Published Jun 9, 2025
UCLA continues to hit Florida with pledge from 2026 OL Johnnie Jones Jr.
Tracy McDannald  •  BruinBlitz
Staff Writer
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@Tracy_McDannald

When UCLA landed a commitment over the weekend from prized Vero Beach (Fla.) four-star offensive tackle Micah Champion Smith, the social media feed of Bruins head coach DeShaun Foster hinted that his plan to make Westwood a national destination for big-time recruits was firmly in motion.

“Coast 2 Coast,” Foster wrote, including a sunglasses emoji to hint at the news that broke Saturday.

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It turns out that wasn’t just a one-time development, either.

Tampa (Fla.) Berkeley Prep four-star offensive tackle Johnnie Jones Jr. made the decision on his weekend official visit to make the same cross-country commitment.

Jones, who announced his decision Monday evening, joins a Bruins 2026 recruiting class that now has 13 commitments, making him the second offensive line pledge to go with Smith.

The Bruins have added four commitments to the class since Smith announced his pledge, with Jones joining linebacker Ramzak Fruean as the second pledge of the day Monday. Rancho Cucamonga teammates and defensive backs Justin Lewis and Joshua Mensah both joined immediately after landing offers Sunday at the UCLA 7-on-7 tournament.

Penn State, Florida State, Ole Miss, Colorado and Vanderbilt were among the schools in best position to land Jones.

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