Bruins land 4-star OT over Penn State, Florida State

The UCLA football team landed a big commitment on Monday night as four-star offensive tackle Johnnie Jones announced that he will be playing for the Bruins. Jones had previously trimmed his list of college options down to four, and he was choosing between UCLA, Penn State, Florida State and Vanderbilt. The Florida native decided that the best option for him is to hit the West Coast to play for head coach DeShaun Foster and the Bruins.

“BREAKING: Four-Star OT Johnnie ‘DJ’ Jones has Committed to UCLA, he tells me for @on3recruits,” Hayes Fawcett said in a post. “The 6’7 315 OT from Bradenton, FL chose the Bruins over Vanderbilt, Penn State, & Florida State. He’s the No. 8 OT in the 2026 On300.”

Johnnie Jones had a short message to share upon his commitment to the UCLA football team:

“Isaiah 54:17 Go Bruins,” he said.

Jones is a four-star recruit, according to 247Sports. He is the #142 player in the 2026 class, the #11 OT and the #17 player in the state of Florida. Jones currently attends Berkeley Prep High School in Tampa, FL. The in-state Seminoles were recruiting him hard, but UCLA won the battle for this coveted prospect.

Article Continues Below

“Scratchcard of an offensive tackle prospect that looks to have the size and athleticism to man the left side of a line at the game’s highest levels,” Jones scouting report reads. “Blessed with a prototypical frame as he measured right around 6-foot-6, 315 pounds summer before junior year and came in with a near 7-foot-1 wingspan. Spent much of youth focused on basketball until he earned a starting role as a sophomore for Florida’s 2M state champions. Much more versed in run blocking than he is in pass protection at this stage as he has primarily been tasked with moving people in a downhill, power-based scheme that features plenty of misdirection.”

Jones is one of the top offensive tackle prospects in the country, and he should go on to have a successful career at UCLA

“Displays the ability to not only get low in a three-point stance, but can shoot out of it and strike opponents,” the scouting report continues. “Will match and mirror with his agility once engaged, but needs to get better at finding and maintaining leverage. Must also learn how to sync up his hands and feet while trying to extend the arc. Might not be the most polished corner protector as he needs plenty of technical refinement, but is the type of big man that has a higher ceiling than most given the combination of his reach and dexterity. Needs to commit to the process, but projects as a potential multi-year starter for a College Football Playoff contender after a few developmental semesters.”

This is a nice pickup for the UCLA football team, which now has 13 commits in its 2026 recruiting class. The Bruins have landed commitments from zero five-stars, five four-stars and eight three-stars. The Johnnie Jones addition brought the class ranking up to #18 in the country, according to 247Sports.