De La Salle star Duece Jones-Drew commits to UCLA

De La Salle running back Duece Jones-Drew will be following in his father's footsteps.

Jones-Drew, son of former NFL all-pro running back Maurice Jones-Drew, committed to his father's alma mater UCLA on Sunday. Hayes Fawcett of Rivals.com was the first to report the news.

Jones-Drew chose UCLA over Arizona, Cal and Utah among others. He is a three-star prospect in the class of 2027.



"I want to thank my dad for always being there for me, pushing me to my limits every single day in the classroom, on the field and giving me the best advice overall. I wanted to thank my team, my family and my friends. You guys mean the world to me," Jones-Drew said in an Instagram video.

Jones-Drew has helped De La Salle reach back-to-back state Open Division state championship games, where the Spartans lost to SoCal powerhouses Mater Dei and Santa Margarita.

The 5-foot-8, 175-pound running back broke out as a sophomore as he rushed for 447 yards and five touchdowns. Jones-Drew was off to a hot start last season, but injuries forced him to miss four games.

He finished this past season rushing for 463 yards and seven touchdowns on 83 carries.

Maurice had a storied career at De La Salle, where he was the Concord school's star running back during the Spartans’ record-breaking 151-game winning streak. He went to UCLA, where he was a record-setting punt returner and All-American running back. Maurice played nine seasons in the NFL, mostly with the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he was a three-time Pro Bowler and a first-team All-Pro in 2011.

Maurice has been on the De La Salle coaching staff for the last two seasons.

Jones-Drew joins a UCLA recruiting class that is ranked fourth by 247Sports. The Bruins hired coach Bob Chesney in December.

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This story was originally published May 3, 2026 at 8:49 PM.