UCLA's Micah Smith: Lineman by Day, Recruiter by Night

And just like that, UCLA has grabbed yet another Florida recruit.

Three-star wide receiver Xavier Stinson announced that he was going to take his talents across the country, 3,000 miles away from his hometown of Vero Beach, FL.

Just a few weeks ago, DeShaun Foster and his staff successfully recruited four-star offensive lineman and teammate of Stinson, Micah Smith, from that same Vero Beach High School, a move that seemed unprecedented at the time.

But now that Foster has nabbed two Floridians, could this be a common occurrence?

The second Smith committed, he started waving the proverbial blue and gold flag every chance he got, especially when it came to enticing fellow 2026 classmates.

When four-star linebacker Rodney Colton Jr. narrowed his final five schools, with UCLA being one of them, it was Smith who was first to publicly advocate for Westwood as the ideal spot.

When it’s strictly coaches doing the recruiting, it can only go so far. But when it’s players—guys who were just in that same decision-making position—it hits different.

For Stinson, being recruited from across the country meant a lot to him. The West Coast has no shortage of prospects, but he appreciated that UCLA went out of its way to prioritize him, not just whoever was convenient. Playing with his high school teammate was also a big draw.

"Going coast to coast to recruit means that we are really priorities for them, and Champ (Smith) played a pretty big role," Stinson told Rivals. "Us playing in college together is something we’ll love."

Stinson is an enticing prospect for the Bruins. He has tremendous size and will only continue to grow into his 6-foot-2, 185-pound frame.

He’s also a big-play threat, averaging 17.2 yards per catch on 43 receptions last season.

Given the current status of the UCLA wide receiver room, it's unclear if any of the receivers it has now will be the "big play guy," especially with J. Michael Sturdivant heading to (ironically) Florida.

While the Bruins have yet to secure a 2026 quarterback commit, that hasn’t stopped offensive talents like Jaron and Kennan Pula, Jonah Smith, and now Stinson from jumping on board. There’s time for a QB to come.

But the back-to-back commits from Smith and Stinson suggest UCLA might have a real presence forming in the Sunshine State.