While UCLA's is practically set, there are plenty of players who are itching to crack the top slate. Most notably, freshman offensive tackle Garrison Blank.
Blank was the highest-recruited tackle that UCLA secured into their 2025 class, standing at a towering 6'7, 300 pounds. If you want someone protecting your franchise quarterback, that's the frame you're looking for.
247Sports ranked Blank as a three-star recruit and ended his senior year as the No. 53 offensive tackle in the state of California. He attended Rocklin High School, just outside of Sacramento. Greg Biggins, the national recruiting analyst for 247Sports, was impressed with Blank when he wrote the following evaluation last year:
"Blank is a true tackle prospect with a huge frame. We saw him at the Under Armour Next Camp in Los Angeles back in March, and he’s all of the 6-7, 300 pounds he’s listed at with big hands and an 80”+ wingspan. He played offensive guard as a sophomore and moved to left tackle as a junior, and made a huge jump in development and physicality.
He’s a dominant run blocker who just mauls opposing linemen at this level. He plays through the whistle and has a nice edge in his game that you have to excel in the trenches at the next level. He’s strong at the point of attack and plays with good pad level and leverage, especially for a tackle with his length.
He can pull, trap, and cave in an entire side of the defensive line. He shows good quickness off the snap and can get to the second level, but improving his overall athleticism and lateral mobility is something we would love to see moving forward.
Probably projects more as a right tackle than left in college or could slide back inside to guard, but he’s a trend-up guy for sure and shows a high ceiling. The frame, toughness, and functional athleticism are intriguing, and he projects as a high Power 4 prospect and multi-year starter at that level."
Staying in California was a big part of Blank's decision process, as he chose to play for head coach over other programs like Arizona State, Cal, Dartmouth, Utah, Minnesota, and many more.
“I'm pumped up. I think UCLA is going to go and do great things in the Big 10, and it’s a pretty historic program,” Blank said. “I'm excited to get to play those historic stadiums like Penn State, Ohio Stadium, The Big House, and the Rose Bowl. This is a dream come true.”
Blank has always been the biggest kid out there, and was playing offensive line from a young age.
“I was always the biggest kid out there. I've been growing and getting bigger for a long time,” Blank said. “I started playing football in sixth grade, but I was always a little bit of a clumsy, awkward kid growing up.
He wasn't always dead-set on football, though. As a child, Blank pursued other sports and hobbies, including fishing, music, being outdoors, and lifting weights. He also aspires to have a UFC career in his future. Most importantly, he wanted to be a basketball player.
“Honestly, when I was a kid, I wanted to play basketball. I kind of realized that when you are 6-7 and almost 300 pounds, it takes a lot of your body to play basketball, and I'm not gonna be a center my whole life,” Blank said. “That’s when I realized football would be where it's at.”
Blank has always had strong ties to his high school and is glad to be representing it at UCLA.
“I'm excited for this opportunity to represent Rocklin at the next level. I think that we have had plenty of guys that could have gone to some of these big schools,” Blank said. “I think there's a lot of guys going to come through and do it again. I am excited to hopefully restart the tradition of sending guys to big programs from Rocklin.”
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