The UCLA Bruins are pulling out all the stops to flip four-star quarterback Brady Edmunds from his long-standing commitment to the Ohio State Buckeyes. Even though he promised to play for Ohio State way back on December 2, 2024, UCLA is trying hard to convince the Elite 11 Finalist that staying home in sunny California is the best move. To make a big splash and maximize the impact during his weekend visit (June 6-7) to campus, UCLA got NFL Hall of Famer and Bruins legend Troy Aikman to help them recruit.
On June 6th, Edmunds posted a cool video on X where Aikman delivered a passionate, casual pitch to the young recruit.
“Hey Brady Edmunds, Troy Aikman here. I wanted to reach out and say I hope you’re having an amazing time on your visit to Westwood this weekend,” Troy Aikman said on the video. “It’s such a great place. I really enjoyed my time at UCLA. I also spent time in Southern California growing up. I lived there until I was about 12, and we used to go to Huntington Beach in the summers, so I know that area well. You’ve had an amazing career so far, and I’m looking forward to seeing you take it to the next level. Hopefully, that’s at UCLA. You’d be part of something really special with great people and great memories, just like I had there.”
For Edmunds, this visit is not just another campus tour. It is a moment that could change his future. The 18-year-old from Huntington Beach chose Ohio State over big schools like Texas and Penn State. At that time, he told reporters he was born to be a Buckeye. But now, with Hall of Famer Troy Aikman personally sending him a video message, UCLA is making one thing clear. They want him home.
This is the emotional pull that UCLA’s head coach Bob Chesney and his staff are banking on. In college football recruiting, sometimes the biggest names do not make much noise. But when Aikman gets involved, it sends a strong message. UCLA is serious about flipping one of the best quarterbacks in the country.
Aikman wrapped up by saying he cannot wait to shake his hand in person when he is lighting it up for the Bruins.
It has been long-time prepping. Bob Chesney, who was hired in December 2025 after DeShaun Foster’s exit, and his staff are really pushing the “hometown hero” story. The Bruins are building a lot of hype right now, and they already have 20 verbal commitments in a 2027 class that is flirting with a top-10 national ranking. Basically, in a way, they are telling Edmunds he can stay right in his backyard, where his family can easily catch all 6 home games at the Rose Bowl. By selling the great Southern California lifestyle and the chance to be the star player close to home, UCLA hopes to break a commitment that has lasted for over 18 months.
Edmunds hasn’t seriously looked at another team since he lock in his commitment nearly two years ago. That kind of loyalty is rare now in college football, where players change teams so often. But when a Hall of Famer like Aikman, who won three Super Bowls and is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, calls you by name and says he wants to see you play well at your hometown school, it makes you think.
UCLA is not just telling him his family can come watch games. They are telling him he can be part of something big. He can play at the Rose Bowl, enjoy the Southern California life, and be the main quarterback right now, not wait behind others on the team.
Even with UCLA going all-in on his recruiting, it’s borderline impossible for them to get his pledge. Edmunds grew up loving the Buckeyes, so picking them originally was a total dream come true. However, needless to say, college football recruiting changes fast, and Edmunds is being smart by looking at all his options.
This trip to UCLA is really the first time he has given another team a serious look since he shut down his recruitment almost two years ago.
Edmund is everything you need in a gunslinger. He stands about 6’6” tall and weighs 220 pounds, having been ranked as a consensus top-50 national prospect and one of the premier pro-style quarterbacks in his cycle. Over his three years at Huntington Beach High, he has produced some incredible numbers: 8,637 yards and 92 TDs.
The main reason UCLA even has a shot here is that Ohio State is openly looking to recruit a second quarterback for its 2027 class. That decision made Edmunds take a step back to look at the depth chart and make sure he is going somewhere he can actually play early. Trying to flip a top-tier player away from a powerhouse like Ohio State is extremely difficult, but the Buckeyes’ hunt for another quarterback gave Coach Chesney the perfect opening to slide in.
This recruiting battle is definitely starting to get wild as the summer heat sets in. After he finishes up his time checking out UCLA, Edmunds is headed out to Columbus, Ohio, for an important official visit with the Buckeyes. That upcoming trip will be Ohio State’s best chance to remind him why he chose them in the first place.
But the real question is, can Edmund have the stomach to stay committed if the Buckeyes get their second QB from the class of 2027?
Ohio State is eyeing a flip of a 4-star player from Nebraska
Ohio State is putting a full-court press on four-star quarterback Trae Taylor to be their second quarterback in the 2027 recruiting class.
Taylor is an elite player from Illinois who has been committed to the Nebraska Cornhuskers for a while now. However, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day and his staff have really turned up the heat on him. The chase got even crazier after Taylor just won the Elite 11 Finals MVP award, proving he is one of the best young passers in the entire country.
Getting Taylor to change his mind will be a tough challenge since he is currently a major recruiter for Nebraska.
But he is easily Ohio State’s favorite target right now. If the Buckeyes cannot pull off this one, they will keep a close eye on local depth options like Jackson Smith out of Lakota West High School in Ohio. They also tried really hard to get four-star quarterback Wonderful “Champ” Monds, but he ended up committing to Notre Dame instead.
The big reason Coach Day is shopping around for a second quarterback is that he always wants to have four scholarship quarterbacks ready to go on his roster. With former five-star recruit Julian Sayin likely heading to the NFL Draft next year, plus the constant threat of players leaving through the transfer portal, the Buckeyes want a totally loaded quarterback room. Their dream scenario is to pair a super dynamic athlete like Taylor with a big, traditional pocket-passer like Brady Edmunds.
That’s why it’s going to be a very interesting summer.
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