Weston Port, a 3-star linebacker and member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, originally received 33 scholarship offers -- BYU included, of course -- out of high school before siding with UCLA near his hometown of San Juan Capistrano. Now with half a year remaining on his missionary service, Port is back on the market and could be targeting a redirect to Provo, Utah.
"After careful thought and conversations with my family, I have decided to reopen my recruitment and find the right program to continue my football career," Port's family shared via his social media platforms, on his behalf. "I have a lot of respect for the coaches and players at UCLA and I wish Coach Chesney, his staff, and the program nothing but success moving forward."
✌🏻[posted on behalf of weston port] pic.twitter.com/4U6koRkyO4
— ᴡᴇꜱᴛᴏɴ ᴘᴏʀᴛ (@PortWeston) May 14, 2026
"I have 6.5 months left on my mission in Spain and cannot wait to enroll in January after I return."
When college athletes experience a change of heart during their missionary service, it's rare that such a decision arrives without the flagship LDS college, Brigham Young University, being a major player in said athletes' short list of considerations.
For example, take Taysom Hill, originally a Stanford commit out of high school, before swinging off course toward the Beehive State. This is not an entirely uncommon occurrence for college athletes during their missionary service. In a way, it's almost a recruiting advantage that no other program has aside from BYU and maybe Southern Virginia University, I suppose.
Backing out of his commitment to UCLA, Port targets a new program to join for the 2027 season. Though I have no sources to back this up, BYU has to be the early favorite.
Port is a 3-star in the class of 2025, and received offers from programs like Ohio State, Oregon, Michigan, Georgia, Tennessee, and other huge power conference schools. Interest will likely die down from many of those programs after two years of no football, but the Cougars won't be the only candidate upon Port's return this fall.
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