Report: 2025 WR Officially Flips to UCLA

Three-star 2025 wide receiver Jace Brown's flip to UCLA was often speculated as athletes from the recruiting class moved in in late June. Now, Bruin Report Online confirms that the Long Beach (Calif.) product flipped his commitment from Arkansas to UCLA.

Brown initially committed to the Razorbacks, along with his high school teammate and close friend Madden Iamaleava, but was released from his scholarship in May. Many supposed that Brown would follow Iamaleava, who moved from Arkansas to UCLA when his older brother, Nico Iamaleava, transferred to the Bruins from Tennessee in April.

Brown's commitment, per Bruin Report Online, was never announced publicly, but the BRO staff confirmed Wednesday that he is enrolled at the university and "participating in the UCLA football program.

Tracy Pierson, lead reporter for Bruin Report Online, in the report added about Brown's relationship with Iamaleava, "It's the culmination of a long, circuitous journey for Brown. After his junior season at Warren, Brown officially visited UCLA in June of 2024 with Madden and then verbally committed. The two then transferred to Long Beach Poly but didn't play their senior seasons due to a violation of transfer rules. When Madden decommitted from UCLA and flipped to Arkansas on signing day in December of 2024, so did Brown. 

"Madden then enrolled early to participate in Arkansas' spring practice. His older brother, Nico Iamaleava, the redshirt sophomore quarterback at Tennessee, proceeded to make the much-publicized departure from the Volunteer program and enter the transfer portal. Soon after, Nico committed to UCLA. Madden, then, followed in those footsteps and transferred to UCLA. Not long after that, it was made public that Brown got out of his scholarship agreement with Arkansas. But then, silence. There was no formal public announcement about Brown becoming a Bruin."

Brown isn't part of the 2026 class, but this adds to UCLA's stellar recruiting month of June, where they secured 15 of their 22 total commitments in the class of 2026 and were deemed by ESPN as one of the month's biggest winners.

For those not familiar with Brown as a prospect, 247Sports National Recruiting Analyst, Greg Biggins, evaluated the 6-foot-4, 200-pound pass-catcher. This is what he had to say about him:

"Brown has had a strong off-season and established himself as one of the top receiver prospects in the West Region. He’s not only added size and grown to a solid 6-4, 200 pounds but is quicker and more explosive athletically as well. He had a solid junior season but has taken his game to another level this Spring. He shined at the Under Armour Next Camp in Los Angeles back in March where he looked very good in the drills and had a strong testing day as well. He’s running track for the first time and has a personal best 11.06-100m time. He has been dominant on the 7v7 circuit as well and is a really tough matchup because of his size, hands, body control and ability to get behind a defense. He’s definitely a guy who’s trending up in our eyes and has the talent to play for just about any program out West."