UCLA Football: Bruins Expected to Hire New GM From University of Oregon

This appears to be a big addition to Chip Kelly's team.

It's no secret that UCLA has struggled to recruit under Chip Kelly's stewardship. 

Whether it be a lack of effort or an inefficient ratio of high school recruits to transfer portal acquisitions, something has to change. 

Presumably hoping to help matters, UCLA reportedly hired seasoned recruiting guru Darren Uscher (according to a report from 247Sports pundit Matt Zenitz). 

UCLA is expected to hire Oregon’s Darren Uscher as general manager, sources tell @247sports.

Uscher spent 2023 at Oregon after previously working in high-ranking personnel and recruiting roles at Auburn and Boise State.https://t.co/dJORJ80Uo5 pic.twitter.com/XTua1ynonm

— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) January 21, 2024

Uscher is expected to take on the role of General Manager within the infrastructure of the football program. Conventional wisdom would indicate this position holds some real responsibility as it pertains to constructing a roster that is good enough to compete annually in the Big Ten. 

This includes identifying prospects to recruit, organizing efforts to keep these recruits engaged, and also 'sealing the deal' by signing said prospects. 

Uscher was with Oregon this past year. He held the title of Player Personnel & Scouting Consultant. Before that, he led the efforts for both Auburn and Boise State when it came to functioning as the Director of Player Personnel/Recruiting. 

247Sports analyst Brandon Huffman believes this to be a very good hire for UCLA. He specifically mentioned Uscher's success in Boise. 

Uscher will be a big addition to UCLA- was key in several of Boise State's top-rated MWC classes when he was DPP there and also spent the last year at Oregon with their top 5 class... https://t.co/nEZwa3hfBi

— Brandon Huffman (@BrandonHuffman) January 21, 2024

A graduate of South Carolina, Uscher previously interned with both the Washington Commanders and D.C. United. He also worked at his alma mater for a spell. 

His first official collegiate job came with Georgetown, where Uscher was the Director of Operations. He also earned a Master's Degree from the university. 

While this might not be a flashy hire from a name-recognition standpoint, Uscher should help UCLA be far more competitive from a recruiting standpoint. The staff has gotten younger with most of its recent hires. This appears to be a concerted effort to have UCLA in general be more engaged and enthusiastic on the recruiting trails. 

Uscher's work at multiple Power 5 schools has given him the experience to properly attack this job with fervor and optimism. Many people like to compare UCLA Football to that of a sleeping giant. With this shrewd move, maybe Uscher can help in unlocking the vast potential this team has. 

As many have said before, it's all about the Jimmy's and Joe's, not the X's and O's.