UCLA has had a rough time adjusting to the Big Ten this season, falling to #8 Oregon on Saturday 34-13, but the Bruins remain an attractive destination for high-end recruits.
According to On3, the number-one-rated cornerback in the 2026 recruiting class, Elbert Hill, has the Bruins on his shortlist of ten potential landing spots. Hill, from Archbishop Hoban High School in Akron, Ohio, has several Big Ten schools on his radar including Michigan, USC, Ohio State, Penn State, Oregon, and UCLA.
Though the Bruins have not had the recent success as their Big Ten counterparts, with many seeing UCLA as one of the worst teams in the conference, Hill does not seem to agree. Head coach DeShaun Foster’s Bruins have underperformed thus far this season, but a strong finish to the 2024 college football season could give the Bruins a bump.
With a potentially up-and-coming roster and a great location, the Bruins still have a puncher’s chance to land one of the best prospects in the 2026 recruiting class.