UCLA Football Send Offer to Elite Class of 2024 TE Jaden Reddell
The Bruins have joined the race for one of the top tight ends in the country.
Class of 2024 tight end Jaden Reddell picked up an offer from UCLA football, the prospect announced Thursday on Twitter. The Raymore-Peculiar High School (MO) product also plays wide receiver, but since his offer came from tight ends coach Jeff Faris, it is fair to assume that is where the Bruins see Reddell fitting in at the college level.
Reddell also has offers from Alabama, Arizona State, Auburn, Cincinnati, Colorado State, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kansas State, Louisville, Kentucky, Miami (FL), Michigan, Michigan State, Missouri, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M, UNLV, USF, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, Washington and Wisconsin.
Before his junior season, Colorado State was the only program that had offered Reddell. His recruitment exploded int he fall, though, and he took unofficial visits to Tennessee, Ohio State, Oregon, Missouri and Alabama amid the rush.
Reddell returned to Columbia for a yet another visit with the Tigers earlier this week.
The 6-foot-5, 225-pound tight end racked up 1,002 yards and 12 touchdowns on 49 receptions as a junior for Raymore-Peculiar this past season, virtually doubling his sophomore year numbers across the board.
Reddell is a four-star recruit, according to ESPN and On3, but 247Sports and Rivals have him pegged as a three-star. In the 247Sports Composite, Reddell ranks as the No. 7 prospect in Missouri, the No. 11 tight end in the country and the No. 222 overall player in his class.
UCLA has now sent out 22 offers to class of 2024 prospects, and two have gone to tight ends. Orem (UT) three-star Roger Saleapaga is the other, and he picked up his offer on Jan. 3.
The Bruins do not have a tight end signed to their 2023 recruiting class, but they reeled in two four-stars in 2022 – Carsen Ryan and Jack Pedersen. Faris has yet to sign a player at the position since joining the staff in January 2022.
Under coach Chip Kelly, several tight ends have seen high-level success at both the college and NFL levels. Caleb Wilson was a seventh round pick by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2019 NFL Draft, Devin Asiasi went to the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft and Greg Dulcich got scooped up by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Michael Ezeike didn't match the numbers of that trio this past fall, but he did star at the Hula Bowl in Orlando on Jan. 14 in preparation for the 2023 NFL Draft.
Reddell could be next in line, should he choose to follow those pro level tight ends to Westwood, but there is a long road ahead in his recruitment.
UCLA picked up its first 2024 commit Thursday in four-star cornerback Khristian Dunbar-Hawkins. The Bruins' one-member class currently ranks No. 29 in the country and No. 6 in the Pac-12, according to the 247Sports Composite.
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PHOTO COURTESY OF JADEN REDDELL/TWITTER
