While Tim Skipper has done an awesome job as interim head coach after UCLA parted ways with DeShaun Foster, it's still a challenge for the Bruins to convince recruits to come to Westwood without a permanent head coach.
When Foster was fired, the Bruins saw 11 players decommit from their 2026 class. To add talent on the recruiting trail, Skipper and his staff are taking unique approaches, including sending offers to two international players from the NFL Academy.
The NFL Academy is a program run by the NFL that gives international athletes the chance to play high-level American football and often sends those athletes to the college level. Since its inception in 2019, more than 40 athletes have secured college football scholarships in the United States.
On October 15, the Bruins extended offers to two prospects from the NFL Academy: Joel Queisser, a 2026 linebacker from Düsseldorf, Germany, and Augustine Irek, a 2027 defensive lineman from Cross River State, Nigeria.
Both Queisser and Irek shared on X that their UCLA offers came after a conversation with Bruins general manager Khary Darlington.
Queisser wrote, "After a great conversation with Khary Darlington, I am blessed to announce that I received an offer from UCLA Football!"
#agtg
— Joel Queisser (@JoelQueisser) October 15, 2025
After a great conversation with Khary Darlington, I am blessed to announce that I received an offer from @UCLAFootball! @CoachTSkip @CoachWhiteEra @ThomasMiloe @danieldf211 @coachstevehagen @KrisDurham16 @chasebaker91 pic.twitter.com/xPLl5IZC9V
While Irek said, "All Glory To God!! After a great conversation with Khary Darlington, I am grateful to announce that I received an offer from UCLA Football!!
All Glory To God!!
— Augustine Irek (@Augustine5899) October 16, 2025
After a great conversation with Khary Darlington, I am grateful to announce that i received an offer from @UCLAFootball !! @OsiUmenyiora @KrisDurham16 @CoachWhiteEra @CoachTSkip @ThomasMiloe @danieldf211 @chasebaker91 @NFLAcademy @coachstevehagen pic.twitter.com/9QNgFV9qoh
Neither Irek nor Queisser is a highly touted recruit. Neither has star ratings on 247Sports, and UCLA is both of their first Division I offers. However, Darlington and the rest of the Bruins' recruiting staff are at a point where they need to get creative in terms of their recruiting strategy. Especially in Queisser's case, since he's a 2026 prospect.
UCLA currently only has 11 commits in the 2026 cycle, and according to 247Sports, its class ranks 81st in the country. With so many players decommitting following Foster's firing, the Bruins are in desperate need of adding talent late in the cycle.
Offering international prospects who are getting high-end football training at a place like the NFL Academy allows UCLA to target underrated and under-valued recruits, which they are all but guaranteed to land.
It's also apparent that the strategy has opened the door for the Bruins to get eyes on other NFL Academy prospects, as seen with their offer to Irek, who's only a 2027 recruit.
It will be interesting to see if the program continues to use resources like the NFL Academy for the rest of the 2026 cycle and beyond.
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