What This 2026 Prospect Can Bring to UCLA

The recruiting never ends, and UCLA is right back at it.

Last month, Mick Cronin made an offer to 2026 four-star power forward and center Davion Adkins, who has received offers from several Power 5 programs. 

With the eventual and pending departure of forwards, Eric Dailey, Tyler Bilodeau and Xavier Booker, it’s inevitable to open up the pipeline to Westwood. 

Adkins would be a huge addition to the program with his 6-foot-9 frame and 7-foot-2 wingspan, who’s a dynamic athlete and can create explosive plays.

That length especially has been proven effective on the defensive end. Being 6-foot-9 isn’t especially tall for a center, but he makes up for it in the wingspan.

On the post, his active step gives him an advantage when keeping up with opponents. He keeps his arms up at all times, and is hard to fake out, becoming a threat to block.

Offensively, he’s an immediate threat on the low block, and while he doesn’t have solid footwork just yet, there’s more than enough room to grow into it. Going back to his active step on the defensive end, it allows him to also be active on the offensive glass, and that’s where he’s generated a lot of his offense.

It’s highly encouraging how intuitive he is on the offensive glass. Lately, there’s been a trend of younger players giving up on plays once a ball is shot, but Adkins knows that the play doesn’t end until it goes through the net.

Not only that, one way that big men effectively contribute on the offensive end is their ability to use the pick and roll. To make up for his lack of post moves, he knows how to effectively roll to the rim and his elite athleticism can instantly make him a lob threat.

He doesn’t exactly have Booker’s outside shooting capabilities yet, but there’s a lot of hope that he can develop into a legitimate shooter.

Greg Biggins of 247Sports wrote about his potential to become more of an option on the outside:

“He also has soft natural touch and clear long-term shooting potential that should eventually allow him to stretch the floor both vertically and to the arc. Adkins is much more of a play finisher than he is a playmaker at this point.”

A commitment from Adkins is far from a certainty, especially since he’s a 2026 recruit, and the basketball season doesn’t start until November, so there’s plenty of time for Adkins to make a decision.

But we can dream of the possibilities, and what kind of player we can expect from him no matter where he goes. 

Eventually the Bruins will have to start restocking the cupboard, and what better foundation to build off of than Adkins?