Ever since DeShaun Foster’s firing from UCLA, the program has been in a massive transition. Players are exiting, and high-profile commits are pulling away. Johnnie Jones, UCLA OT, decommitted immediately in September, and another offensive lineman, Cooper Javorsky, reopened his recruitment. Other players like Yahya Gaad and Anthony Jones have also decommitted. Now, a top offensive lineman is about to do the same.

Vero Beach, Florida, native interior offensive lineman Micah Smith’s UCLA loyalty has taken a sharp turn ever since DeShaun Foster’s firing. The 6’5.5″ and 320 lbs Smith has visited Ohio State, Tennessee, and Ole Miss, as the Vols are currently leading in his recruitment. “The UCLA commit continues to weigh his options going into signing day.

Smith visited Ohio State, Tennessee, and Ole Miss this fall, and many believe that the Vols could be leading here,” reported Marcus Benjamin of Rivals. Despite Tennessee currently leading in the recruitment of 4-star athletes, the Rivals reporter called a B1G giant the biggest threat to UCLA. “The Buckeyes could be fading, although he has been to Columbus several times,” reported Benjamin. Ryan Day’s Ohio State will be “the biggest threat.” Even Steve Wiltfong’s On3 Rival report highlighted the program pursuing the OL.

“They’ll… keep working on UCLA commit Micah Smith, who got a heck of an NIL opportunity to commit to the Bruins.” Still, Benjamin is predicting the Vols have a 60% chance to land Micah Smith. So, the B1G and SEC programs are “prioritising” Micah Smith in their recruiting, as the UCLA interim head coach is also trying hard to keep the OL. Previously, Smith had 30 offers but stayed loyal to the UCLA Bruins.

In his initial recruitment, he had 30 offers in his bag. Despite that, Micah chose the West Coast program and put a lot of faith in UCLA’s ability to compete. As a result, despite shortlisting programs like South Carolina, Ohio State, and Alabama in his final list, Smith chose UCLA due to his connections and relationship. “They showed me the future they had planned out for me,” said Smith. But now, the promise at UCLA seems to be fading.

Micah Smith is still clutching the UCLA ropes tightly

A three-position versatile player. Smith can play guard, tackle, and center, too, owing to his beast of a frame. Moreover, his pass protections are also top-notch, showcasing elite athleticism and quick feet. Not to mention, he has no trouble anchoring himself against bull rushes, leveraging his explosive hips. Lastly, Smith’s experience as a defensive lineman also gives him a significant upside.

That’s another reason why he is the 17th-ranked IOL and the 241st player overall in the country. For now, though, Smith remains loyal to UCLA. “It’s hard to believe he’s sticking with UCLA (3-5), given that the programs, as mentioned earlier, are prioritizing him for their respective recruiting classes,” said Marcus Benjamin. UCLA is currently 3-5 in the Big 10 and recently got humbled against Indiana 56-6. Subsequently, the program is currently in massive transition since a new head coach is still being searched.

That signals rebuilding and starting from scratch in the program, at least for one or two years. We could surely see Smith flipping as a result. Apart from Smith, some other players have also opened up their recruitment. This could make things woeful for interim head coach Tim Skipper. For instance, Xavier Stinson recently decommitted from UCLA, and 2026 linebacker Ramzak Fruean also did the same. Smith’s commitment, if it happens, will be a big blow in the class. Since he is the sole IOL in the 2026 class and the second-highest rated player (90.77 per ON3) in the class.