UCLA football has not been a serious program for most of this century. The Bruins had a few good seasons but rarely sustained a high level of quality. The one exception was the early-to-mid-2010s under Jim Mora Jr. Now, with Bob Chesney at the helm, the Bruins are carrying themselves like a serious program again. USC and Lincoln Riley might soon face a legitimate challenge in Los Angeles. UCLA Wire has more:
“Not only is Bob Chesney attracting talent from around the country, he’s keeping local talent in Southern California, with the UCLA Bruins gaining a commitment from four-star 2027 recruit JuJu Johnson Saturday morning. It’s the second four-star recruit UCLA landed on Saturday, joining running back Jayshon Gibson, and becoming the fourth over the past two days. UCLA’s 2027 class ranking now sits at No. 4 in the nation according to 247 Sports, behind only Oklahoma, Texas A&M and USC.
“It’s tough to over-exaggerate how much of a turn in fortune Chesney has been for UCLA’s recruiting efforts. In 2026, UCLA’s recruiting class ranked No. 64 in the nation and was the 16th best class in the Big Ten. Just a year later, UCLA had the second-best recruiting class in the Big Ten behind just the rival Trojans.”
USC and UCLA both recruiting at an elite level creates the possibility that this rivalry will regain national relevance soon. Where the USC-UCLA game will be played (in years when UCLA hosts) is uncertain, but the future of this rivalry could become spicy in ways few people anticipated.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Rival watch: Bob Chesney is recruiting at an elite level at UCLA
Reporting by Matt Zemek, Trojans Wire / Trojans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
