UCLA loses recruiting battle to Washington for four-star lineman

Dylan McNeill, UCLA WireWed, Jul 1, 2026·2 min read

The UCLA Bruins fell short of landing a commitment from four-star interior offensive lineman Gecova Doyal on Wednesday, with Doyal choosing another West Coast Big Ten Conference school over the Bruins after UCLA was named as a finalist.

Doyal ended up with the Washington Huskies, which makes sense when you consider that he’s a Washington state native that’s choosing to stay home. The commitment to the Huskies certainly doesn’t help UCLA, who not only lose out on the recruit, but will have to deal with him in their conference.

UCLA has attacked offensive line recruits this offseason under new head coach Bob Chesney, but the Bruins couldn’t land Doyal. The Bruins currently have five offensive line recruits for their 2027 class, including three on the interior.

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Doyal is the No. 361 player in the 2027 class according to the 247 Sports Composite, which would have made him the second-highest UCLA o-line recruit, behind only four-star Jackson Roper.

While Doyal stands at 6’3”, he’s a very sturdy 290 lbs giving him a strong base as a foundational piece to Washington’s offensive line of the future. Gabe Brooks, 247 Sports’ Scouting Analyst sees how Doyal can contribute at the next level.

“Projects to the P4 level as a guard-to-guard prospect who punches above his weight and sets the tone in the run game,” Brooks said. “Lacks desired height and frame length typically seen along the offensive line, but compensates with physical play style.”

It shouldn’t come as a shock for UCLA to see the Washington native stay home but it highlights the importance of retaining local talent, which is something UCLA has done a much better job of under Chesney this offseason.

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This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: UCLA loses recruiting battle to Washington for four-star lineman