Deshaun Foster – Syndication Server

DeShaun Foster shouts out UCLA linebacker at Shrine Bowl

Kain Medrano improved his NFL draft stock at the Shrine Bowl.

The NFL Draft is still many months away, but the road to the big leagues has begun. At the East-West Shrine Bowl, one of college football’s biggest talent showcases, former UCLA linebacker Kain Medrano made his presence known. In a video on X, Medrano is lined up in man-to-man coverage. Reading the quarterback’s eyes perfectly, he undercut the route and made the interception. The play caught the eye of UCLA head coach DeShaun Foster, who wrote, “I’ve seen that before!!!”

Medrano finished his 2024 senior season with 50 tackles, three forced fumbles, 1.5 sacks, and, fittingly, two interceptions. Though Medrano’s highlight was only in practice, many believe the practices at the Shrine Bowl are more important than the game itself.

Practices allow coaches and scouts to get crucial one-on-one time with players and assess their ability and character. For Medrano, who is unlikely to go on Day 1 or 2 in the NFL draft, making big plays in practice can be a surefire way to make a good impression.

With private workouts and pro days still to come, Medrano could see an uptick in interest across the NFL as he hopes to hear his name called during draft weekend.

UCLA Bruins release 2025 spring football calendar

Bruin fans will get their first look at the 2025 football team in April.

Since the end of their first season in the Big Ten, UCLA has made serious moves to their coaching staff and roster. Understandably, Bruins fans are itching to see their team back in action.

This week, the Bruins posted on X and revealed their spring football schedule, giving fans an update on when they will see them back in action.

Starting on April 1 and ending on May 3, the Bruins are set to have 14 practices. Two of the Bruins’ practices (April 5 and 26) will be available to the public, and the Bruins will host their spring showcase on May 3.

The open practices offer Bruins fans the first chance to see the new-look Bruins back in action. From coaching responsibilities to first-team reps, the spring practices will shed light on several unanswered questions in 2025.

UCLA’s second season in the Big Ten, in many ways, is more important for head coach DeShaun Foster than its first. With sweeping changes throughout the program, 2025 proves to be vital for Foster’s job security and the program’s direction.

UCLA football hits the weight room in latest hype video

The Bruins are back to work in Westwood.

The UCLA Bruins’ first season in the Big Ten was, in many ways, a wake-up call. Although UCLA football finished near the bottom of the standings, there was a clear path for improvement heading into 2025.

This week, according to a video posted on X, the Bruins are already hard at work.

The Bruins’ football hype video features Tersoo Uhaa, the newly hired senior associate director of football performance, working with UCLA players in the weight room.

Uhaa, hired this January after a stint with Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes, has broad experience in strength and conditioning. He has worked with Georgia, Georgia Tech, and Texas Tech.

Given the talent on the Bruins’ roster, UCLA will need to win on the margins in 2025. From special teams to strength and conditioning, the Bruins will need to pull out all the stops in the second season in the Big Ten.

UCLA fans, for now, can rest assured that the Bruins are hard at work as they prepare for an important season for head coach DeShaun Foster in the Big Ten.

UCLA football adds James Madison assistant with ties to Tino Sunseri

The Bruins add another piece to their offensive coaching staff.

Since the UCLA Bruins’ season ended last December, their offensive coaching staff has undergone significant turnover. UCLA football replaced offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy with Tino Sunseri and made major moves to the offensive staff.

This week, the Bruins announced they hired former James Madison assistant Matthew Biondi as an offensive analyst. Notably, before joining James Madison and UCLA, Biondi was an offensive student assistant coach at Florida State, working primarily with wide receivers under then-quality control assistant Sunseri.

Though the connection may seem small, Biondi’s hiring is a sign that Sunseri is taking ownership and control of the offense. By bringing in a former assistant, it is clear that Sunseri has a vision for the Bruins’ offense in 2025, and Biondi is a piece of the puzzle.

The Bruins struggled at times across multiple positions during the 2024 season, leaving room for improvement and innovation.

As head coach DeShaun Foster begins his second season leading the Bruins, expect UCLA’s offense to have more of an identity.

UCLA football hires former Bruins linebacker to defensive staff

The Bruins welcome a familiar face to their football coaching staff.

Though the 2024 college football season ended this week, head coach Deshaun Foster and the UCLA Bruins are already preparing for 2025. This week, they added another coach to their staff.

Former UCLA linebacker Tyree Thompson was named a defensive assistant by the Bruins according to a post on X. Thompson, who played inside linebacker for the Bruins from 2018-2019, recorded 55 tackles during his tenure in Westwood.

Now, the California native has returned home.

Thompson spent the 2024 season with the Arizona State Sun Devils, where he worked as a defensive assistant with the defensive line. Before helping Arizona State to the Big 12 title last season, Thompson worked with the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors in 2023.

Though much of Thompson’s work with the Bruins will be done on the practice field and behind the scenes, he adds familiarity with the program and a fresh perspective for defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe.

Given the defensive losses the Bruins suffered this season due to the NFL Draft and the transfer portal, adding additional coaches should help UCLA continue its success on defense and strengthen its staff.

UCLA football offers 2027 defensive back with ties to Demetrice Martin

UCLA extended an offer to a recruit with ties to the Bruins.

It has been a dizzying offseason for UCLA football. Transfer portal signings and coaching staff moves have dominated the Bruins’ plan for 2025. This week, the Bruins made an interesting move for the program’s future.

The Bruins offered 2027 Tustin, California, safety Khalil Terry. He committed to Michigan State University on December 1, 2024, and likely received an offer from the Bruins because of UCLA defensive backs coach Demetrice Martin.

According to 247Sports, Terry was recruited by Martin while he was still on the Spartans’ coaching staff. Now a member of the UCLA staff, Martin wants to take Terry’s commitment with him to Westwood.

At 5′ 10″ and 170 pounds, Terry still has quite a bit of growing to do before he reaches the college football ranks, but it is clear that Martin has faith in his abilities.

Adding another interesting wrinkle to the situation, UCLA head coach DeShaun Foster graduated from Tustin High School and currently resides in the school’s athletic Hall of Fame.

While there is a long time before Terry has to make a final decision, his commitment is worth monitoring as the Bruins gear up for the 2025 season.

Early look at UCLA football’s 2025 schedule reveals path to bowl bid

The Bruins have an easier road in 2025. How much easier? That will determine if UCLA gets a bowl bid.

As the 2024 college football season draws to an end, the UCLA Bruins are building toward the 2025 season. With major coaching changes and transfer portal additions, the Bruins are poised to hit the ground running next season.

In 2024, the Bruins struggled to find their footing against one of the hardest schedules in college football. In 2025, however, UCLA has an easier path to bowl eligibility and success given its schedule.

In 2025, the Bruins take on Utah, UNLV, New Mexico, Northwestern, Penn State, Michigan State, Maryland, Indiana, Nebraska, Ohio State, Washington, and USC.

Though the Bruins still have heavy hitters on their schedule, the majority of their opponents hovered around the .500 mark in 2024.

With a relatively easy start to their season (UNLV, New Mexico, Northwestern), the Bruins have a chance to build confidence and momentum early in head coach DeShaun Foster’s second season.

The Bruins still have many months to put the finishing touches on their coaching staff and roster, but based on their schedule, UCLA should see an improvement in their record in 2025.

If UNLV does not improve — and the Rebels are in the midst of a coaching change — UCLA has a real opportunity to then beat New Mexico and Northwestern and pick up a number of early-season wins. How the Utah game shapes up might be the variable which determines whether the Bruins go bowling in 2025.

Going deep on UCLA’s quarterback depth in 2025

The Bruins lack experience at quarterback heading into 2025. This could be a wild ride.

Though football season is many months away, the UCLA Bruins are hard at work building their program for 2025. After a bevy of offseason moves along the coaching staff and in the transfer portal, UCLA football head coach DeShaun Foster’s team will look very different in 2025. The most notable shakeup for the 2025 season will be the quarterback position.

After finishing his redshirt senior season, former Bruin Ethan Garbers will no longer be with the program, leaving a significant hole in the lineup. In an up-and-down season with the Bruins, Garbers finished with 2,727 yards on 69.6% passing with 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

In addition to Garbers’ departure, the Bruins lost three more quarterbacks. Chase Griffin and Nick Billoups finished their final season of eligibility with the Bruins after the 2024 season. After starting one game last season against Penn State, the Bruins lost Justyn Martin to the transfer portal.

Today, the Bruins have only four remaining quarterbacks on their roster heading into 2025, not including incoming freshmen, none of whom have taken a snap in the Big Ten, let alone the NCAA. The Bruins quarterback room consists of rising sophomores Henry Hasselbeck, Dermaricus Davis, Karson Gordon, and redshirt sophomore Luke Duncan.

Though the transfer portal could change the Bruins’ fortunes in an instant, at the moment, UCLA has a severe lack of experience at the quarterback position.

As the offseason turns into the preseason for UCLA, the quarterback competition will begin to heat up, and front-runners for the job will emerge.

For newly hired Tino Sunseri, his abilities as both a quarterback coach and offensive coordinator will be tested as he and the coaching staff separate the wheat from the chaff in the UCLA quarterback room.

UCLA football hires former Fresno State defensive line coach

The Bruins add another coach to their defensive staff.

The UCLA Bruins relied heavily on their defense throughout their first season in the Big Ten under head coach DeShaun Foster in 2024. This week, UCLA football added to its defensive coaching staff, welcoming a familiar face and hiring defensive line coach Jethro Franklin the team announced.

Franklin boasts a 33-year coaching career in the NCAA and making NFL stops with the Green Bay Packers, Las Vegas Raiders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Seattle Seahawks.

The veteran defensive coach Franklin coached the Bruins in 1999 as the assistant defensive line coach and, over the last three seasons, headed the Fresno State Bulldogs defensive front.

When the Bruins met the Bulldogs in their regular-season finale, Franklin’s defensive line held the Bruins to 74 yards on 32 carries on the ground. Moreover, Franklin led the 50th-best defense against the run in all of college football, allowing only 3.82 yards per attempt.

Before Franklin’s hiring, the Bruins’ coaching staff consisted of young, up-and-coming coaches. With the hiring of Franklin, the Bruins added a veteran leader to the locker room and coaching staff, something that should serve the budding Big Ten program well in 2025.

UCLA football fifth in Big Ten transfer portal rankings

The Bruins receive high praise in the transfer portal.

The college football offseason has only just begun for UCLA, but the Bruins are already making moves for 2025.

After a 5-7 season under first-year head coach DeShaun Foster, the Bruins’ biggest weakness was their roster, as it lacked high-end talent in the Big Ten.

That said, the Bruins are already working on improving their roster in the transfer portal.

According to the 247 Sports ranking, UCLA sits fifth behind only Wisconsin, Nebraska, Oregon, and Minnesota. Given the noticeable talent disparity between the Bruins and their Big Ten counterparts, UCLA’s rank is significant.

With 18 transfers, 16 of which are three-star players, the Bruins are building their program from the middle. Filling out their roster with solid players through the transfer portal, UCLA is laying a solid foundation for success.

With the addition of new offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri and passing game coordinator Demetrice Martin, the Bruins are making conscious efforts to improve their program ahead of their second season in the Big Ten.

If their stock continues to rise in the transfer portal rankings, the UCLA Bruins of 2025 could be unrecognizable for all the right reasons next season.