Trent Perry put some of UCLA fans’ worst fears to rest Thursday night.

In a 53-second video, the freshman guard revealed on his social media account that he will return to Westwood for the 2025-26 season.

“I kept my head down, kept grinding. Everything people said I was gonna be, I became the exact opposite. I’m stronger, wiser and one step closer to my dream. I will rise,” Perry narrated at the end of the video that was accompanied by a caption confirming his decision.

Perry’s announcement comes five days after the Bruins’ season ended in the second round of the NCAA tournament and a day after junior starting point guard Dylan Andrews decided to enter the transfer portal.

The former four-star recruit and local Harvard-Westlake standout averaged 11.3 minutes off the bench and appeared in 32 of 34 games. Perry scored 3.7 points on 36.9% shooting (31 of 84), including 12 of 35 on 3-point attempts.

With Andrews now gone and fellow starter Kobe Johnson out of eligibility, a bigger role should be there for the taking next fall.

The limited action did not deter Perry from often being the first to arrive two hours prior to home games at Pauley Pavilion to get in pregame work before most of his teammates arrived.

UCLA head coach Mick Cronin has often acknowledged that his defense-first approach, blunt demeanor and old-school methods are not for everyone.

That, coupled with the sporadic minutes, led to questions about whether the former Gatorade state player of the year would decide to leave in an era when every player in the country is essentially a free agent after each season. Other high-profile recruits who lasted just one season under Cronin before turning pro include Peyton Watson and Amari Bailey, while sophomore forward and ex-teammate Devin Williams decided earlier this week to enter the portal.

Instead, Perry will return to a group that also got assurances from guard Skyy Clark, wing Eric Dailey Jr. and forward Tyler Bilodeau to run it back for another year.

Multiple reports have also linked the Bruins as a contender to land former New Mexico junior guard Donovan Dent, the Mountain West player of the year who averaged 20.6 points and 6.4 assists per game this past season.

Meanwhile, former UCLA forward/center William Kyle III decided Thursday to transfer to Syracuse after entering the portal four days ago.