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UCLA football recruiting class jumps to No. 5 in Pac-12 after National Signing Day

UCLA football coach Chip Kelly stands on the field before a game. (Jeremy Chen/Assistant Photo editor)

By Gavin Carlson

Dec. 22, 2022 2:00 p.m.

In the days leading up to National Signing Day, the most exciting day of the college football recruiting season was set to be an underwhelming one for the Bruins.

Entering the week, UCLA football’s 2023 recruiting class ranked just No. 50 in the country and in the bottom half of the Pac-12, according to 247Sports’ composite team recruiting rankings.

With just 12 players committed to the Bruins, the class wasn’t deep. And with no five-star commits and just two four-stars, it wasn’t top-heavy either.

But then five-star quarterback Dante Moore shocked the college football world when he flipped his commitment from Oregon to UCLA on Monday morning. Ranked No. 3 overall in the 2023 class, per 247Sports and ESPN, Moore became the third highest-ranked recruit in program history, and his commitment shot the Bruins’ recruiting class up to No. 37 and fifth in the Pac-12.

Coach Chip Kelly finally got his first five-star recruit, and Wednesday’s signing day will be remembered in Westwood for years to come.

Moore and 12 other high school recruits in the class of 2023 put pen to paper to confirm their commitments to UCLA on National Signing Day. The group includes a pair of four-star wide receivers, Jeremiah McClure and Grant Gray, in addition to 10 three-stars.

Kelly said Moore reached out to the program after the departure of Oregon offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham.

“As (Oregon) had a coaching change, they (Moore and his family) reached out to us, and we just kind of picked up where we left off with him,” Kelly said. “He’s got a tremendous upside, he’s a really skilled football player, but I really think his mindset is what makes Dante special.”

Moore could be throwing to the wide receiver duo of McClure and Gray for years to come. The pair of four-star California natives stand at 6-foot-2 and 6-foot-3 and weigh 195 and 180 pounds, respectively.

Eight of the 13 recruits played high school ball in the state of California. McClure and three-star linebacker Tre Edwards were teammates at Mater Dei Catholic High School, and three-star defensive back R.J. Jones and linebacker Ty Lee played together at another Southern California powerhouse in St. John Bosco High School.

Jones and Lee won the California Open Division championship, and St. Jon Bosco finished its season ranked No. 1 in the country. Meanwhile, McClure and Edwards won the California Division 2-AA championship with Mater Dei Catholic, while Moore won the Michigan Division 3 MHSAA championship with Detroit Martin Luther King High School.

Kelly said recruiting championship-winning high school players is integral to the development of UCLA’s program.

“There’s a certain winning mindset that attracts you to a lot of these prospects,” Kelly said. “The fact that so many of them were part of state championship operations, no matter where they were, is a big deal. It’s not a coincidence that we look at kids that play on really high-profile teams.”

In addition to Moore, four-stars and state champions, UCLA made the commitments of three-stars on both sides of the ball official Wednesday.

Defensive lineman and Bakersfield native Grant Buckey signed to the Bruins after flipping from crosstown rival USC earlier in the month. Buckey is joined in the class by fellow three-star defensive lineman A.J. Fuimaono from Henderson, Nevada.

Washington native Isaiah Carlson was the lone running back signed, while Tavake Tuikolovatu became the only offensive lineman in the blue and gold’s class. UCLA also added a pair of out-of-state linebackers in Solomone Malafu of Hawaii and Donavyn Pellot from Las Vegas.

Quarterback and Orinda, California-native Luke Duncan rounded out the Bruins’ signing-day haul.

Kelly said the class features players – including Moore specifically – that are focused on team success and personal growth rather than accolades.

“Dante is a prime example – our conversations with him are always about the team culture, his personal development,” Kelly said. “What type of scheme do we run? What’s his degree going to be? … That was the part that attracted us to all of these guys is that they’re really serious about school, (and) they’re really serious about football.”

In addition to its 13-man high school recruiting class, UCLA has already received transfer commitments from six players and boasts the No. 3 transfer class in the country. When combining both high school recruits and transfer commits, the blue and gold’s overall incoming class is ranked 24th in the nation, according to 247Sports.

The Bruins are still waiting to hear from several high school recruits who have yet to decide their future. Four-star linebacker Leviticus Su’a has UCLA in his final three schools, along with Arizona and Stanford, and four-star defensive back Rodrick Pleasant has the Bruins among his potential destinations.

More additions could be on the way soon for UCLA. Regardless, this year’s signing day will be widely viewed as a success in Westwood, thanks to one five-star quarterback.

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Gavin Carlson | Sports staff
Carlson is currently a staff writer on the football, men's basketball and women's basketball beats. He was previously a reporter on the softball and men's golf beats.
Carlson is currently a staff writer on the football, men's basketball and women's basketball beats. He was previously a reporter on the softball and men's golf beats.
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