UCLA Lands Late 3-Star Addition to 2025 Recruiting Class

It's never too late for DeShaun Foster's Bruins, apparently. UCLA landed a late addition to the 2025 recruiting class, three-star defensive lineman Robert James III.

National recruiting analyst for 247Sports, Greg Biggins, evaluated the 6-foot-3, 235-pound defensive lineman back in October. Here's what he had to say about the Junipero Serra (Gardena, CA) product:

"James is a prototype defensive tackle with a rock solid 6-3, 265 pound frame. He’s a big weight room guy and one of the strongest players out West. He can handle double teams, stand his ground and still get a push up the field. He’s strong at the point of attack and can rag doll opposing offensive linemen. He’s a finisher and shows knock back ability at the point of attack. For a big man, he shows good lateral mobility and athleticism and can make plays outside the tackle box. He’s an easy high Power 4 prospect and should be an impact player at the college level."

James' signing is a part of a huge recruiting weekend for Foster and UCLA which included a ton of official visits, two-four star commitments and a few other three-star commitments for the class of 2026, and even a class of 2027 commitment.

The fan-dubbed "Fos Era" is gaining momentum in recruiting through a shift in culture attracting recruits from both coasts and everywhere in between. Foster and his coaching and recruiting staff have adopted a mantra in their recruiting process -- "building real relationships coast to coast."

No examples more evident than their two biggest recruits of the weekend and 2026 recruiting class, four-star offensive linemen Micah "Champion" Smith and Johnnie Jones.

Both offensive linemen hail all the way from Florida and are the highest-rated recruits Foster has landed in his tenure at the helm in Westwood.

Recruits like Jones have reportedly been "wowed" by their official visits. Jones took his visit over the weekend an his father, Johnnie Jones Sr., lauded the Bruins' commitment to their recruits.

“UCLA was real," Jones Sr. told On3. "We saw longevity on and off the field at UCLA and Johnny feels he can be a part of something UCLA is building. UCLA did a great job recruiting him and we, as his parents, were here and supportive on his side. This was his journey and his decision. He feels can be one of the main pillars of UCLA football and the vision of the program.”

The Bruins still may have a few more commits under their belt coming out of last weekend's official visits and are shooting up the ranks in 2026 recruitment team rankings.