UCLA Football Recruiting Update: July Week 3

The third week of July wasn't as eventful as last week for UCLA's recruiting, but it did include a battle lost to Washington that took another prospect linked to the Bruins off the board.

Rahsjon Duncan, three-star Oakland (Calif.) McClymonds cornerback committed to Washington on Sunday over the Bruins, Arizona and Arizona State. UCLA was thought to be a close second for the high-three-star all the way until the end, when 247Sports gave the Huskies seven Crystal Ball Predictions to land Duncan. This is yet another recruiting battle UCLA lost to Washington.

The Bruins have engaged in countless battles with each of these programs during their 2026 recruiting campaign. They've most notably beaten out the Huskies for four-star Washington defensive lineman David Schwerzel, but lost out on them for four-star California running back Brian Bonner. Duncan is next on the list of losses.

UCLA's list of primary targets is dwindling, which is natural at this part of the year, but there is still one massive name that the Bruins are pursuing that can drastically make up for the loss of Duncan -- four-star Colorado defensive lineman Tufanua Ionatana Umu-Cais, who is expected to make his decision any day now.

The No. 1 recruit out of Colorado is balancing offers from a top five of UCLA, Colorado, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Washington.

The Bruins recently bolstered their defensive line position group in the class of 2026 by landing four-star Carter Gooden and his three-star high school teammate Marcus Almada.

Including Gooden, who was recruited to play edge for the Bruins, UCLA has landed five recruits on the defensive line in the class of 2026 -- Gooden, Alamada, David Schwerzel (four-star), Yahya Gaad (three-star) and Anthony Jones.

Will the Bruins' sudden abundance at the position dissuade Umu-Cais from choosing Westwood? UCLA surely wouldn't mind another powerhouse in the trenches. Hopefully it doesn't.

Greg Biggins, national recruiting analyst for 247Sports, evaluated Duncan in June. Here's what he had to say about what Washington is getting in the defensive back:

"Duncan is on the short list when talking about the most physical defensive backs out West. He’s a pure corner but hits like a safety and with his frame and play style, we could easily see him grow in to the position. Shows excellent cover instincts and hits like a truck in run support. His versatility is definitely a strength and not only is he capable of playing anywhere in the secondary, he’s skilled enough at receiver to play at the Power 4 level on offense as well. An explosive athlete who shows both initial quickness and the top end speed to sprint past a secondary. A two time Oakland Section Champion in the 100m and 200m and his speed definitely shows up on the football field. When you look at his frame and length, along with his physicality and ball skills, Duncan has one of the highest ceilings of any defensive back prospect in the region."