San Diego State had opened the 2026 high school recruiting class on a hot streak, reaching six commitments as of last month.
With six months until the early signing period, things can and will change when it comes to recruiting. In the case of San Diego State, they’ve now lost two commitments in the past week. Central High two-way standout Brandon Smith first decommitted from San Diego State, with quarterback Derek Garcia joining him a day later.
While Smith reworks his recruitment following his three-month commitment to the Aztecs, Garcia took less than a week to find his new home. On Friday morning, Garcia announced his commitment to UNLV and head coach Dan Mullen. Garcia’s commitment gives UNLV eight commitments in the 2026 class that currently sits atop the Mountain West rankings according to 247Sports.
Garcia will enter his third season as the starter next season for Ventura High School. He had a breakout season as a junior, completing 63 percent of his passes. He finished the season with 2,593 passing yards and 27 touchdown passes. Garcia also scored twice on the ground for the second straight year. Garcia tossed multiple touchdown passes in nine of 11 games and will enter his final season with 38 career touchdown passes…