As recently as a year ago, Bruno Fina figured he'd play college footballΒ somewhere. Just probably not at the highest level. Salpointe Catholic's 6-foot-4-inch, 245-pound guard never thought Power 5 conference schools would even look his way.Β
Wednesday, Fina verbally committed to UCLA and coach Chip Kelly. The son of former UA and NFL offensive lineman John Fina chose the Bruins over Yale and Boston College; USC, Arizona, Arizona State and others also offered scholarships.
"It was the place that I felt more comfortable with," Fina told the Star on Wednesday. "I've been talking with (offensive line coach Justin Frye) for six or seven months now and we've built a great relationship. I clicked with the guys over there and clicked with Coach Kelly. Those two guys are the best offensive minds on the west coast right now, so I'm really blessed and honored to play under them."
Interest in Fina picked up following a successful junior season with the Lancers, which included a trip to the Class 4A state championship game. USC was the first school to offer, and others soon followed suit. It was almost more than Fina, who carries a 4.0 GPA, could initially believe. He said he thought he would play at a smaller school.Β
"That's always been the goal that I've been working towards, but early on I thought maybe a (Division-II) school or an Ivy League school would be the highest that I'd go," Fina said. "A year ago it was just a dream, but I'm so happy that dream became a reality."
Fina is rated as a three-star prospect and the 64th-best guard nationally in the 2020 recruiting class, per 247Sports.com's rankings. He becomes the the ninth player to commit to UCLA's 2020 class, and the first from Arizona. Fina is the first Tucson product to commit to UCLA since 1998, when Sabino offensive tackle Mike Saffer signed with the Bruins. Before that, Sabercats wide receiver Brian Poli-Dixon signed with UCLA.
Why the Bruins? Kelly told Fina that Westwood was the perfect place for a college football player who is serious about two things: "books and ball."
Fina plans on majoring in business with a focus on marketing and management; he'll minor in engineering.Β
"UCLA is the No. 1 public school in the nation and has the academic side of things on lock. The opportunities that I'm going to get there is limitless," he said.
"If I have expertise with (business) and also the engineering side of things, then I could get in with a tech company. I want to know the ropes on the tech side of things and development while also having the ability to talk to clients and work with sales. Those two degrees together will make me a marketable employee."
Fina is the latest Lancer to commit to a Power 5 school. Safety Lathan Ransom committed to Ohio State earlier in July, and five-star running back Bijan Robinson will choose between Ohio State and Texas on Friday. Fellow lineman Jonah Miller recently received scholarships offer from Washington and Oregon.Β
Now that Fina knows where he'll spend the next four or five years, he can focus on two tasks β ending his high school career with a state championship and graduating near the top of his class.Β
He said the recruiting process has "been nonstop."
"Football has been on my mind 24/7 for the last two years, and I'm thankful to have the family, coaches and friends that have supported me during this journey," he said. "I worked my (butt) off and I'm just thankful for this entire process."
