UCLA secured a potential quarterback for the future with a commitment from in-state four-star recruit Josiah Boyd on Saturday.
The 6-foot-3, 175-pound prospect from Moreno Valley, California, is ESPN’s No. 5 pocket passer in the 2028 class. He announced his verbal pledge to the Bruins over finalists Oregon and Kentucky, joining four-star outside linebacker Kaiden Buchanan (No. 144 overall) as the second member of UCLA’s 2028 recruiting class.
The commitment from Boyd, who is No. 112 in the SC Next ESPN Junior 300, represents the latest piece of positive momentum for first-year coach Bob Chesney. No. 9 UCLA (6-0, 4-0 Big Ten) entered Saturday’s game against Michigan State as one of five remaining unbeatens teams in FBS.
“Coach Chesney is changing the program around,” Boyd told ESPN. “It’s a Cali team; a West Coast school. So, it’s about representing Cali ball. They’re showing everybody what Cali football is all about. Nobody would think UCLA would be 6-0 right now. There they are.”
A three-year starter at California’s Vista Del Lago High School, Boyd completed 61.9% of his passes for 2,620 yards and 19 touchdowns to three interceptions as a sophomore last fall, contributing another 462 rushing yards and nine scores on the ground.
Spurred by Chesney and more than 40 transfer newcomers, the resurgent Bruins have matched their best start to a season since 2022. On-field progress was preceded earlier this year by an aggressive and successful run on the high school recruiting trail across the spring and summer months in a clear statement of intent from Chesney and his staff.
All told, UCLA secured commitments from 20 prospects in the 2027 class from April 1 to June 30, flexing renewed recruiting muscle in Chesney’s first cycle with the program.
Among those additions were six members of the 2027 SC Next ESPN 300, including top-10 cornerbacks Juju Johnson (No. 27 overall) and Jerry Outhouse Jr. (No. 86) and No. 4 defensive tackle George Toia (No. 61). Together, they headline the nation’s 13th-ranked class in the 2027 cycle, which would represent the program’s highest-rated class since a No. 15 finish in 2016.
“It starts with them recruiting the top guys,” said Boyd, who attended each of the Bruins’ first three home games this season before announcing his pledge. “That shows you what Coach Chesney wants UCLA to be because you’ve got to recruit the top guys to have a good team. So that’s played a big factor in the recruiting process. He’s building this team up.”
