UCLA flips 2026 DB CJ Lavender from Washington
UCLA is building once again. Tuesday, the Bruins landed another commitment in the 2026 class as longtime Washington commit CJ Lavender flipped his pledge. The 5-foot-11, 175-pound recruit from Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) had been committed to the Huskies since March.
The addition of Lavender keeps the momentum moving for the Bruins, who have found new life under interim head coach Tim Skipper. The renewed energy on the field, which has been accompanied by a 3-1 record over the last four games, has sparked interest on the recruiting side as well.
Lavender is now the 12th commitment in a 2026 class that once ranked inside the top 25 of the Rivals Industry Rankings. UCLA lost a large portion of its class following the dismissal of head coach DeShaun Foster. The team also parted ways with defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe and offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri.
Under Skipper, the Bruins have been able to find stability on the field. Now it is working on the recruiting trail as well.
Lavender held over two dozen offers when he originally picked Washington. Oklahoma, Stanford and Miami were programs heavily in the mix prior to that decision.
The Mater Dei senior is the fourth defensive back in the class for UCLA. He joins Madden Soliai, Justin Lewis and Logan Hirou among that group.
