College Football

UCLA Football Recruiting: 4-Star CB Elijah Gates Commits to the Bruins

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 11:25 p.m. ET

Fansided, Mike Regalado/FanSided via Go Joe Bruin

The secondary of the UCLA Football team is going to be deep next season as the Bruins just landed their fifth defensive backs as 4-star cornerback Elijah Gates will be heading to Westwood.

Things continue to look up for the UCLA Football team in recruiting on the defensive side of the ball. Today, the Bruins got their 10th commitment from a defensive player, bringing their total to 17.

Elijah Gates (Buena Park HS/Buena Park, CA) is the latest recruit to commit to Jim Mora and his Bruins. According to Scout.com, the 5’11”, 170 lbs. Gates is the 5th highest rated CB in the West.

Gates is the fifth defensive back to give their pledge to the Bruins. UCLA currently has commitments from 5* CB Darnay Holmes, 4* CB Jaylan Shaw, 3* S Quentin Lake and 3* CB Morrell Osling.

More from Go Joe Bruin

Needless to say the Bruins are going to be deep in the secondary for years to come. The Bruins already have several excellent athletes that play in the secondary, which might cause a logjam, but unlike other position the Bruins have been recruiting for, it is better to have more than less.

As for Gates, he should make a name for himself the moment he steps onto campus. In high school he was an two-way player, handling both cornerback and receiver duties.

Gates has excellent hands and is quite the speedster. On offense, if he has a little bit of space just after a catch, he will run through defensive gaps, usually breaking away from defenders.. On top of that he has excellent lateral movement which allows him to get around obstacles.

On defense, Gates becomes the obstacle as he is an excellent on-ball defender. Not only does he leave little room for receivers to operate, but he is also able to zero-in on potential receptions and does a fantastic job of knocking balls away.

Welcome to Westwood, Elijah! Go Bruins!