TE Matt Alaimo commits to UCLA

UCLA added a verbal commitment from tight end Matt Alaimo on Wednesday, pushing its 2018 recruiting class to 19 total recruits with one week left before National Signing Day on Feb. 7.

The 6-foot-5, 235-pound three-star prospect was also considering offers from Texas A&M and Auburn. He briefly lent his verbal commitment to Pitt in December, but backed off on Dec. 21. He was recruited by in-state Rutgers as a dual-sport athlete, according to NJ.com, as he is also a star first baseman for St. Joseph Regional High.

Alaimo is the only tight end Chip Kelly has for this class so far, but adds another weapon on offense for the Bruins, who signed a trio of four-star receivers last month and have commitments from two more three-star receivers.

The group is ranked 18th in the country according to 247 Sports’ Composite Rankings and fourth in the Pac-12.

Four-star recruit Elijah Wade picks UCLA

Four-star weakside defensive end Elijah Wade announced a verbal commitment to UCLA on Sunday night, pushing Chip Kelly’s first recruiting class in Westwood to 18 with less than two weeks to go before National Signing Day.

Wade was the second recruit to commit to UCLA on Sunday along with three-star cornerback Elisha Guidry.

The 6-foot-4, 240-pound pass rusher from Las Vegas also had Pac-12 offers from Cal, USC, Arizona State and Colorado with Nebraska and Vanderbilt high among his suitors. He is the fifth-best recruit in Nevada, according to 247 Sports’ Composite Rankings, and the 17th-best recruit at his position in the country.

Wade is the second defensive lineman to commit for this class, joining defensive tackle Atonio Mafi, but may move to a pass-rushing outside linebacker position in what’s expected to be a 3-4 defensive front.

Three-star DB Elisha Guidry commits to UCLA

Elisha Guidry is familiar with the ways of blue and gold. The defensive back from Murrieta is the son of two UCLA alumni, including former UCLA defensive back Javelin Guidry, and will now don his own UCLA jersey.

Guidry, a three-star prospect from Vista Murrieta High, announced his verbal commitment to UCLA on Sunday, becoming head coach Chip Kelly’s 17th known verbal commitment for the 2018 recruiting class.

The 6-foot, 177-pound prospect chose to continue his family’s UCLA legacy over other Pac-12 offers from Oregon State and Washington State. He also had interest from Yale and Northwestern.

Javelin played at UCLA from 1994 to 1997 and had four career interceptions, while Guidry’s mother Kaishauna is also a UCLA alumna. His uncle Paul, played for the Bruins from 1993 to 1996.

Guidry’s older brother, also named Javelin, is a defensive back at Utah.

S Kenny Churchwell commits to UCLA over ASU, Arizona

For safety Kenny Churchwell, mom always knows best.

At his commitment ceremony at Mountain Pointe High in Phoenix on Friday, the three-star prospect seemed to play a game of “Eenie Meeny Mieny Mo” to pick between three schools, hovering his hand over Arizona, Arizona State and UCLA hats with each word. When the song ended with his hand above the yellow ASU cap, he started to put it on.

Then his mother, sitting to his left, stepped in.

She extended her arms, blocking Churchwell from putting on the ASU hat, then the 6-foot-2, 180-pound safety reached for the blue UCLA cap placed in front of his mother, becoming UCLA’s 16th known verbal commit for the class of 2018 with less than two weeks left until National Signing Day.

https://twitter.com/AZHSFB/status/956905127918501889

Churchwell, who comes from the same high school as former UCLA offensive lineman Kenny Lacy, also had Pac-12 offers from Cal, Utah and Washington State, along with his two in-state schools.

Churchwell is the third safety to commit to the Bruins for 2018, joining St. John Bosco’s Stephan Blaylock and junior college transfer Je’Vari Anderson. They also have Patrick Jolly, who committed as a cornerback. UCLA signed five defensive backs last year, but all were considered better fits for the cornerback position.

The recruiting class is ranked 19th in the country, according to 247 Sports’ Composite Rankings.

Servite WR Delon Hurt flips to UCLA from Utah

Less than one week after backing off a verbal commitment to Utah, Servite receiver Delon Hurt flipped his pledge to UCLA.

The three-star recruit announced his commitment to UCLA on Wednesday, boosting Chip Kelly’s 2018 recruiting class to 15 after the Bruins also received a verbal pledge from junior college safety/linebacker Je’Vari Anderson on Wednesday.

Hurt had 59 catches for 909 yards and 11 touchdowns as a senior at Servite, but committed to Utah in December as a defensive back. The 6-foot, 190-pound prospect told 247 Sports he recently got an offer from UCLA assistant coach Jimmie Dougherty as a wide receiver, which prompted him to re-think his Utah commitment after not signing his National Letter of Intent with the Utes during last month’s early signing period.