UCLA Bruins football continues to build momentum on the recruiting trail under head coach DeShaun Foster, flipping Rancho Cucamonga (Calif.) defensive back Justin Lewis from North Carolina during an elite prospect camp in Westwood. Lewis, a three-star recruit and the No. 91 cornerback in the 2026 class according to 247Sports, didn’t hesitate to make the switch once UCLA offered.
The 6-foot-2, 170-pound cornerback began his high school career at Corona (Calif.) Centennial before transferring to Rancho Cucamonga for his junior season. In 2024, the Cougars posted a 6-5 record and were ranked No. 47 in California, according to the On3 Composite.
“For me, it was a no-brainer just being close to home, and the fact that Coach Meat (Demetrice Martin) has coached so many elite guys before,” Lewis told 247Sports. “He coached Christian Gonzalez at Oregon, and that’s one of the NFL players I really look up to.”
Lewis, who also held more than 10 scholarship offers, said he is shutting down his recruitment and will return to campus next weekend for his official visit. “This is it for me,” he added.
Justin Lewis Flips From UNC To UCLA Bruins
UCLA envisions Lewis as a physical, press-man corner who can lock down receivers on the perimeter. “They really view me as a difference-maker in man-to-man and press to eliminate receivers,” he said. “That’s all I do at Ground Zero [training academy] — play man. So my confidence is really high that I can compete.”
Lewis is the Bruins’ 10th commitment for the 2026 class and their eighth three-star prospect.
With the program’s “build real relationships coast to coast” approach, UCLA’s trajectory is trending upward. After a 5-7 debut in the Big Ten, Foster’s “Fos Era” is starting to resonate — both locally and nationally.