Four-star QB tries on Eric Bieniemy’s Super Bowl ring during visit

Eric Bieniemy left Will Griffin impressed during his visit.

Four-star quarterback Will Griffin made his visit to Westwood over the weekend and, in some ways, got to feel what it is like to be a champion.

In a photo posted on his X account, Griffin is seen wearing one of Bruins offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy’s two Super Bowl rings. Bieniemy served as the offensive coordinator for two of the Chiefs three Super Bowl wins during the Patrick Mahomes era. 

Many believed Bieniemy returning to UCLA would bring some “star power” back to Westwood, and allowing a highly-rated prospective quarterback to try on his ring is proving it. 

Griffin, a projected top-five quarterback in the 2026 recruiting class, should have plenty of bidders prior to his commitment. Based on his post, it looks as though his visit to UCLA went well. 

Much can change before Griffin makes his decision, but the Bruins pulled out all the stops for his visit.

With an opportunity to potentially play for a coordinator who coached Patrick Mahomes, UCLA is an enticing destination. Bruins fans should hope that the visit and Bieniemy’s coaching resume help sway Griffin’s decision before his officially commits.

Spring football dates announced for UCLA Bruins

Spring dates announced!

As the UCLA Bruins basketball season comes to a close, the football season is just getting underway.

On Thursday, the UCLA Bruins football X page posted the dates for spring football. From April 2nd to May 2nd, the Bruins will have 14 dates open to the public to watch the Bruins practice and play.

Two dates, in particular, are starred for specific events. On April 19th, the Bruins hold their “Friday Night Lights” day, and on April 27th, the Bruins host their “Spring Showcase.”

The practices will be the first opportunity for fans to get a good look at the DeShaun Foster era in Westwood and some familiar and unfamiliar faces in the true blue uniforms.

There is a lot to like about the Bruins going into 2024. Though Chip Kelly’s tenure was unsuccessful, the Bruins have been making progress in the recruiting game. With players eager and excited to commit to UCLA, in part due to new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, the lead-up to the Bruins’ first season in the BIG 10 has been a pleasant surprise.

Will it amount to a change in the wins and losses collum? That remains to be seen. But for fans of the Bruins, April 2nd will be their first opportunity to see what changes have been made to the program in Westwood.

UCLA wide receiver Kyle Ford enters transfer portal

Kyle Ford in the portal.

A Bruin is on the move.

Senior wide receiver Kyle Ford has entered the transfer portal. Ford, who only appeared in 12 games, is looking to find a new home. Joining the team in 2023 as a transfer from rival USC, Ford is transferring yet again.

A rather underwhelming output for the Bruins, the 6′ 3″ wideout only accumulated 236 yards on 22 catches and one touchdown. Opting for a graduate season, Ford hopes to find a place where he can showcase his skills better. Where Ford lands remains unknown.

Though losing any player to the transfer portal is difficult, Ford only started two games against Costal Carolina and USC last season, making him more expendable to the Bruins than some of their other receivers.

The Bruins still have a rather robust receiver room. Losing Ford means losing veteran leadership in the locker room but also an ability to let younger players shine.

With DeShaun Foster and Eric Bieniemy heading the offense now in Westwood, the Bruins are banking on finding some hidden gems on the depth chart to make a big impact in 2024 and put some points on the board in the BIG 10.

UCLA parts ways with OL coach Tim Drevno, hires Juan Castillo

The Bruins have made some changes at the offensive line coaching position.

The UCLA Bruins football program continues to shake up its coaching staff. After Eric Bieniemy was named the associate head coach and offensive coordinator, the Bruins have now parted ways with offensive line coach Tim Drevno despite him having two years left on his contract.

The Bruins are now set to name Juan Castillo as the new OL coach, per Bruce Feldman of The Athletic. 

Castillo spent 13 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL and spent the last two seasons with the Washington Commanders and Bieniemy. Castillo was the run game coordinator in 2023 and tight ends coach in 2022.

The veteran coach also spent time with the Michigan Wolverines as an offensive analyst, his only year not in the NFL since 1995.

The Bruins have now hired another coach with loads of NFL experience as first-year head coach DeShaun Foster tries to bring the program back.

UCLA Bruins set date for Spring Game at the Rose Bowl

Circle your calendars.

The UCLA Bruins football team has seen a lot of changes since their 35-22 victory in the LA Bowl over Boise State.

Following the departure of head coach Chip Kelly to the hires of new head coach DeShaun Foster and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy and a flurry of transfers, eager fans await the final product of their busy off-season. Thankfully, the Bruins set their date for the Spring Game.

On April 27th, at 2:00 p.m., fans can get a glimpse of the new regime in action. Returning to the Rose Bowl for spring action, the Bruins will showcase some old and familiar faces in the program and unveil the new direction for the team.

Foster also made this announcement during the UCLA-USC basketball game. 

It is a new day in Westwood for UCLA. Though the road to the 2024 season has featured some bumps along the way, the Bruins have a new-found energy about them.

With players and coaches excited about the season and eager to get underway in the BIG 10, UCLA looks to be trending in the right direction.

Will it reflect the wins and losses column? Likely, no, but things continue to look up for the Bruins in 2024.

UCLA offers four-star offensive tackle Lamont Rogers

Another offer from the UCLA football program.

The UCLA Bruins continued their search for their future roster on Wednesday, extending an offer to a four-star offensive tackle.

Standing at 6′ 7″ and 300 lb, Lamont Rogers is a massive offensive line prospect. Already playing at the prototypical college size, the offensive tackle Rogers is drawing attention from schools all over the country.

With offers from Alabama, Texas A&M, Auburn, and rival USC, Rogers’ size and ability make him a turnkey player to compete at the NCAA level.

A two-sport athlete, playing both football and basketball, Rogers blends brute strength and athleticism for the Horn High School in Mesquite, Texas. That athleticism allows Rogers to get to the second level, take on linebackers, and pave the way for his tailback in the running game.

With the running game being the centerpiece for the Bruins offense in 2023 and having two former running backs in coaches, DeShaun Foster and Eric Bieniemy, continuing to pound the rock is likely here to stay for the Bruins.

Adding a tough, block-finishing tackle like Rogers to the roster could be the perfect addition for the Bruins in the future.

Eric Bieniemy-D’Anton Lynn matchup has interesting NFL twist

Lynn and Bieniemy know each other from the NFL coaching days.

The UCLA Bruins hired Eric Bieniemy as the new offensive coordinator. D’Anton Lynn left UCLA to become the new defensive coordinator with the USC Trojans.

The Lynn-Bieniemy showdown will be an interesting battle to watch with both guys having NFL experience and being one of the best in their respective roles.

Oddly enough, both Lynn and Bieniemy were on opposite sides of a crucial playoff game a couple of years ago, as Matt Zemek of Trojans Wire notes:

One specific reason this coaching matchup could really pop — spicing up the USC-UCLA football rivalry — is that Bieniemy and Lynn stand on different sides of the game which decided the AFC championship this past NFL season.

Bieniemy coming from the Andy Reid head coaching system with the Kansas City Chiefs, and Lynn coming from the Baltimore Ravens, creates an extension of the Chiefs-Ravens clash of contrasts in the NFL. The Chiefs have set the standard for offensive creativity in pro football, while the Ravens have become the hot defensive model for how to stop elite offenses in football. Michigan’s national championship team in 2023 used plenty of Ravens-centric concepts.

The ties between the Los Angeles coordinators just continues to grow.

Eric Bieniemy play sheet will be studied by D’Anton Lynn at USC

Look at Eric Bieniemy’s play design and structure. D’Anton Lynn has a new homework assignment at USC.

Eric Bieniemy is UCLA’s new offensive coordinator, as UCLA Wire has noted. USC defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn will need to study Bieniemy when the Trojans meet UCLA late this season. It’s going to be a fun meeting of the minds in Los Angeles and the Big Ten.

Bieniemy wrote about his decision, as reprinted by UCLA Wire and as told to ESPN’s Pete Thamel and Adam Schefter:

“Southern California. I attended high school there. I started my career in the league here [with the Chargers]. It’s obviously great to be back with the Bruins, where I was previously employed.”

Now that Bieniemy is in Los Angeles with the Bruins, what should D’Anton Lynn and USC look for when studying this offense? Let’s go to Bieniemy’s play sheet for a few examples:

Eric Bieniemy versus D’Anton Lynn in UCLA-USC football: let the chess match begin!

Bieniemy versus Lynn is a five-star coordinator clash in Los Angeles.

D’Anton Lynn knows his opponent in this year’s USC-UCLA football game. Eric Bieniemy was hired by UCLA football as its new offensive coordinator.

UCLA Wire wrote:

The UCLA Bruins search for an offensive coordinator is over. Shortly after Eric Bieniemy’s name began to gain steam, a report came out that he was finalizing a two-year deal with UCLA, per Adam Schefter of Pete Thamel of ESPN.

(snip)

Bieniemy is headed to UCLA as associate head coach and offensive coordinator as new head coach DeShaun Foster gets a veteran presence on the sidelines.

This move by DeShaun Foster puts Bieniemy up against new USC defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn, who was UCLA’s defensive coordinator last season. Let’s take an early look at this matchup.

Eric Bieniemy hired across town as UCLA football offensive coordinator

This caught a lot of people by surprise.

Eric Bieniemy left his offensive coordinator position with the Washington Commanders to become the associate head coach and offensive coordinator for the UCLA Bruins under new head coach DeShaun Foster.

Bieniemy explained his decision to step away from the NFL in an e-mail shared by ESPN: “I have had countless conversations and interviews with many teams, and I have been applauded and lauded.  I can’t say why certain decisions were or were not made but it had nothing to [do] with a lack of anything on my end.

“My self-dignity, worth, integrity, personhood, manhood will never be questioned or compromised. It is not always about money, either. With everything in life, it is often all about timing. At this time in my life, the opportunity affords me the pleasure of continuing to be a maker and leader of men, to do what I love, follow my passion and my dreams while not compromising on who I am as a man.”

Before becoming the associate head coach and offensive coordinator for the Commanders, Bieniemy had been working under Andy Reid in Kansas City since 2013, starting as the running backs coach and being promoted to offensive coordinator with the Chiefs in 2018. Despite frequent mentions for head coaching positions in the NFL, Bieniemy has yet to secure one.

Bieniemy’s college coaching career began at his alma mater, the University of Colorado. From 1987-1990, he was a standout running back for the Buffaloes, helping them win the national championship in 1990. After playing nine years in the NFL with the Chargers, Bengals, and Eagles, he returned to Colorado as the running backs coach in 2001. He then joined Karl Dorrell’s staff at UCLA from 2003-2005 as the running backs coach, where he developed running back Maurice Jones-Drew. After testing the NFL coaching waters as the running back coach/assistant head coach, Bieniemy returned to Colorado for his first offensive coordinator position from 2011-2012.

On February 12, the Bruins announced DeShaun Foster as their new head coach. UCLA officials believe that Foster will bring energy to recruiting and the program. They might be trying to steal some of the energy the Trojans have been receiving across town when they hired away the Bruins’ 2023 defensive coordinator, D’Anton Lynn.

Bieniemy, who has been passed up for many head coaching positions in the NFL, emphasized in an email that his goal is to assist Foster in being a successful head coach. This move to UCLA could be the next step for Bieniemy to become a college head coach in the near future.

UCLA Wire has more coverage of Eric Bieniemy.

Visit our friends at Fighting Irish Wire, Buffaloes Wire, and Ducks Wire. Follow our newest sites, UW Huskies Wire and UCLA Wire.