Is UCLA Football Recruiting Slowing Down?

With recruits decommitting and others choosing not to be Bruins, is UCLA Football recruiting in a lull?

Five-star dual threat quarterback Tate Martell, who had UCLA Football in his Top Five just last week, has decided to go a different direction and commit to The Ohio State Buckeyes.

Last week, UCLA lost out on two prospects that had declared their allegiance to crosstown rival USC as Brett Neilon and Andrew Voorhes are now committed to the Trojans.

A few weeks ago, the Bruins lost two other players as Rahyme Johnson and Rhedi Short decommitted.

In the Pac-12, Arizona has 15 commits, Washington has 9, USC has 8. Even Colorado and Oregon State have more commits than UCLA with 5 and 6, respectively.

Is something going on with recruiting and the UCLA Football team? The answer is both yes and no. Yes, because the minds of 17 and 18-year olds constantly changes and they often follow the hot trends of the moment, which is not UCLA in their minds. No, because that is just how recruiting is.

Coaches across the country know that recruiting is a game in and of itself. There are bonds to be made, promises to keep and a lot of sifting through players that could make their program better. The flip side of that are the players that are trying to look for the perfect college football program for themselves.

Though it looks as if recruiting is in a lull for the Bruins, there is still plenty of time for UCLA Football Head Coach Jim Mora and his crew to construct a very solid class for next season.

Currently, the UCLA Football team only has three players that are committed for the 2017 class:

Jaelan Phillips, DE, 5-star, 6’5″, 230 lbs., Redlands, CA
Kanan Ray, OT, 3-star, 6’4″, 275 lbs., Chatsworth, CA
Hunter Echols, DE, 4-star, 6’4″, 220 lbs.,, Los Angeles, CA

Now these are three really good players to starting building a class with, but at this point in the recruiting process, it is a little disconcerting (sort of).

If you look at the 247Sports Composite rankings for the top 2017 recruiting classes, the top 14 schools have a minimum of at least 10 players committed. In the Pac-12, Arizona has 15 commits, Washington has 9, USC has 8. Even Colorado and Oregon State have more commits than UCLA with 5 and 6, respectively.

More from Go Joe Bruin

This is something that the Bruin coaching staff is aware of and it does not look good for the foundation of the next recruiting cycle for the UCLA Football team… from an outsider’s perspective. Though it seems other schools are currently working the recruiting trail harder, that does not mean that UCLA’s recruiting is collapsing in on itself. We are still eight months from National Signing Day and so much can happen in that time.

I asked Go Joe Bruin recruiting specialist Michael Hanna what he thought about the situation and he stated, “Most positions seem to be ok so far and defensive back recruiting looks like it’s going to be excellent. The one major concern is offensive line, where we have one commitment but don’t seem to lead for anyone else holding a UCLA offer at the moment, especially any of the blue chippers.”

Next: Where Does UCLA Look To In Recruiting Now?

UCLA is not necessarily in a bad place (except for O-line recruits, as it seems), but they do have a lot of work before next NSD. Though Bruin fans way be cautious of this situation, they should also note that Mora and Co. usually come up big on signing day.