UCLA Bruins football transfer portal

UCLA football a finalist for Arkansas defensive lineman transfer

Another player eyeing UCLA.

The UCLA Bruins have been named a finalist for former 3-star defensive lineman Nico Davillier after the junior entering the transfer portal earlier this month after three seasons with Arkansas.

“Arkansas defensive lineman Nico Davillier is down to a top two of Texas A&M and UCLA, his @callmeagentdwil and @FCProspects_ tell @On3sports.” reported On3Sports’ Pete Nakos on Monday.

In ten games played, six of which he started, this year Davillier had one sack and made 23 total tackles. Davillier has only two career sacks with the Razorbacks and recorded five tackles for losses but now the Arkansas native will end up either a Bruin or an Aggie.

247Sports has Davillier as the 141st ranked transfer in the portal and could potentially join the UCLA defensive lineman room in 2025. The Bruins had the No. 72 ranked scoring defense this year, allowing 25.25 points per game. UCLA was also tied for 76th in sacks per game so any juice added by the 6’4” 271 lbs Davillier would go a long ways for the middling Bruins pass rush.

Chris Hummer of 247Sports reported last week that Davillier was going to visit UCLA late last week. It’s aslo been reported that Texas A&M will be hosting Davillier for a visit this week.

UCLA defensive lineman Collins Acheampong hits transfer portal

Another portal loss for UCLA.

The transfer portal news carried through into Westwood on Monday with redshirt freshman Collins Acheampong announcing on Twitter that he’s entering the transfer portal.

“After careful consideration, I have decided to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal with 4 years of eligibility remaining,” Acheampong said. “This decision is about pursuing the opportunity to play the sport I love and showcase my abilities on the football field.”

The four-star defensive lineman recruit came to UCLA after spending a season with Miami (Florida) where he didn’t see any game action. It was the same story this year with the Bruins, as Acheampong couldn’t make his way onto the field.

It’ll be the second straight offseason in the transfer portal for Acheampong after transferring into UCLA, as the Ghana native will look for an opportunity to get onto the field this time around.

“I want to thank God for His guidance and express my gratitude to my head Coach, strength coaches, teammates, and fans for their unwavering support.” Acheampong added in the tweet. “Thank you, UCLA, for the memories. I’m excited for what lies ahead.”

While Acheampong hasn’t seen action on the field, at 6’7” and 270 lbs he has the measurables that will be desirable to other schools.

UCLA running back TJ Harden enters transfer portal

A big loss for UCLA.

Los Angeles native TJ Harden entered the transfer portal on Monday after leading the Bruins with 505 rushing yards this season.

Harden joined UCLA back in 2022 as a three-star recruit and appeared in 31 games as a Bruin over the past three seasons accumulating 1,658 rushing yards and over 500 more yards through the air. Harden frequented the end zone with the Bruins’, scoring 14 touchdowns including nine in 2023 alone.

His numbers this year took a bit of a step back from a stellar 2023 campaign under Chip Kelly, Harden averaged only 4.1 yards per rush this season, down from 5.3 in 2023 where he finished with 827 rushing yards. At 6’2” 240 lbs, Harden was a physical runner which is why Harden was first or second the past three seasons in rushing yards for UCLA running backs.

Harden now might be looking at playing football somewhere other than Southern California for the first time, after playing his high school ball at Inglewood High School. Fellow Bruins’ running back Keegan Jones is graduating, making Harden’s transfer an even stronger blow to the Bruins’ running back depth.

UCLA lands Iowa State OL in transfer portal move

Another addition for UCLA.

The UCLA Bruins football program continues to work hard in the transfer portal. In just a matter of months, DeShaun Foster and his staff have added a number of players in the portal.

Now, they have added another with Iowa State offensive lineman Oluwafunto Akinshilo coming to Westwood, via David Woods of Bruin Report.

The UCLA football account posted a photo of some players moving into Westwood to begin the new chapter.

He played at Leuzinger High School in California and is now coming back to the state after spending time with the Cyclones.

Alana Makihele, another transfer addition for UCLA, is expected to start, which means Akinshilo will likely start the year as the backup.

He has two years of eligibility remaining and could find some solid rotation time on the offensive line as well as a more than capable injury replacement.