UCLA beats out USC for cornerback John Humphrey of Muir

John Humphrey is no stranger to the Rose Bowl.

Pasadena Muir High, where Humphrey is a star cornerback, annually plays in the stadium against rival Pasadena in the Turkey Tussle. Humphrey decided he wanted to play his Saturday football in the historic football stadium as well. He announced his intentions to play football for UCLA on Wednesday afternoon.

“As a young man trying to find the right path I am very excited to say I am committed to the University of California Los Angeles,” Humphrey wrote on social media.

The defensive back chose the Bruins over several Pac-12 schools, including a recent offer from USC. He also had offers from Oklahoma, Southern Mississippi and San Jose State. Humphrey did not have an offer when the year began. His recruitment took off this spring after standout testing performances at regional camps. He measured in at 6 feet 2, 176 pounds at the Opening Oakland regional, where he was selected the MVP of the defensive backs group. Humphrey ran the 40-yard dash in 4.58 seconds and produced a 44.0 score on the power ball throw, which was the highest mark for any defensive back.

Humphrey is a little raw but has potential. His rare combination of length and athleticism made him a coveted prospect and recently earned him a bump to four stars by 247Sports, where he is ranked the No. 254 overall prospect. In the industry-generated 247Sports composite rankings, Humphrey is a three-star prospect rated the No. 481 in the nation and the No. 36 cornerback.

Humphrey is the ninth commitment of UCLA’s 2020 recruiting class and becomes the third-highest rated member of the class. He joins with Bellflower St. John Bosco safety Jake Newman to give the Bruins a pair of local defensive backs. Humphrey’s commitment pushes UCLA up to No. 71 in the team rankings and bumped them from No. 11 to No. 9 among Pac-12 schools.

UCLA commitments in the 2020 class:

QB Parker McQuarrie - Concord St. Paul’s School (N.H.)

RB Nathanial Jones - Bellflower St. John Bosco

CB John Humphrey - Pasadena John Muir

WR Matt Sykes - Honolulu St. Louis School (Hawaii)

LB Myles Jackson - Hoschton Mill Creek (Ga.)

DE Jay Max Jacobsen - Temecula Valley

S Jake Newman - Bellflower St. John Bosco

LB Jeremiah Trojan - Chandler Hamilton (Ariz.)

K - Luke Akers - Brentwood Ravenwood (Tenn.)