UCLA flips 2026 safety CJ Lavender from Washington

Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei three-star safety CJ Lavender has flipped his commitment from Washington to UCLA, according to Rivals’ Hayes Fawcett.

Pledged to the Huskies since March 21, Lavender is now set to stay in the Golden State. He joins a UCLA class that’s beginning to regain commitments after the firing of head coach DeShaun Foster earlier this season.

Lavender is the No. 136 safety and No. 110 player in California in the 2026 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all major recruiting media companies. He ranks No. 1,403 overall.

The 5-foot-11 safety brings the Bruins’ 2026 class back up to 12 commits. He’s previously visited Westwood and now becomes the fourth defensive back in the fold for the Big Ten program.

The secondary has been a strong suit for Washington recruiting this cycle. With Lavender now out of the fold, the Huskies have five DBs in their class — which ranks No. 21 in the nation, per the Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. UCLA remains outside the top 60 after the fallout from the firing of Foster.

UCLA trying to maintain 2026 class

When Foster was relieved of his duties, UCLA quickly lost a slew of commitments. More than 10 prospects have since backed off a pledge to the Bruins, but they still have some of the top names in their class to date.

Three blue-chippers are still committed, as of Oct. 21: Four-star defensive lineman Carter Gooden, four-star interior offensive lineman Micah Smith and four-star wide receiver Kenneth Moore. Gooden, the No. 1 recruit in Massachusetts, headlines as a top-200 overall recruit.

UCLA is now searching for a new head coach, but the program has miraculously found its footing under interim Tim Skipper. The Bruins have now won three games in a row after beginning the year 0-4. Lavender is the second prospect to commit to UCLA this month, following West Bloomfield (Mich.) three-star offensive tackle Travis Robertson, who flipped from Bowling Green.

“I chose UCLA because they are a great academic program with high academic standards and high athletic performance,” Robertson told Rivals’ Greg Smith.  They are also going to push me further than no other college can so that’s why I chose UCLA.”

In the secondary, Lavender joins fellow commits in Kahuku (Hi.) cornerback Madden Soliai, Los Angeles Rancho Cucamonga corner Justin Lewis and Santa Margarita Catholic (Calif.) safety Logan Hirou. The entire UCLA class can be seen here.

Lavender is one of the next Power Four talents to come out of Mater Dei, a national high school football powerhouse. The Monarchs are often one of, if not the top team in the country and contend for California state titles on a yearly basis.