UCLA Bruins 2021 College Football Recruiting Class Overview
Written by Ryan Wright
Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG
Since the late 1980s when Troy Aikman was slinging the pigskin for UCLA, the Bruins have been on a somewhat 10-year cycle between 10-win seasons. The last was a double-dip in 2013-14 under Jim Mora… Westwood is due. For head coach Chip Kelly to find success on the gridiron, he has to equal the efforts along the recruiting trail. Rankings are subjective, but it appears Kelly is regaining his recruiting touch that made him one of the best in the nation while with the Oregon Ducks.
After a total of 10 wins in Mora’s last two seasons with UCLA, in three years the Bruins have hit that dubious mark. In the middle of Kelly’s rebuild, there have been bright spots like the three-game winning streak in 2019 that included a road victory over Stanford and a home win over No. 24 Arizona State. Although the Bruins finished 3-4 in the truncated 2020 Pac-12 season, the eternal optimist sees reason to celebrate. Of the four defeats, the margin of loss was just 3.75 points. Two of those losses were to Top 15 rated squads; No. 11 Oregon (38-35) and No. 15 USC (43-38).
From the outside perspective, Kelly and Co. have started late in their recruiting cycles at UCLA, especially when targeting in-state kids. Still, the 2020 class drew four four-stars and 16 three-star recruits finishing 33rd nationally, sixth in the Pac-12. The 2021 haul is shaping up similarly, just rated higher. At No. 27 overall, the Bruins have 18 attached to the class, three four-stars and 15 three-stars. Of the 18, 17 signed during the early signing period.
A big push in the class has been in the defensive trenches with efforts providing fruit. Four-star defensive ends Quintin Somerville, of Saguaro (AZ) and Tiaoalii Savea, from Desert Pines (NV), highlight the grouping.
The offense got a big boost with the signing of dual-threat Kajiya Hollawayne. Blocking for Hollawayne will be four-star offensive lineman Thomas Cole. The future looks bright in the receiving corps with four-star target Devin Kirkwood along with three-star receivers Keontez Lewis, Ezavier Staples, and DJ Justice.
Adding to the mix of talent are three Power Five transfers; quarterback Ethan Garbers from Washington, receiver Kam Brown from Texas A&M, and safety Jordan Genmark Heath from Notre Dame.
National Signing Day for the 2021 class is on Feb. 3, 2021.
UCLA Bruins 2021 Recruiting Class
DE Quintin Somerville – Saguaro (AZ) – 4-Star – enrolled
DE Tiaoalii Savea – Desert Pines (NV) – 4-Star
ATH Devin Kirkwood – Junipero Serra – 4-Star
OL Thomas Cole – San Luis Obispo (CA) – 3-Star – enrolled
WR Keontez Lewis – East St. Louis (IL) – 3-Star – enrolled
DB Josh Moore – Marist School (GA) – 3-Star
RB Deshun Murrell – Bib County (AL) – 3-Star
OG Noah Pulealii – Palma (CA) – 3-Star
DE Christian Burkhalter – Spanish Fort (AL) – 3-Star
ATH Isaiah Newcombe – Casteel (AZ) – 3-Star
WR Ezavier Staples – Millikan (CA) – 3-Star
QB Kajiya Hollawayne – San Jacinto (CA) – 3-Star
WR DJ Justice – Bishop Alemany (CA) – 3-Star
OT Garrett DiGiorgio – Serrano (CA) – 3-Star
OC Benjamin Roy – Liberty (NV) – 3-Star
DE Tyler Kiehne – Los Lunas (NM) – 3-Star
DE AJ Campbell – Copley (OH) – 3-Star
Verbal Commitment
DE Hayden Nelson – Brookfield Central (WI) – 3-Star
Photo credit: RNG; Devin Kirkwood