Duece Jones-Drew, Son of Maurice Jones-Drew, Commits to UCLA

Duece Jones-Drew commits to UCLA: Son of Maurice Jones-Drew adds to Bruins' top-five recruiting class

Jones-Drew, a three-star commit out of California power De La Salle, will follow in his dad's footsteps for his collegiate career

By Brad Crawford

May 4, 2026 at 9:50 am ET • 2 min read

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Running back Duece Jones-Drew, the son of former NFL All-Pro ballcarrier Maurice Jones-Drew, committed to first-year UCLA coach Bob Chesney and the Bruins on Sunday, a legacy decision for one of the 2027 cycle's top threats. UCLA already has 16 players committed in Chesney's first full class, a group that now ranks No. 4 nationally per 247Sports .

The second backfield pledge for the Bruins, Jones-Drew is a three-star prospect ranked as the 56th-best player out of California, per 247Sports. Listed at 5-foot-8, 180 pounds, Jones-Drew hails from West Coast prep power De La Salle, where his father played in the early 2000s as the nation's top-ranked all-purpose player before starring for the Bruins over three seasons.

Jones-Drew committed to UCLA over California, Arizona and SMU . The Golden Bears entered the mix following their hiring of Oregon defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi, who is a De La Salle alumnus in search of a ballcarrier in next year's recruiting cycle. Jones-Drew is expected to take his official visit to UCLA's campus in June, according to 247Sports.

"The spring game for me was awesome, being able to see the staff in person get to work," Jones-Drew told 247Sports. "The game was all about competition and who is willing to push past the feeling of discomfort while having fun. The highlight of me getting to meet the new staff was amazing; being able to have a one-on-one conversation with coach Bob Chesney sold me on the whole program. Also, (running backs) coach AJ Steward has been a big part in my recruitment and committing showed my gratitude and respect for coach."

Jones-Drew has scored 12 touchdowns on the ground over the last two seasons for De La Salle over 20 games.

UCLA hired Chesney away from James Madison in December, and he has already brought a significant recruiting bump to Westwood.

"People said, 'You're coming from the East Coast, how do you build relationships?' Chesney told The Daily Bruin this month about early returns in the 2027 cycle. "Well, we got to start them, and I thought we did a good job on the road throughout the spring, and having all these guys here is going to be really important. We're going to go up and hang out and do a little more work with them as well."

Jones-Drew's UCLA bloodline

Jones-Drew's father earned All-American status in 2005 as one of college football's top playmakers. He led UCLA in rushing during each of his collegiate years. By the end of his career with the Bruins, Jones-Drew had set school records in career and single-season all-purpose yards, touchdowns in a game, single-game rushing yards and single-season punt returns for touchdowns.

Per UCLA, Jones-Drew's NCAA record punt return average of 28.5 yards in 2005 still stands. Jones-Drew's stardom as a backfield dynamo and special teams threat led to program hall of fame status and becoming a second-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2006 NFL Draft .

Jones-Drew was a three-time Pro Bowl selection over eight seasons with the AFC South franchise and led the NFL in rushing during the 2011 campaign. Jones-Drew eclipsed 1,000 yards rushing three times in his career and finished with 8,167 yards rushing and 68 touchdowns. Jones-Drew also registered 346 career receptions for 2,944 yards and 11 scores.

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_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/duece-jones-drew-ucla-commitment-maurice-jones-drew/)._