Before the firing of Deshaun Foster, he and the staff in Westwood had compiled 22 total commits and a class that ranked No. 23 nationally. Now, what was once the Bruins’ best recruiting class in recent history has lost seven of its commits, leaving it nearly 30 spots lower on the ranking and just one 2026 SC Next 300 recruit committed.

The exodus started almost as soon as the news broke. On September 14, the same day athletic director Martin Jarmond fired DeShaun Foster, four-star offensive tackle Johnnie Jones, and interior lineman Cooper Javorsky both reopened their recruitment, citing the uncertainty around UCLA’s future staff. Within hours, three-star defensive tackle David Schwerzel, edge rusher Yahya Gaad, and linebacker Ramzak Fruean followed suit. By the next day, four-star defensive end Anthony Jones and 2027 receiver Demaje Riley had also backed away, leaving UCLA’s once-promising 2026 class stripped of almost all its blue-chip talent. 

Micah “Champion” Smith now stands as the lone centerpiece of UCLA’s 2026 class, and his pledge is no ordinary one. When the Bruins landed the 6-foot-3, 320-pound offensive tackle out of Vero Beach, Florida, in June, their recruiting ranking jumped seven spots on 247Sports, climbing from No. 37 to No. 30 nationally. Smith was the ninth pledge of the cycle and immediately became the highest-rated of the bunch, putting him on track to be UCLA’s top signee since quarterback Dante Moore in 2023 if he follows through on signing day. 

Foster, above all, was a players’ coach. It’s the reason he held onto the UCLA Bruins locker room after starting last season 1–5, and it’s the reason why, despite starting this season 0–3, many of his players still clung to every word. It makes many wonder if UCLA pulled the plug on the head coach a little too soon, and if the program is paying the price for it now. That doubt feels heavier when you listen to South Gibson three-star edge rusher Yahya Gaad, one of the decommits.

Gaad, who flipped to UCLA from SMU back in May, didn’t hide how much the decision hurt him. “It’s very heartbreaking. I loved that man,” he said. Then, there was Johnnie Jones, the four-star offensive tackle who picked UCLA on June 9 over Ole Miss, Penn State, Colorado, and Vanderbilt, who had been in steady contact with Florida State. “UCLA was real. We saw longevity on and off the field at UCLA, and Johnny feels he can be a part of something UCLA is building.” Jones’ father, Johnnie Jones Sr., had told Rivals’ Chad Simmons about the commitment in June. 

Cooper Javorsky, another major commit, had already hinted he might take visits elsewhere despite saying, “As of right now, I don’t have any visits planned. I’ve definitely had multiple game day invites, and I think it would be cool to see different places on game day just to experience it, but my main focus has been on my high school team, UCLA, and school.”

 Cooper Javorsky, another major commit, had already hinted he might take visits elsewhere despite saying, “As of right now, I don’t have any visits planned. I’ve definitely had multiple game day invites, and I think it would be cool to see different places on game day just to experience it, but my main focus has been on my high school team, UCLA, and school.” And the hits kept coming.

Defensive lineman David Schwerzel, another cornerstone of the class, reopened his recruitment too, drawing immediate interest from Colorado, Florida State, Michigan State, Stanford, and especially Washington, which has emerged as a serious contender. 

The core that remains

Tim Skipper now steps into the interim head coaching role for the rest of the season. He has experience handling transitional situations, having served as Fresno State’s interim head coach, but he inherits a roster still reeling from Foster’s departure. The bigger question is whether the Bruins can hold onto their remaining talent:

• Carter Gooden, four-star defensive lineman 
• Kenneth Moore, four-star wide receiver 
• Camden Jensen, three-star tight end 
• Toray Davis, three-star safety 
• Xavier Stinson, three-star wide receiver 
• Xavier Warren, three-star wide receiver
• Marcus Almada, three-star defensive lineman 
• Madden Soliai, three-star cornerback
• Justin Lewis, three-star cornerback
• Logan Hirou, three-star safety
• Malaki Soliai-Tui, three-star linebacker
• Santana Carlos, three-star wide receiver 
• Joshua Mensah, three-star safety
• Matthew Muasau, three-star linebacker 
• Giancarlo Cereghino, three-star long snapper 

With Smith anchoring the line and this core group remaining committed, UCLA’s 2026 class isn’t completely dismantled. To help Skipper steady the ship, UCLA could have a new head coach soon, with Tony White, Florida State’s defensive coordinator and a UCLA alum, emerging as a top candidate.