UCLA Football: Surprising Recruiting Pipeline from this state

The vast majority of student-athletes on the UCLA football roster have come from the state of California but Chip Kelly is having success recruiting players from one state that may surprise you.

A college football recruiting pipeline is a term used to describe a relationship between a college football program and a particular state or region. This relationship is typically established through a history of success in recruiting players from that area, as well as through strong ties to high schools and coaches in the region.

College football recruiting pipelines are an important part of the college football landscape. They help to ensure that the best players in the country have the opportunity to play at the highest level of competition.

College football programs like UCLA strategically target states like California to build strong rosters and ensure sustained success by tapping into the talent pools that these regions offer. Coaching staffs often build relationships with high school coaches and families in these states to strengthen their recruiting efforts.

Chip Kelly does not have “solid” recruiting pipelines set up outside the state of California but he may be starting to develop one with one state in the midwest.

Even though there are not many players on or currently committed to playing for UCLA from the state of Michigan at this time, however, it may seem that coach Kelly is starting to develop a recruiting pipeline to the state that many did not see developing.

UCLA players from the state of Michigan are currently on the Bruins football team.

Hometown/High School: Detroit, Mich. / Harper Woods HS
Year: Redshirt Senior
Position: Defensive back
Previous School: Bowling Green

Watch and listen to the reasons why Anderson choose to go out west and play at UCLA: Video

Hometown/High School: Detroit, Mich. / Detroit Martin Luther King Jr. HS
Year: Freshmen
Position: Quarterback

Read more about Moore and the potential huge positive impact he can have on the Bruins as their quarterback this upcoming season: Story

Hometown/High School: Grand Rapids, Mich. / South Christian HS
Year: Redshirt Junior
Position: Offensive lineman
Previous School: Purdue

Read more about why Holstege and other transfers decided to head out to Westwood to become a Bruin: Story

Student-athletes in high school who are currently committed to playing for UCLA 

Star Ranking: ⭐⭐⭐
Committed: 7/31/23
Hometown/High School: West Bloomfield, MI / West Bloomfield HS
Position: Cornerback

These players listed do not include players who transferred to UCLA from the University of Michigan Zach Charbonnet and Devin Asiasi, because they both played high school football in California and then went to be a Wolverine and then transferred to UCLA to play the remaining collegiate years as a Bruin. Wilton Speight a quarterback from U of M transferred to UCLA as well but he played his high school ball in Virginia.

The UCLA program appears to making a strong effort to develop a recruiting pipeline to the state of Michigan and time will tell if it fully develops especially in the coming years with the Bruins being a member of the Big Ten conference.