A 2029 DB Just Picked UCLA Over Oregon and Notre Dame. Here’s Why.

UCLA football just landed a commitment from a kid who won’t be eligible to play college ball until most of us have forgotten what year it is. Kiingbaraka Kizzee, a 2029 defensive back from Orange Lutheran, announced his pledge to the Bruins on Tuesday. He had offers from Notre Dame and Oregon among others.

According to On3’s Hayes Fawcett, Kizzee is a freshman All-American from last season. Meaning he’s already being treated like a prospect who could matter—and that’s before he’s even driven a car to school.

Kizzee told Rivals that UCLA’s assistant defensive backs coach Eddie Whitley Jr. was the difference.

“What stood out the most was coach Eddie. He’s the realest. I love the player development coach. I love the energy the staff has. They want to make UCLA great again; they want to make the hometown heroes stay in the hometown,” Kizzee said.

He added: “We have the best players in California, so they want to keep them. I love how they run the system. They have a great facility. All the coaches are in on the plan they’re trying to do. I love that. They’re all-in. I love that, and I want to be a part of a program that’s all-in and developing players like coach Eddie.”

UCLA is trying to matter again

The Bruins are in year one under new head coach Bob Chesney, and they’re trying to claw back into relevance. Kizzee sees a chance to be part of something that gets built, not something that’s already finished.

“It’s like being a part of a trend, trendsetting. I go there, one of the first universities to believe in me, and we’ll change it around. I want to be a part of the change as well. It’s building a legacy instead of just hopping on the train,” Kizzee said.

He’s right about one thing: UCLA has a lot of work to do. But landing a kid this early from a program like Orange Lutheran—that’s how you start stacking pieces. Whether Kizzee actually sticks with his commitment through four more years of high school is another story. But for now, the Bruins got a win over two bluebloods for a 13-year-old. That’s not nothing.