Defensive lineman David Schwerzel rejected the UCLA Bruins twice in a wild turn of events that had him landing with the Washington Huskies on Wednesday.
Schwerzel had previously committed to UCLA when DeShaun Foster led the Bruins and Ikaika Malloe was the defensive coordinator, but after their removal, he decommitted and his sights were set on the Stanford Cardinal. He had reportedly flipped from Stanford to UCLA, marking a second time he had seemingly wanted to become a Bruin. That all changed on national signing day this week, when he once again flipped his commitment from the Bruins to his hometown Huskies.
Is it surprising that an O’Dea High School defensive lineman from Seattle decided to stay in his home state of Washington? No, but the back-and-forth commitments from the defensive lineman marked a change that will be a blow to Bob Chesney’s recruiting class as he attempts to rebuild UCLA.
A review of Schwerzel’s talent from 247 Sports’ National Recruiting Analyst Greg Biggins showed just how big of a hit the Bruins had taken.
Biggins talked about how athletically gifted the six-foot-three-inch defensive tackle was, as well as his versatility offering the possibility of playing multiple positions in different schemes. The analyst continued to say that Schwerzel has a high motor and a possibility of playing in the NFL if he can reach his potential.
With that in mind, not only does Chesney lose a promising, young talent along the defensive line, but Husky head coach Jedd Fisch improved his roster, which blew out the Bruins 48-14 this season.
Chesney will have his work cut out for him in Westwood. This 24-hour whirlwind switch couldn’t be what he hoped for in his first year at UCLA.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: Two rejections from one defensive line recruit hurt UCLA
Reporting by Ryan Lorenz, UCLA Wire / UCLA Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
