Oct 25, 2025; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; UCLA Bruins defensive back Key Lawrence (4) celebrates after a play during the first half against the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

UCLA Extends Offer to Talented 2027 Defensive Back

Originally posted on UCLA Bruins on SI | By Max Dorsey | Last updated Feb 8, 2026 12:00 PM ET

While UCLA head coach Bob Chesney and his staff are making significant progress with some of their top targets in the 2027 recruiting class, the Bruins are still actively offering additional prospects to continue building out their recruiting board.

Over the past few weeks, Chesney and company have sent out a flurry of offers, most recently extending one to a three-star defensive back from New Jersey and a top-500 overall player in the country.

Bruins Offer 3-Star 2027 Defensive Back

On Feb. 3, UCLA extended an offer to Ryan Wooten Jr., a three-star defensive back from St. Peter’s Prep in Jersey City, New Jersey. He announced the offer on X, writing, “Blessed to receive an offer from UCLA!!”

Blessed to receive an offer from UCLA!! #4sup #GoBruins @Coach_DiMike @CoachBobChesney @CoachRichHansen @SeanBarowski_ @KinslerLatish @SWiltfong_ @BrianDohn247 @RivalsHS @On3 @adamgorney pic.twitter.com/jOPFDXuzkr
— Ryan Wooten, Jr. (@RyanWooten_27) February 4, 2026

Wooten received interest from several programs throughout the fall, but his recruitment has exploded since the start of the new year. UCLA is the 12th Division I program to offer him in the past month alone, joining Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, Memphis, Nebraska, Wake Forest, Washington, Minnesota, UConn, UNC, Florida State, and Duke.

One of Chesney and the Bruins’ top priorities in the 2027 recruiting cycle is to bolster their secondary, and Wootten would be a massive addition to their class. The St. Peter’s Prep star has the versatility to play both safety and cornerback at the college level and is ranked among the nation’s top defensive backs.

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Rivals’ industry rankings list Wooten as the No. 444 overall player in the 2027 class, the No. 42 safety, and the No. 11 prospect from the state of New Jersey.

While it’s still early in Wooten’s recruitment process, a few programs have already made progress. Penn State had been heavily pursuing him this fall, and with James Franklin now the head coach at Virginia Tech, the Hokies have quickly emerged as a contender for the three-star defensive back.

Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Nebraska and Illinois are two other schools that have been pushing for Wooten recently, with coaches from both staffs traveling to New Jersey to visit him at school.

While the Bruins are currently behind in Wotten’s recruitment, he hasn’t set a commitment date, and there’s no timeline for his decision, giving Chesney and his staff plenty of time to make up ground on the other programs pursuing him.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

If UCLA can make a strong early impression on him and continue to make progress in his recruitment over the next few months, the Bruins should be well-positioned to compete for one of the top defensive backs in the 2027 class.

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