The son of NFL legend Maurice Jones-Drew has made his college decision, announcing Sunday that he will attend UCLA to play football.
Duece Jones-Drew, currently a rising senior at De La Salle High School in Concord, California, will join the Bruins as part of their 2027 recruiting class. The three-star running back chose UCLA over several other programs that pursued him aggressively, including Arizona, Cal, SMU, and Utah.
His father, Maurice Jones-Drew, earned unanimous All-American honors while playing for UCLA in the early 2000s before launching a successful NFL career with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Despite recent coaching changes at UCLA, the younger Jones-Drew decided to commit to new head coach Bob Chesney. A key factor in his decision was the university’s retention of running backs coach A.J. Steward, who served in the same position under previous head coach DeShaun Foster.
Chesney recently took control of the Bruins program after leading James Madison to a playoff appearance in 2025.
Maurice Jones-Drew, known throughout his career as “MJD,” enjoyed a distinguished professional career spanning eight seasons with Jacksonville before concluding with the Oakland Raiders in 2014. His achievements include three Pro Bowl selections, leading the NFL in rushing with 1,606 yards in 2011, and earning first-team All-Pro recognition that same year.
