UCLA Football: Bruins Nab Commitment From Elite 2026 Wide Receiver

The Bruins earned a pledge from a very good player...

During the Chip Kelly era at UCLA, virtually everyone had become accustomed to a lackluster effort in the realm of recruiting. 

In the few weeks since taking the job at his alma mater, new head coach DeShaun Foster is flipping that narrative on its head. 

UCLA is not only welcoming prospects onto campus, but the staff as a whole is being quite aggressive in pursuing them. 

The hard work ultimately paid off as it pertained to a major target in the class of 2026. Sophomore receiver Jonah Smith out of Santa Margarita Catholic High School gave a non-binding commitment to UCLA on Tuesday afternoon. 

COMMITTED! #AG2G #4sUp Let’s work Coach Frazier! @SteezoDsgn pic.twitter.com/Q3ae4J51DH

— Jonah Smith (@jonahsmith_4) March 13, 2024

There's no other way to say it: this is a massive pickup for UCLA. Smith projects to be among the best receivers in the state of California next year. He reportedly visited campus this past weekend, ultimately coming away with an offer. 

After only a few days, he decided to shut down his recruitment and commit to the new staff at UCLA. 

Smith played this past year at the famed Mater Dei High School. Even in limited time, he still managed to haul in 27 passes for 363 yards and 8 TDs. Now at Santa Margarita Catholic, you can expect Smith to be even more of a focal point over the next two years. 

“That’s somewhere I’d love to be a part of. You know they can get guys to the next level. … It would be hard to *not* choose that. It would be hard to want to go somewhere else when you know those guys will only set you up for success.”

- UCLA 2026 commit WR Jonah Smith https://t.co/zycbytdYxb

— Tracy McDannald 📎 (@Tracy_McDannald) March 14, 2024

Smith isn't necessarily a speedster -- but he's highly competitive and polished as a route runner. Playing against some of the best prep competition in the entire country,  you can expect Smith to come into a college setting and make an impact from the jump. 

Landing a player of Smith's caliber is a big deal. He'd easily be among the most highly-rated receivers UCLA would've signed over the last 20 years. From a pro-comparison standpoint, you can see some similarities between Smith and fellow Southern California native Amon-Ra St. Brown. 

According to 247Sports, Smith chose UCLA over offers from Texas, Georgia, Washington, Oregon, Notre Dame, Utah, and Michigan.