Tag: Tino Sunseri

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 lands App State wide reciever in transfer portal

The Bruins added more talent through the transfer portal this week.

The UCLA Bruins’ roster for the 2025 season is starting to take shape. UCLA football picked up another commitment this week. First, they added former Utah running back Anthony Woods. Then the Bruins notched another pickup. They secured the commitment of former Appalachian State wide receiver Kaedin Robinson. Making his announcement on X, Robinson is the second big transfer commitment for the Bruins in two weeks.

Robinson offers a deep-threat option to the Bruins’ passing game for 2025, something they dearly lacked during their first season in the Big Ten. At 6′ 2″ and 205 pounds, Robinson can stretch the field and climb the ladder on jump balls.

Despite having a down season statistically with the Mountaineers in 2024, Robinson’s 2,194 yards and 15 touchdowns speak for themselves. A productive wide receiver who averaged north of 15 yards per reception, Robinson should continue his success with the Bruins.

Though the roster on offense still has a long way to go, offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri is slowly but surely accumulating talent as the Bruins look to make a big jump in the Big Ten standings 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 adds Utah running back in transfer portal

The Bruins secured a massive commitment from a good running back at a quality program.

The UCLA Bruins added an impact player to their offense this week in the transfer portal. After averaging a Big Ten-worst 86.6 yards per game on the ground in 2024, UCLA football secured the commitment of former Utah Utes and Idaho Vandals running back Anthony Woods.

Announcing his commitment on X, the rising senior finished the 2024 season at Utah with 1,223 total yards and 17 total touchdowns. Woods averaged 5.5 yards per game in the Big 12 and breathes life into the struggling UCLA running backs room.

Woods projects to be an immediate day-one starter for the Bruins in 2025 and a pivotal piece to new offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri’s offense.

At Indiana, Sunseri’s offense rushed for 2,146 yards and 37 touchdowns in the Big Ten. Now, the Bruins have a bell cow back they can depend on as Woods returns to his home state of California.

With the quarterback position lacking experience entering 2025, UCLA’s addition of Woods will add a much-needed level of experience and production to the Bruins’ offense going forward.

UCLA football offers Appalachian State wide receiver

The Bruins extended an offer to another wideout.

Since the end of their first season in the Big Ten, the UCLA Bruins’ roster has already seen a lot of turnover. Losing both players to the NFL Draft and the transfer portal, the Bruins are shaping up to be a very different team in 2025.

This week, the Bruins extended a scholarship offer to a standout wide receiver from an under-the-radar program.

Appalachian State wide receiver Kaedin Robinson entered the transfer portal this offseason and has garnered considerable attention across the football landscape.

At App State, Robinson totaled 2,164 yards and 14 touchdowns with the Mountaineers. In 2024, Robinson averaged a career-best 15.8 yards per catch and over 800 yards and earned All-Sun Belt honors in 2023.

UCLA’s offense struggled to move the ball through the air during the 2024 season, lacking a star wide receiver. While Robinson has spent most of his career in the Sun Belt Conference, his consistency and ability to move the chains makes him an intriguing prospect for the Bruins in the Big Ten.

Looking to inject life into their offense under new offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri, Robinson is a player to monitor as the Bruins reset for 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.

Washington State running back to visit UCLA, USC, and Utah

The Bruins pick up a visit from a talented tailback.

The UCLA Bruins lost running back T.J. Harden to the transfer portal this week but already have their sights set on their next potential tailback.

Washington State freshman Wayshawn Parker entered the transfer portal this week after a breakout season with the Cougars. Parker rushed for 735 yards and four touchdowns in 2024, averaging an impressive 5.4 yards per carry.

According to Pete Nakos of On3 (subscription required), the former Washington State tailback is set to visit UCLA, USC, and Utah.

In 2024, the Bruins averaged a Big Ten-worst 86.6 yards per game behind a questionable offensive line. With lots of room for improvement and a wide-open depth chart, UCLA offers a lot of playing potential for a running back like Parker.

Under new offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri, who helped the Indiana Hoosiers rush for over 2,000 yards and a whopping 37 rushing touchdowns this season, the Bruins should see a massive improvement in the running game, with Parker potentially playing a big role if he transfers to Westwood.

UCLA football nabs four-star quarterback after new coorindator hire

The Bruins added a new quarterback for 2025.

It has been a whirlwind week for the UCLA Bruins football team. After closing their season with a win over Fresno State, the Bruins fired offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy and hired former Indiana co-offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri.

In the fallout of Bieniemy’s firing, UCLA lost the commitment of four-star quarterback Madden Iamaleava. Bolting for Arkansas, Iamaleava seemed to leave a significant hole in the Bruins 2025 recruiting class.

That said, the Bruins added a four-star quarterback from the class of 2025 on Thursday. According to Pete Thamel of ESPN, the Bruins picked up the commitment of Robert McDaniel, a four-star recruit from Hughson, California. McDaniel ranks 31st among quarterbacks in the nation and chose UCLA over Arizona, citing his relationship with Sunseri.

Given Sunseri and McDaniel’s relationship, Bruins fans have good reason to be optimistic going into 2025. With an established connection, Sunseri and McDaniel should work well together in the future as the Bruins look to rebuild their roster following their first season in the Big Ten.

Who is UCLA football’s new offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri?

Getting to know UCLA’s latest offensive coordinator.

The UCLA Bruins made two massive decisions today, firing offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy and hiring former Indiana coordinator Tino Sunseri.

Sunseri spent the 2024 college football season as the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in Bloomington, helping the Hoosiers to an 11-1 record in the Big Ten and, for now, a spot in the College Football Playoff. The Bruins’ newest offensive coordinator, Sunseri, also boasts an impressive resume and football background.

Sunseri was a three-year starting quarterback at the University of Pittsburgh and enjoyed a short stint with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Canadien Football League, winning a Grey Cup in 2013. 

After his playing career, Sunseri spent time at Florida State, Tennessee, and Alabama. As a graduate assistant with the Crimson Tide, Sunseri worked closely with future first-round quarterbacks Tua Tagovailoa and Mac Jones and won a College Football Championship in 2020. Sunseri later became the quarterbacks coach for James Madison before moving on to Indiana.

But Sunseri’s football life does not end there, as he is the son of four-time National Champion and current Colorado defensive tackles coach Sal Sunseri and the brother of Washington safeties coach Vinne Sunseri.

Sunseri has spent his entire life in and around football and finally gets to take the reins of an offense all by himself in Westwood. Though there may still be growing pains for the 35-year-old coordinator, the Bruins offense should improve in 2025 despite some surprising moves along the roster.

UCLA hires Indiana quartbacks coach as new offensive coordinator

The Bruins have found their next offensive coordinator.

The UCLA Bruins football season may have only ended last Saturday, but there have already been some significant coaching staff changes.

After an alleged “mutual parting” between UCLA and former offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, the Bruins have already found their replacement.

According to Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times, the Bruins hired Tino Sunseri, the former co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Indiana Hoosiers. At Indiana, Sunseri helped lead one of the most prolific offenses in the Big Ten, ranking fourth in total offense and averaging 438.8 yards per game during the regular season.

Sunseri notably gashed the stout Bruins defense in Week 3 of the 2024 season, scoring 42 points and generating over 400 yards of total offense in the blowout win. On the other hand, against Indiana, Bieniemy’s offense only garnered a mere 238 yards and 13 points.

Though the circumstances of Bieniemy’s firing may raise some eyebrows, the Bruins welcome a young coordinator with higher upside and better Big Ten production.

With the Bruins ranking dead last in rushing in the Big Ten, Sunseri offers a fresh face and some notable changes to UCLA’s underwhelming offense.