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UCLA Football: Five-star LB Mique Juarez commits to Bruins

By Patrick Schmidt

Oct 22, 2015; Pasadena, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Jim Mora looks on during the third quarter against the California Golden Bears at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 22, 2015; Pasadena, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Jim Mora looks on during the third quarter against the California Golden Bears at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports /
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The UCLA football recruiting class added their top target on National Signing Day with the addition of five-star linebacker Mique Juarez.

Jim Mora got his top remaining target on National Signing Day with the nation’s No. 1 outside linebacker Mique Juarez (Torrance, CA. North High School) picking the UCLA Bruins over the Alabama Crimson Tide. He previously was considering the Washington Huskies before eliminating them from contention at the beginning of January.

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Juarez took an official visit to Alabama in late January but the late visit wasn’t enough to pull him out of his home state and away from the Bruins who have coveted him

The U.S. Army All-American is the No. 11 player overall as well as being the No. 1 outside linebacker and is the top recruit in the state of California, according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings. At 6-1.5, 230-pounds, Juarez isn’t as big or long as most outside linebackers but his athleticism and speed more than compensate for a lack of height or bulk.

How committed were the Bruins to Juarez?

He is the only outside linebacker in the UCLA class and was the priority heading into the home stretch for Mora and the Bruins coaching staff. He joins a class that entered National Signing Day ranked as the No. 2 class in the Pac-12 and the No. 16 class overall, according to the 247Sports Team Rankings.

Juarez is the headliner of the Bruins class that also features inside linebackers Krys Barnes, Lokeni Toailoa and all-purpose back Damian Alloway.

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Juarez was previously committed to the rival USC Trojans, which should make for some fun meetings over the next three-five years with their crosstown rival.

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