The Texas Tech transfer guard prospect, Jaylen Petty, officially visited UCLA over the weekend and verbally committed to the Bruins on Sunday, according to sources.
The 6-1, sophomore-to-be combo guard chose UCLA over Vanderbilt, Washington, Oregon, Minnesota, Kansas and Xavier.
Take advantage of Bruin Report Online’s EPIC $1 for 4 months deal!!! Join the No. 1 independent source on UCLA sports and recruiting with our introductory offer!! Get unmatched insider Bruin coverage as BRO moves over to the industry-leading On3 network for just $1 for 4 months!! There is no promo code required for this offer, just HIT THIS LINK now, and you’ll be good to go!!
Petty is a pretty important piece to Mick Cronin’s roster for the 2026-2027 season at this time. After UCLA parted ways with Skyy Clark (who might not even have eligibility for another year), its backcourt for next season was alarmingly thin, with just guards Trent Perry and Eric Freeny projected to the roster.
Petty definitely brings some exciting elements to UCLA’s program.
As a freshman last season, Petty had a succesful campaign for his first year in college basketball. He started 22 of 33 games for the Red Raiders, averaging 9.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 30 minutes per game. He shot an impressive clip from three — 37.5%.
Petty functioned as a combo guard for Texas Tech, playing off the ball and then at times stepping into a point guard role behind Christian Anderson, who declared for the NBA Draft.
He’s a good athlete, with an explosive first step, good handle, the ability to penetrate, dish or finish. The three-point shot has to be honored, which makes him dangerous off the dribble. He’s a very willing defender who showed signs of excellent on-ball defense, plus the knack for deflections and steals. He has a good frame for being 6-1, but gaining some strength in the offseason as he moves from his freshman to sophomore year will be key. He earned a rep at Texas Tech for playing hard and being tough physically and mentally, which clearly attracted Cronin.
Having played significant minutes and making an impact as a freshman for a Big 12 program also is a great sign that Petty could be a very productive player for UCLA.
The three years of eligibility, too, make Petty an even more valuable transfer addition.
He was a four-star prospect out of Seattle (Wash.) Rainier Beach. He originally committed to New Mexico out of high school, but then flipped to Texas Tech when Richard Pitino left the New Mexico coaching job for Xavier.
Petty is reportedly a good student, so academically a good fit for UCLA.
Petty’s recruitment was a whirlwind. He entered the transfer portal Wednesday, Zoomed with the UCLA staff Thursday (as well as the other programs mentioned above), was on UCLA’s campus Saturday to officially visit, and then verbally committed Sunday.
He only officially visited UCLA. He had planned to visit Vanderbilt, but canceled the visit once he committed to UCLA.
Leave a comment