DL Marcus Almada commits to UCLA: 'The love from UCLA was real'

UCLA entered the race for Marcus Almada a little later than schools like Virginia and Stanford, but after the Bruins offered in April, they kept their foot on the gas and it paid off.

“How consistent UCLA was stood out to me,” Almada told Rivals. “The way they recruited me showed me that they really wanted me. The love from UCLA was real, how they recruited me helped me along with the process and eventually make my decision.”

Defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe made the trip across the country from Los Angeles to Marion (Ma.) Tabor Academy in the spring to check on Almada. He and defensive line coach Jethro Franklin were heavily involved in this recruitment and head coach DeShaun Foster played a role too.

“Coach Malloe making that trip showed me a lot. That gesture in the spring meant a lot. That was a great start for us, then I got to know him well. I got to know coach Franklin well too. After coach Malloe came out, coach Franklin started checking in on me a lot. Our relationship grew on a personal level our bond got really strong.

“After coach Franklin and coach Malloe felt that they could get me to UCLA, coach Foster got involved. We quickly built a strong connection. He is a great guy that has a lot of love for UCLA. I know we will put the same effort and energy into making the team great. UCLA is a part of who coach Foster is and he has the drive to get the program back up.”

Almada sees a bright future at UCLA

Playing for coach Foster and the staff he has assembled in Westwood excites Almada. There is a lot he is looking forward to about being a Bruin.

“When I was on my official visit and got a feel the culture and met the staff in person, I started to have that feeling about UCLA,” Almada said. “They wanted me to be part of the UCLA family. It is a beautiful place, I have a chance to play early, the connections off the field at UCLA are limitless and getting that degree is big. A lot of things drew me in to UCLA.”