4-Star WR Prospect Devon Cooley Commits to UCLA over Oregon, Colorado, More

Wide receiver prospect Devon Cooley joined the UCLA Bruins' 2018 recruiting class Thursday.

The 6'2", 175-pound Cooley is a 4-star prospect, per Scout, and the No. 189 overall player, No. 37 wide receiver nationally and No. 5 wide receiver in the state of California.

The West Coast product attracted plenty of attention from Pac-12 programs during the recruiting process with UCLA, Oregon and Colorado, among others, all included on Scout's schools of interest list.

Hudl shared a look at why so many teams were interested in Cooley's services:

Greg Biggins of Scout called Cooley "one of the top overall players there, regardless of class," when evaluating him at the UCLA Bruins Elite Camp as an underclassman.

Cooley made an early impression with that talent and has a bright future for his new team.

He possesses the height to challenge for jump balls, which will prove fruitful in the red zone. His combination of sure hands, speed and the ability to make guys miss in the open field gives him versatility, and Biggins said he can be a possession receiver or someone who can break game-changing plays.

That type of versatility as someone who can play on the outside and outmuscle cornerbacks for fade routes or in the slot as a quicker possession receiver will help him challenge for playing time right away.

He brings that skill set to a UCLA program that needs talent like Cooley to keep up with the likes of USC, Stanford, Oregon and others in the loaded Pac-12.

While the Bruins were a dismal 4-8 in 2016, they did finish 19th in the country in passing yards per game. They know how to take advantage of strong receivers in the aerial attack, and Cooley can impact the game in a number of ways.

If they consistently land playmakers like him on the recruiting trail, they can reestablish themselves as one of the teams to beat in the conference.