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College Football Recruiting: 3 biggest winners from 2021 Early Signing Period

By Dante Pryor

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 19: Head coach Clay Helton of the USC Trojans leads his team on to the field before the game against the Arizona Wildcats at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on October 19, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 19: Head coach Clay Helton of the USC Trojans leads his team on to the field before the game against the Arizona Wildcats at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on October 19, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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Dec 5, 2020; Tempe, Arizona, USA; UCLA Bruins heads coach Chip Kelly against the Arizona State Sun Devils in the first half at Sun Devil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 5, 2020; Tempe, Arizona, USA; UCLA Bruins heads coach Chip Kelly against the Arizona State Sun Devils in the first half at Sun Devil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

2. UCLA Bruins

This class could be a turning point for head coach Chip Kelly. The former NFL-coach is not known for being a grinder on the recruiting trail. Most pundits believe one of the reasons Kelly went to the NFL is because of recruiting. Though this class is rated just 45th, the Bruins’ class has room to grow.

Also, this class is more about Kelly’s willingness to grind on the trail.

Kelly flipped four-star defensive end Quintin Somerville from Michigan and beat out USC for four-star athlete Devin Kirkwood. Kelly usually tries to find the “diamond in the rough” sort of player. These pickups could be an attempt by Kelly to save his job or realize that the Bruins need to get good fast if they want to compete in improving Pac-12 South.

Like their rivals from up the road, the Bruins were active recruiting out of state. Many of their signees might not be plug and play guys, but Kelly and his staff found solid players with upside. They signed two defensive ends, A.J. Campbell from Ohio and Tyler Kiehne from New Mexico, who are long and athletic players who have lots of room to grow.

With Kelly’s willingness to battle for some players, their rating could improve.

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