UCLA made big push for Kentucky QB target Oscar Rios with help from Adam Sandler

Kentucky now has four commitments in the fold in the 2026 recruiting cycle but there is still much work left to be done. Offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan has zeroed in on two blue-chip prospects who both be at the Elite 11 finals later this month. The Cats are having to deal with one Hollywood star for a recruit in Southern California.

Second-year head coach DeShaun Foster had movie star Adam Sandler helping out on UCLA’s latest big official visit weekend.

4-star QB Oscar Rios met Adam Sandler on his official visit to UCLA🐻

(h/t @adamgorney)https://t.co/hVF8mMygCE pic.twitter.com/zyst9FoeSV

— On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) June 10, 2025

After the UCLA visitors finished off dinner at the Maybourne Hotel in Beverly Hills, the players bumped into the man behind Happy Madison productions. That led to a fun photo opportunity for all of the players in Los Angeles. Oscar Rios was front and center.

“We had dinner at a hotel and Adam Sandler popped up out of nowhere,” Rios told Rivals. “That was so shocking because Adam Sandler is a movie star and I’ve been watching him since I was little.”

“Just seeing him in person, on a visit, is normal. Just seeing how many connections you can have here in LA and the people you can meet. He was just a normal person. He asked us if we wanted a picture, wanted a video. Had a conversation with us for like 10 minutes so it was great.”

Well, that is really something that can only happen in Los Angeles. The Bruins are up to 14 commits in Foster’s first full recruiting class with a pair of top-200 prospects in the fold. Now the Big Ten program is looking to keep the Downey (Calif.) High star in Southern California. The trip to UCLA was unexpected but now this could be a premium contender in Rios’ recruitment.

Kentucky hosted the top-200 prospect for an official visit in April and have remained a real threat in this blue-chip recruiting battle but it’s clear that UCLA made a big splash during Rios’ official visit. Arizona and Colorado are expected to get the final two official visits from the quarterback before a decision is made.

Was Adam Sandler the recruiting closer? We will find out soon. Expect the unexpected in college football recruiting.