Top Local Linebacker Tre Edwards Picks Up Offer From UCLA Football

The Bruins are officially going after the star linebacker, joining USC, Notre Dame, Oregon and others.

(Photo Courtesy of Tre Edwards/Instagram)

One of the highest-rated linebackers in the nation has made his connection with the Bruins official.

UCLA football extended a scholarship offer to class of 2023 linebacker Tre Edwards on Saturday morning. The Bruins' staff has now offered two prospects from Mater Dei Catholic (CA) in Chula Vista over the past week.

Edwards' first offers came rushing in after his freshman season with the Crusaders, when he was named a 2019 Freshman All-American by MaxPreps. USC, Arizona State, Colorado, Oregon State, Illinois, UNLV, Cal and Arkansas all offered that offseason, while San Diego State, Oregon, Arizona, Notre Dame, Texas A&M, Nevada and Utah State have sent Edwards offers since.

UCLA started its official recruitment of Edwards last September, when he already had a dozen Division I offers under his belt.

Edwards is a consensus four-star prospect and is ranked as the top inside linebacker in California by the 247Sports Composite, Rivals and ESPN. The Worldwide Leader is the highest on Edwards, ranking him No. 99 overall in his class and No. 3 at his position, but all three systems have him pegged as a top-10 linebacker and top-10 player in California.

The 6-foot-1, 235-pound linebacker played in 11 of Mater Dei Catholic's 13 games in 2021, helping them finish undefeated and win the CIF Division 2AA State Championship. Edwards was able to rack up 96 tackles, 17.0 tackles for loss, 6.0 sacks and a forced fumble, also picking up two touchdown receptions on two catches on offense.

While Edwards' career high in tackles remained the 103 he recorded as a freshman, he took major steps forward as a pass rusher and run stuffer in 2021, earning a spot on the MaxPreps California All-State Team in the process.

Inside linebacker is one of the few positions that UCLA has managed to build on this offseason, as Jordan Genmark Heath is the only departing senior, and he is being replaced by Hawaii transfer Darius Muasau and St. John Bosco freshman Jalen Woods. Caleb Johnson is sticking around for his super senior season, while Ale Kaho, JonJon Vaughns, Kain Medrano, Jeremiah Trojan and Damian Sellers are all back in 2022 as well.

When it comes to 2023, Johnson and Kaho will be gone and Muasau and Medrano will be in their final year of eligibility. Edwards is the lone linebacker in the 2023 recruiting class who has earned an offer from the Bruins, so the future at the position in 2024 and beyond remains very much up in the air.

UCLA offered Edwards' teammate, receiver Jeremiah McClure, on Tuesday.

The Bruins now have 30 offers out to uncommitted 2023 prospects, 19 of which are from California.

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