Predictions: Michigan wasting its time, UCLA's DeShaun Foster decision, Aggies out west

There is a lot going on out West that will impact recruiting as signing day is only months away. Here is a look at some storylines and predictions heading into the heart of the season:

Tennessee’s approach to Iamaleava will hurt recruiting in California

Pick whichever side of the story you want to believe but Tennessee might have a difficult time recruiting the state of California following the handling of Nico Iamaleava over these last many months.

Tennessee sources have not been shy in shaping their side of the narrative that Iamaleava was hard to handle and was searching for more NIL money, threatening to leave the program if that didn’t happen. More has come out that Joey Aguilar is a better fit and is around his teammates more.

That’s not the story coming from the Iamaleava side which had complained that the five-star quarterback was hit too often and wasn’t surrounded with enough wide receivers to make the offense run smoothly.

Either way, whichever side you want to believe, the Vols could have challenges recruiting California now. While the area is massive, the high school football community is close-knit, talks to each other and there are tons of connections between high school coaches and 7on7 coaches as well.

People talk. People steer kids certain places. The prediction here is that Tennessee will have a tough time in Southern California especially but after how the Vols felt dealing with Iamaleava’s situation, they might be fine with it.

Texas A&M will keep recruiting the West well

Texas prospects will always be priority No. 1 for Texas A&M’s recruiting efforts but the Aggies have done surprisingly well across the West and that should continue into 2026, 2027 and beyond.

Texas A&M has gone to Arizona, hit all parts of California for top recruits and even has two offensive linemen from the state of Washington as the Aggies have the reach to go anywhere and compete in a lot of recruitments.

The top player in the state of California – Spring Valley (Calif.) Mount Miguel five-star cornerback Brandon Arrington – is committed to Texas A&M along with three others in receiver Madden Williams, tight end Caleb Tafua and linebacker Samu Moala.

The Aggies went back to Goodyear (Ariz.) Desert Edge for four-star cornerback Camren Hamiel and to Draper (Utah) Corner Canyon for four-star quarterback Helaman Casuga, who’s off to a fantastic start in his senior season.

None of the top players in California’s 2027 class are serious about Texas A&M right now but that could definitely change. A bunch of Desert Edge and other Arizona prospects are looking at the Aggies and the prediction here is that recruiting momentum won’t slow down especially if those West players find success in College Station.

Chris Henry Jr. won’t bite with Michigan overtures

Barstool founder and Michigan alum Dave Portnoy tweeted at five-star Ohio State receiver commit Chris Henry Jr. earlier this week with a picture of Oracle’s stock price after it shot up post-earnings and he asked the Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei standout if he sees anything he likes.

Portnoy had a hand in getting Oracle’s billionaire founder Larry Ellison to put together Bryce Underwood’s NIL deal which compelled the five-star QB to flip from LSU to the Wolverines last recruiting cycle.

While Michigan might be trying the same move with Henry, it seems very unlikely. He’s from Ohio originally, he’s been committed to the Buckeyes since July 2023 and is now in the same class with Mater Dei teammate Kayden Dixon-Wyatt.

On top of all that, Henry has an awesome relationship with offensive coordinator Brian Hartline and has been to Columbus countless times.

Crazier things have happened – and Underwood’s flip was pretty wild – but the prediction here is that Michigan might be shooting blanks when it comes to flipping Henry no matter what NIL dollars are thrown his way.

UCLA will give DeShaun Foster more time

After just 14 games, there is already some chatter that second-year UCLA coach DeShaun Foster’s seat is getting warmer in Westwood but it would be a major surprise if the Bruins’ decision-makers don’t give him a lot more time.

Admittedly, getting smoked by Utah in the season opener and then responding with a loss to UNLV is not a great start after a 5-7 first year but there are some things trending in the right direction to give UCLA some hope.

Despite the struggles, UCLA has the No. 23 recruiting class nationally. Stockpiling talent is going to be key. A lot of uncommitted recruits point to Foster being an alum of UCLA and his NFL experience as a big deal when they’re considering the Bruins.

Foster is actually actively recruiting, something former coach Chip Kelly had no interest in doing. With him being a young coach, an alum, his NFL experience and his active role in recruiting, the Bruins will give him time. There’s not a ton of pressure for Foster to win immediately so the prediction here is that any talk of him being on the hot seat seems drastically premature.