Kingston Celifie commits to UCLA: 'Everything I could want is right here'

UCLA just landed a commitment from Calabasas (Calif.) athlete Kingston Celifie and the explosive pass catcher broke down why he chose the Bruins. 

UCLA continued their hot start to their ’27 class with the commitment of Celifie. He’s one of the fastest players not just out West but in the county and recently set a personal best in the 100-meters with a 10.44 time in just his second race of the year. 

He’s currently rated a four-star prospect and the No. 364 player nationally in the Rivals Industry Ranking, an equally weighted average that utilizes all three major recruiting services.

He was set to take official visits to Cal, Kanas and Utah in addition to UCLA but has decided to shut it down and is now locked in with the Bruins. 

“There are a lot of reasons why I chose UCLA,” Celifie said. “UCLA really has everything I was looking for in a school right here in my backyard. The message from the staff that I believed in was, ‘why leave home when everything I could want is right here.’

“I love the vibe and new energy at UCLA. I was at the Spring Game over the weekend and everything just feels right. I was originally planning to wait until June to commit after I took my visits but the more I thought about it, I realized UCLA was home and there was no need to drag it out.”

UCLA made a big move with Celifie back in January at the Bruins big Junior Day event. They quickly locked in an official visit and hosted him multiple times this Spring. 

“The Junior Day is when I really connected with coach Chesney and started to learn what the program was going to be about,” Celifie said. “Coach (Colin) Lockett had just offered me a few days before and invited me up to campus and they showed me UCLA was ready to compete nationally.

“My comfort level there continued to grow. I was at their first Spring practice and been a few other times too and I love being around the coaches and support staff. Like I said, it felt feels like home for me.”

Celifie said the offense along with his role was another plus for him.

“I like the offense and scheme fit for me too,” Celifie said. “They structure the offense to create opportunities for their playmakers and I saw that during practices and the Spring Game.

“They move their guys around and get them the ball in different ways and that’s how they plan to use me so it’s a great all around fit. They like my speed and ability to make big plays and it’s going to be fun learning and developing there.”