Oct 25, 2025; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; UCLA Bruins defensive back Key Lawrence (4) celebrates after a play during the first half against the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

UCLA Trending For Elite 2027 Safety

Originally posted on UCLA Bruins on SI | By Max Dorsey | Last updated Feb 27, 2026 12:00 PM ET

Heading into the spring recruiting period, UCLA head coach Bob Chesney and his staff have emerged as contenders for several of the top prospects in the 2027 college football recruiting class.

Over the past few weeks, the Bruins have made significant progress with some of their top 2027 targets, including a four-star in-state safety who recently scheduled an official visit (OV) with UCLA for June.

UCLA to Host 4-Star 2027 Safety for Official Visit

On Feb. 23, Jaden Walk-Green, a four-star safety from Centennial High School in Corona, California, announced on X that he has scheduled an OV with UCLA from June 19-21, writing, “Locked in for Westwood.”

Locked in for Westwood@Coach_DiMike @D_Co0p @CoachGabeLynn @GregBiggins @PGregorian @latsondheimer @BrandonHuffman @BlairAngulo @adamgorney @ChadSimmons_ pic.twitter.com/3fI3yW6Oqv
— Jaden Walk-Green (@Jaden_WalkGreen) February 24, 2026

UCLA hasn’t been pursuing Walk-Green for long, having only offered him earlier this month. Still, Chesney and his staff have made steady progress with him since then, and the Bruins have now established themselves as serious contenders in his recruitment.

Walk-Green is one of several talented 2027 prospects to have scheduled an OV with UCLA, joining players like four-star cornerback JuJu Johnson and three-star defensive lineman Montana Toilolo.

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

As of now, UCLA is the only school Walk-Green has scheduled an OV with. However, Rivals' Greg Biggins recently reported that the young defensive back plans to set one with Washington sometime in June and is also considering trips to Arizona State, Oregon, and Oklahoma.

One of the Bruins’ top priorities in the 2027 cycle is upgrading their secondary, and Walk-Green would be an excellent addition to UCLA’s 2027 class. Rivals’ industry rankings list him as the No. 366 overall player in the country, the No. 32 safety, and the No. 32 prospect in the state of California.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

While several programs are actively targeting Walk-Green, Rivals’ Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM) currently has the Bruins as the frontrunner in his recruitment, giving UCLA a 61.1% chance of landing the California native, with Arizona State also firmly in the mix at 19%.

As of now, Walk-Green hasn’t set a commitment date, and there’s no timeline for his decision. Although a lot can change in his recruitment over the coming months, UCLA will likely cement its status as a top contender for the four-star safety with a strong OV this spring.

Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

While the Bruins will face heavy competition for Walk-Green, if they can continue to strengthen their relationship with him and impress him during his June OV, UCLA will be well-positioned to land one of the top defensive backs in the 2027 class.

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