Pac-12 FB recruiting: UCLA gets back in the game as Foster era begins while Cal lands a QB and visit schedules form

The Bruins appeared allergic to recruiting under Chip Kelly; that's not the case anymore.

The Hotline is delighted to provide Pac-12 fans with a regular dive into the recruiting process through the eyes and ears of Brandon Huffman, the Seattle-based national recruiting editor for 247Sports. He submitted the following report on March 18 …

Well hello, UCLA!

First, Kalen DeBoer left Washington for Alabama. Then Jedd Fisch left Arizona for Washington. Then Brent Brennan left San Jose State for Arizona.

After that triple-whammy, things finally looked like they were calming down on the West Coast coaching carousel.

But it’s 2024, and movement can happen anytime.

Chip Kelly’s stunning, early-February departure from UCLA to accept the offensive coordinator role at Ohio State created an additional vacancy. A few days later, the Bruins hired one of their own, former running back DeShaun Foster, for the position.

And for the first time since the Jim Mora era in Westwood back in the mid-2010s, the Bruins are actually recruiting like a normal program.

No one has been more active on the recruiting trail in the last month than UCLA, which is the only Pac-12 program with a commitment in March.

It’s entirely possible that there was so little recruiting under Kelly that even an offer here or a commitment there makes it seem seismic by comparison. But it’s hard to argue with UCLA’s activity level.

The Bruins hosted a slew of visitors last weekend, offered scholarships to a number of them and even got their first 2025 commitment under Foster, from Temecula (Calif.) cornerback Kuron Jabari.

And then in a bizarre development for Bruin fans, Foster also landed his first 2026 commitment last week, from Santa Margarita (Calif.) receiver Jonah Smith.

So welcome to recruiting in the modern era, Bruins.

Cal lands Golden State QB

With a new offensive coordinator in Mike Bloesch, their former offensive line coach, the Bears have a quarterback committed for the class of 2025.

Hughson (Calif.) passer Robert McDaniel announced his pledge last week, securing the program’s first in-state commitment at the position since Inglewood passer Justyn Martin in Jan. 2021. (Martin ultimately flipped to UCLA.)

The Bears haven’t signed an in-state high school quarterback caller since 2020, when they landed two: Jaden Casey and Zach Johnson.

Locking in official visits

With the spring official visit season set to begin in April, several of the West Coast’s top prospects are lining up schedules.

San Francisco receiver Chris Lawson, a four-star prospect and the top skill player in Northern California, has three — all to future Big Ten schools: Oregon, Washington and USC. (And he’s likely to add a fourth, to UCLA.)

Arizona’s No. 2 prospect, Scottsdale receiver Cooper Perry, is set to visit Arizona State, Oregon and Washington.

Draper (Utah) four-star receiver Jerome Miles has official visits set with Cal and Utah.

Fullerton four-star tight end Vander Ploog has visits scheduled with Arizona State, Utah and Cal.

Lastly, Quartz Hill (Calif.) four-star cornerback Adonyss Currie will visit Utah and Washington while West Linn (Ore.) tight end Baron Naone, the No. 1 recruit in Oregon, will see Cal, Arizona, Oregon State and Washington.

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