Bob Chesney is introduced as the UCLA Bruins football coach at a press conference at the Renee Luskin Conference Center Centennial Ballroom. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

WR recruit shows confidence in Bob Chesney, UCLA with commitment

By Andrew Kulha | Last updated Feb 2, 2026 8:16 PM ET

New UCLA Bruins head coach Bob Chesney basically has to start from the ground up.

The last coach at UCLA, DeShaun Foster, was fired after the team started 0-3. The Bruins finished 3-9 and Chesney was brought in after a 26-1 run in two seasons at James Madison to turn things around.

Getting quarterback Nico Iamaleava back for 2026 will help. So will landing recruits like three-star wide receiver Michael Farinas from Temecula, California, who are completely bought in to what Chesney is selling.

Farinas hopped onto UCLA's radar last week. They had offered two of his teammates at Chaparral High School and saw him while watching those two, Eli Woodard and Tycen Johnson, at a camp.

Farinas stood out to wideouts coach Collin Locket and Chesney, and he was offered two days later at a junior day event.

A commitment from the three-star came not that long afterwards. The announcement was made via social media on Monday.

#AG2G staying home 4’s up #gobruins #bruinnation @ColinLockett15 @UCLAFootball @CoachMarshawn @CoachBobChesney @Coach_DKennedy @chaparralpumafb pic.twitter.com/KlGa2eFzMo
— Michael “Kiko” Farinas jr (@FarinasAka1) February 2, 2026

“Honestly I love the culture that coach Chesney is bringing to the program,” Farinas said via Greg Biggins of Rivals. “Coach Chesney is a proven winner and I know he’s going to bring that to UCLA. Everyone in the program wants to win and that’s something I want to be a part of. They’re building something special so I’m very excited to be a Bruin.”