay home or split loyalties. With pro teams now anchored in the market and stadium geography shaping how people connect to each side, UCLA is left fighting for relevance in a crowded landscape where college football no longer owns the stage the way it once did. For the Bruins, the problem is not just filling seats on Saturdays. It is trying to remind the city why those seats matter in the first place. [Read more 🡒]
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UCLAs class profile is the part that jumps out: one five-star prospect, 18 four-stars and 75 three-stars, good for 768.99 total points and an average of 87.31 per player. In a league where talent perception matters as much as results, that kind of volume gives the Bruins a reason to believe the conversation around their roster is starting to look a little different. [Read more 🡒]
UCLAs Biggest Backcourt Question Could Decide Its Ceiling
UCLAs backcourt picture for 2026-27 is already starting to take shape, and Jaylen Petty looks like the name most likely to set the tone. The Texas Tech transfer is expected to step into a starting role and could be one of the Bruins main outside threats, which matters for a team that will need perimeter spacing to open up everything else it wants to do offensively.
Pettys track record gives UCLA something to work with, even if it has come with some inconsistency. He hit 37.5 percent of his three-pointers at Texas Tech, and the Bruins also expect newcomers Gunars Grinvalds and Nikola Kusturica to help from deep. The bigger question is how quickly that group turns promise into reliable production, because the answer could go a long way toward determining how high this roster can climb. [Read more 🡒]