Bob Chesney Leads UCLA to Five Blue-Chip Commitments — James Madison Football
Bob Chesney put james madison football out front in a different way: UCLA landed commitments from five blue-chip prospects over a few days last weekend. Three of those recruits were ranked in the top 100 nationally by the 247Sports Composite, and his first class at UCLA is now in the top five in the country in May.
Chesney's Early UCLA Push
The fast start is the clearest change around UCLA’s recruiting operation. Chesney said, "The one thing that’s not up to par at this moment is this football team, and it’s my job to make sure we get that back." He said it on Saturday, after the recent run of commitments had already given UCLA five blue-chip additions in a short span.
That haul matters because the Bruins had not been landing classes at this level in the 2020s. UCLA finished with eight top-20 recruiting classes from 2010 through 2018, but it has not had a recruiting class ranked higher than No. 33 in the 2020s. Chesney’s current group is already inside the top five nationally, a sharp jump from that stretch.
UCLA's Recruiting Shift
The surge also marks a clear break from the recent approach in Westwood. Chip Kelly often preferred experienced transfers over high school players, and UCLA was late to offer many notable Southern California recruits. Under DeShaun Foster, who took over in 2024, the program’s tenure was cut short after a disastrous start to the 2025 season.
UCLA has now built momentum with high school talent instead. The school currently holds commitments from nine blue-chip prospects in its 2027 class, and it has not signed that many blue-chip prospects since 2018.
Scott Altenberg on Chesney
Scott Altenberg, the Serra High School head coach and UCLA alum, said Chesney "does have a lot of Pete Carroll vibes." Altenberg added, "He came to Serra one day and he sat with me for almost an hour and talked about stuff, and I remember thinking he knows what he wants and he’s got great energy. It’s kind of like a thing where it’s different (for UCLA). It’s been really good."
For UCLA, the practical takeaway is simple: the first recruiting class under Chesney is moving at a pace the program has not seen in years. The next test is whether the current top-five position in May holds as the cycle moves forward, but the early return has already given the Bruins a level of recruiting traction they lacked in the 2020s.
