UCLA Lands Commitment From Legacy Running Back
UCLA's hot streak on the football recruiting trail continued on Sunday, just a day after the program held its annual spring game at the Rose Bowl to close out the latest phase of the offseason.
The Bruins have added plenty of talent to the 2027 recruiting class, and this one comes from a UCLA legacy who will follow in the footsteps of his father's spectacular college football career
UCLA's Legacy Recruiting Win
That player is none other than 3-star De La Salle High School (Concord, CA) running back Duece Jones-Drew, son of former UCLA All-American and NFL All-Pro running back Maurice Jones-Drew (2003-2005), who ran for over 8,000 yards during his nine-year pro career after the Jacksonville Jaguars selected him in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft.
Duece will have a long way to go to reach that level, but like his dad, he's been known as a powerful runner, with the ability to run through tackles at will, using a "muscular build" despite being only 5-foot-8. He also has the speed to back it up, posting impressive times in the 100, 200, and 400-meter track events.
Unlike his dad, Duece Jones-Drew doesn't project as a feature back and is considered better suited to a "backfield by committee" approach. Still, the De La Salle running back put up 463 yards and seven touchdowns on 83 carries last season, helping him land among the top-800 recruits in the country and become a top-60 running back and a top-65 player in California.
Jones-Drew had 11 DI scholarship offers and chose UCLA over Arizona, Cal, SMU, Utah, San Diego State, and others. The Bruins were the third school to offer him, doing so in December 2024. He will visit the program in late June.
BREAKING RB Duece Jones-Drew has committed to UCLA
- Rivals (@Rivals) May 3, 2026
He's the son of former Bruin and 3x Pro Bowler Maurice Jones-Drew.
Read: https://t.co/I0KD498qZ6pic.twitter.com/mZPjV3r7I6
Where UCLA's Class Stands
The Bruins have done a tremendous job recruiting in the 2027 class, seeing their group rise into the top-five nationally over the weekend. Jones-Drew's addition brings the class to 16 players so far, ranking it No. 4 nationally, according to 247Sports.
He's the second running back to commit to UCLA this cycle, joining 4-star Jayshon Gibson (North Richland Hills, TX), who committed to the Bruins on Saturday. The backfield duo was part of a six-commitment weekend for the program, which continues to build momentum under the new coaching staff.
Adding the son of a former player should add even more juice to the process and get people excited about where the program is going.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/ucla as UCLA Lands Commitment From Legacy Running Back.
Copyright ABG-SI LLC. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. All Rights Reserved.
This story was originally published May 4, 2026 at 3:00 AM.