Tag: Duke Clemens

Pair of former UCLA stars meet up at Giants-Lions joint practice

A UCLA meetup in the NFL offseason.

A pair of former UCLA Bruins football players met up on Tuesday following the joint practice between their teams. Duke Clemens, former UCLA Bruins center, and Darius Muasau, former linebacker took time for a picture following the practice between the Detroit Lions and New York Giants.

Clemens got invited to the Hula Bowl a season ago. The 6’4 center is with Detroit who will be led by Penei Sewell and Frank Ragnow. Clemens hopes to get great learning experiences from both. At UCLA, he started every game in 2023.

Mausau was drafted this spring by the New York Giants and hopes to have an immediate impact, despite being a sixth-round pick. The 23-year-old played at Hawaii from 2019-2021 then came over to UCLA. He was a second-team All-Pac 12 player in 2023.

NFL Preseason Week 1 will begin this week, with the Lions and Giants playing each other on Thursday, August 8th. The Lions start their regular season on September 8th against the Rams. The Giants take on Minnesota to open their season.

Former Bruins lineman Duke Clemens signs with Detroit Lions

Duke to Detroit.

After going undrafted in the 2024 NFL Draft, another UCLA Bruin managed to find a home in the league. Duke Clemens, the Bruins redshirt senior center, has signed with the Detroit Lions. 

Anchoring the Bruins’ offensive line, which had six games of 200 yards or more, the 6′ 4″ Clemens paved the way for UCLA’s potent running game. 

Now on the Lions, Clemens joins a Detroit offensive line led by left tackle Penei Sewell and center Frank Ragnow. Though Clemens started all his games at center in 2023, his frame offers an ability to play both guard and center. That positional versatility alone could help him find a spot on the Lions roster or the roster of another team. 

Depth is a need for all teams in the NFL. Given Clemens’ experience at UCLA and his ability to play at a high level in a productive running game, the Lions could be the perfect place for him to slot in and provide depth for.