UCLA Offers Nacogdoches Safety Brandon Jones

It's no longer a question of whether Brandon Jones would like to play college football in Los Angeles. It's a matter of what side of the city he'd like to represent if he indeed signs with one of the the two Pac-12 Conference schools in Southern California next February.

UCLA offered the junior Nacogdoches safety late Friday evening, according to Jones' announcement on Twitter. It's his 36th unique offer, fifth from a Pac-12 university and third from a California school.

The Bruins' invitation came on the heels of an offer Wednesday from Boise State and months after arch-rival USC plus conference foes Arizona State, Stanford and Washington State reached out to the 6-foot, 190-pound prospect.

UCLA, based in the Westwood area of Los Angeles but playing its home games at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif., enters the picture after a 10-3 season capped with a win against Kansas State in the Valero Alamo Bowl.

Jim L. Mora is entering his fourth year as the head of the Bruins program. He has guided the program to three consecutive bowl games, two straight 10-3 seasons and reached the Pac-12 Championship Game once in 2012.

With exception to one season as a graduate assistant at the University of Washington, Mora was exclusively an NFL coach prior to taking the job with UCLA in late 2011. He served as the Atlanta Falcons head coach from 2004 through 2006 and was part of coaching staffs with the New Orleans Saints, San Diego Chargers, San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks organizations as a defensive backs coach.

UCLA won a national championship in 1954 and is home to 1966 Heisman Trophy Winner Mike Garrett. The program has 17 conference titles, 39 consensus All-Americans and has appeared in 35 bowl games.

Jones is coming off a junior season cut short by a knee injury. He returned late in the season, but he only played in five of Nacogdoches' 11 games.

The safety recorded 30 tackles and two forced fumbles, including 18 tackles and one caused fumble after returning from the injury. He had a stellar sophomore campaign featuring 90 tackles, five interceptions and three defensive touchdowns.

Jones will be the only returning player in Nacogdoches' defensive backfield this season. He will try to get the Dragons into the playoffs for the third consecutive year.

2016 East Texas Football Players With Division I FBS Offers