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Bruins Fans Ecstatic Following Duo-Commit Thursday
Oct 28, 2023; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins fans react in the first half against the Colorado Buffaloes at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

DeShaun Foster's "Fos Era," as titled by UCLA fans, is only getting better, and is headlined by Westwood's best recruiting class in the last decade, which was just bolstered Thursday by landing Marion (Mass.) Tabor Academy teammates, Carter Gooden and Marcus Almada.

Gooden is the Bruins' highest-rated pledge in the class of 2026, coming in as a four-star with a 93 rating on 247Sports. He is the No. 1 prospect out of Massachusetts, No. 9 defensive lineman, and No. 69 prospect in the nation.

Almada is a three-star, but is still solid in his own right. Coming in as the ninth-ranked player in the state and 116th defensive lineman in the nation.

UCLA was on a relative cold streak in recruiting battles at the end of June and the beginning of July, sliding their recruiting class ranking from peaking at No. 7 on 247Sports' rankings to No. 19, where it sits after Thursday's pair of commitments. The extended cold streak didn't dissuade fans, though. If anything, it made them even more excited to land Gooden and Almada. And they took to X (formerly Twitter) to share that excitement.

Those were just a few of the reactions all over social media, but they perfectly emphasize just how big these two pledges are.

Hudson Standish, national analyst for 247Sports, evaluated Almada in June. Here's what he had to say:

"Scheme versatile defensive tackle with the redirection skills and short-area quickness to consistently slice into gaps. Hovers a shade under 6-foot-4, 280 pounds with subpar length measurements for his frame. Owns experience working along the defensive line in even and odd fronts and will likely project to a 4i or 3-technique at the next level, depending on his growth potential. Plays with a hot motor and will run down ball carriers along the line of scrimmage. Still developing as an interior rusher but has shown positive flashes thanks to his post-snap quickness and explosive power in the hands. Athletic tools and play style lead us to believe Almada could develop into an excellent zone run defender at the point of attack. Should be viewed as an athletic high floor interior projection who could factor into a defensive line rotation early in his college career."

247Sports Director of Scouting, Andrew Ivins, also spoke highly of Gooden, who is the No. 1 prospect out of Massachusetts, comparing him to Ruke Orhorhoro of the Atlanta Falcons in his May evaluation.

"Early-entry big man that needs some time to age, but one that has a chance to mature into a real nuisance up front with his large features and nimble movements," Ivins said. "Still relatively new to the game of football as he grew up in Canada and played a variety of different sports throughout his youth, but started to figure things out as a junior. Has attacked primarily from the corner in an even front, but future is likely on the inside as he looks like he should eventually carry 285 pounds or more. Launches out of his stance and into the backfield with impressive get-off and has the sudden hands to fight off blocks.

"Frequently in control of his body, which allows him to quickly change course. Can get tied up a little too much at times in individual battles, but has displayed the ability to run the cleat line and make stops in pursuit. Needs to clean up the pad level and improve mooring strength, but should be viewed as a potential impact player on Saturdays that can twist his way through protection while offering alignment flexibility."

This article first appeared on UCLA Bruins on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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