What Losing on Top Recruit Means for UCLA Moving Forward

In what should be a major loss to the program, could losing out on Oscar Rios to the Arizona Wildcats have actually helped the UCLA Bruins?

There’s no doubt about the talent Rios brings to the gridiron. He’s a towering quarterback with incredible vision, the ability to turn nothing into something, solid speed, and a cannon for an arm.

What’s not to like?

He absolutely raises the ceiling of this program once Nico Iamaleava inevitably moves on to the NFL, but could it have been a blessing in disguise?

Obviously, it’s too early to tell. Rios isn’t ready for college until August of next year, and there’s no guarantee that he becomes a difference-maker at the college level.

UCLA has a few other options it could look to that 1) won’t take as much NIL money as Rios may have and 2) could be just as effective.

We discussed yesterday the quarterback room behind Nico, and one of the options is his brother, Madden.

Madden will be a freshman this season and, depending on how things shake out, will most likely redshirt. But Madden isn’t just a nepotism enrollee. The Bruins actually received a commitment from him from May 2024 through December 2024. Then he went to Arkansas, enrolled there, and entered the portal once again.

It’s been a long road for him, and his multiple stops may have hurt his overall profile as a prospect, but the kid can still flat out ball.

Originally a four-star prospect, Madden was a stud athlete who also played volleyball like his brother. Greg Biggins of 247Sports commended him on his potential and ceiling:

“He has always had a strong arm but has made a nice jump in poise, accuracy and maturity. He shows dual-threat ability and although he doesn’t run a ton, he has very good pocket mobility and can extend plays. He’s a tough kid, highly competitive and as the game continues to slow down for him, he’ll make another big jump.”

After Madden comes Pierce Clarkson, the former four-star quarterback, now a three-star, after two seasons with Louisville where he hardly saw any time. He also had a stint at Ole Miss, but a few months later saw the opportunity to come to Westwood.

Clarkson is an interesting candidate. He has Devon Dampier-like qualities, where he focuses mainly on running the ball first, then throwing second.

His arm isn’t bad, but he does need to use it more. In highlights, he’s shown solid accuracy, but at the collegiate level, his timing will need to improve.

There’s no doubt there’s special talent in Clarkson, but he is still a little raw. Perhaps a season under Nico could help him in the long run.

Losing out on Rios hurts in the overall grand scheme of things. But there will be more quarterbacks to win on, and it starts with 2027.

Until then, UCLA is in solid shape, and DeShaun Foster is building a program that has a chance to be a force in the Big Ten for years to come.