UCLA Lands Three-Star 2026 Offensive Lineman

UCLA had pursued Buckey during his initial recruitment, hosting him on an official visit last summer. However, despite the Bruins' pursuit of him, the young offensive tackle ultimately decided to commit to Michigan State in June. 

However, after the Spartans parted ways with former head coach Jonathan Smith, Buckey decommitted from the program and reopened his recruitment. The Bruins quickly started targeting him again, and eventually their efforts paid off, as now the three-star offensive lineman is officially a member of UCLA's 2026 class.

After signing with the Bruins, Buckey spoke with Rivals' Adam Gorney about his decsion. He explained that the education UCLA offers, as well as the school's proximity to his home, were crucial factors in his decision to sign with the program.

• “First of all, the academics and the school are top of the nation, can’t really beat that at the end of the day,” Buckey told Gorney. “Being in Westwood, so close to home, a super nice area, just an hour-and-a-half from home is special. Everybody wants to go live in LA so being able to go to school in LA, Westwood, a super nice part of it, will be a really good experience."

Buckey's commitment to UCLA comes shortly after Chesney was hired and while the Bruins are in a rebuilding phase. That's something that actually attracted the three-star offensive tackle to the school, as he told Gorney that he's excited to rebuild the program from the ground up. 

• “It’s great because you’re going to look back at it a couple years from now and say we were here from the start and we really built this school into a Big 10 powerhouse,” Buckey said. “It’s going to be a really fun experience.”

Landing an offensive lineman of Buckey's caliber was crucial for Chesney and the Bruins. He now ranks as the fourth-highest-rated commit in UCLA's 2026 class, with Rivals' industry rankings listing him as the No. 767 overall player nationally, the No. 57 offensive tackle, and the No. 57 prospect from California.

He's the fourth commit the Bruins have secured in the Chesney era, and hopefully, UCLA will be able to carry their recent recruiting momentum into the upcoming transfer portal window.