UCLA found itself on the verge of a late victory Tuesday when David Schwerzel, a high school lineman from Seattle, tweeted that he was “1000% committed” to becoming a Bruin, including a photo of himself in the blue and gold.
By Wednesday afternoon Schwerzel sent another tweetstating that he was undecided “due to unforeseen circumstances.”
Whether the turnaround was due to miscommunication with coaches or a change of heart, it illustrated the instability of the early signing period even at the best of times.
And these were clearly not the best times for Bruins.
Having done everything possible to save the rapidly dwindling recruit class after the September firing of coach DeShawn FosterOn Wednesday, UCLA experienced several more defections from prospects who were previously committed to becoming Bruins.
Four-star edge rusher Carter Gooden signed with Tennessee. Three-star cornerback Toray Davis signed with Texas. Three-star offensive lineman Micah Smith signed with Illinois. Three-star offensive lineman Travis Robertson has signed with Bowling Green.
UCLA has a 12-player class remaining that general manager Khary Darlington said could grow a bit. Possible additions include Anthony Jones, a four-star defensive lineman from Crean Lutheran School in Irvine who remains publicly committed to the team and could significantly bolster a class that has slipped to No. 82 nationally in the 247 Sports rankings.
“Just the fact that we were able to attract as many players as we did,” Darlington said, “allowing our staff to be as motivated as they were throughout the process and to finish as well as we did, that’s encouraging.”
A class that could be called the “Tough Dozen”, given its determination in the face of uncertainty, can also help jump-start early development. efforts to restore Bob Chesneycoach James Madison, who is expected to be formally announced as Foster's successor later this week.
Darlington said there were no surprises given that some teams have experienced significantly less upheaval than the transition to a new coaching staff.
“In this business in the university space, I learned very quickly that things can change in the blink of an eye,” Darlington said, “so we had our fingers crossed for a couple of players, hoping we could keep them committed.
“But after some of the previous conversations we had with families, and understanding everything that went into this workaround in terms of what individual players and families were looking for to give themselves a sense of stability, it was still nice to know that the people you may have lost, you lost to legitimate competitors who actually had what those people were looking for in some of those previous conversations. In doing so, I think we've laid a good foundation for whoever comes here next to build on.”
Among the successes UCLA could point to was the signing of C.J. Lavender, a defensive back from Mater Dei High who had seven interceptions last season as one of the Monarchs' top defensive players. Lavender was previously committed to Washington, but said the opportunity to play collegiately in his home state was a big plus.
“The idea that my whole family would be able to enjoy my games while I was doing what I was doing on the field was a dream come true,” said Lavender, who also cited his relationships with Darlington and Marshon Friloux, the Bruins' senior director of football player recruiting, as arguments.
Lavender's signing became even more important after four UCLA defensive backs – Scooter Jackson, Andre Jordan Jr., Cole Martin and LaRue Zamorano III – entered the transfer portal, although they could return at a later date.
UCLA also signed two defensive linemen in Marcus Almada and James Moffat, as well as a trio of wide receivers in Kenneth Moore III, Marcus Cyr and Major Pride. Moore has earned the honor of being the longest-serving partisan, pledging allegiance in November 2024 and never publicly wavering.
Darlington said the recruiters' approach was to fully acknowledge the uncertainty of the situation and encourage prospects to evaluate what was best for them, only asking that they keep staff updated at all times. This is not to say that it was an easy process for everyone involved.
“I say this without exaggeration,” Darlington said, “there were tears on both ends of the phone call, there were sleepless nights.”
With at least a dozen players on board, any fears of being left empty-handed were put to rest.
