Tag: UCLA Bruins football

UCLA long snapper enters transfer portal after being cut

Ryan Wilkins is in the portal.

Since the hiring of DeShaun Foster, little has changed on the Bruins roster in 2024. That said, last week, a casualty of the coaching change came to light.

Former Elon University long snapper Ryan Wilkins, who announced his transfer commitment to UCLA in January, was told earlier this month that he no longer will be on the team. Transferring when Chip Kelly was still the head coach, Wilkins was the number one long snapper on the depth chart going into spring practice.

In his post on X, he announced that after a phone call with the coaching staff, he is no longer a member of the team.

An unfortunate byproduct of the coaching change, Wilkins entered the transfer portal again to play out his final season of eligibility.

With long snapper being a specialized position, Wilkins will find a home in the NCAA, but his story is a reminder that even as a starter at the college level, nothing is guaranteed.

TCU DL Damonic Williams heard from UCLA, not visiting Bruins just yet

Damonic Williams not on UCLA’s visit list.

The UCLA Bruins football program continues to reach out to players in the transfer portal. The latest one is TCU DL Damonic Williams, one of the bigger names in the portal.

The Bruins are one of a handful of teams to reach out to him, per Hayes Fawcett of On3. Here are some of the schools Williams heard from immediately after entering the transfer portal: Oklahoma, Colorado, Missouri, LSU, Georgia, Oregon, Texas, Auburn, UCLA, Texas A&M, SMU, and Kansas State.

However, the unfortunate news for now is that Williams does not have a visit lined up, per a report also from Fawcett. Williams has visits scheduled with all of Oklahoma, Oregon, Missouri, Texas, Colorado, and SMU.

Williams was a key piece on the defensive line for TCU, totaling 60 tackles and 4.5 sacks during his time with the Horned Frogs. Adding Williams would help, especially with the loss of Jay Toia on Thursday as he entered the portal. 

But for now, he isn’t set to visit UCLA, although a lot can change.

UCLA an option for Louisville transfer Peny Boone

The Bruins are in on this talented RB transfer.

The UCLA Bruins football program suffered a tough blow by losing defensive star Jay Toia. But, DeShaun Foster is working hard at other positions of need, including running back.

The Bruins have now reached out to Louisville transfer Peny Boone, and he has heard from a lot of other schools.

Here are a list of the schools Boone has heard from, per Marshall Levenson of Rivals: Ole Miss, Washington, Tennessee, Miami, Oklahoma State, UCLA, Nebraska, UNC, Colorado, Georgia Tech, Wisconsin, Western Kentucky, Virginia Tech, Utah, Michigan State, Oregon State, Arizona, Kentucky, USF, and UCF.

Boone was the MAC Offensive Player of the Year at Toledo and ran for 1,400 yards and 15 scores. he then landed at Louisville initially in the portal before deciding to enter again in a bit of a surprising turn of events. Boone also was at Maryland previously.

Boone is slated to take a visit to Ole Miss and Washington already, but UClA showing interest in him shows their desire to add a running back. The Bruins also expressed interest in Ohio State RB transfer Dallan Hayden.

UCLA in running for Ohio State transfer running back

Dallan Hayden is on UCLA’s radar.

The UCLA Bruins football program is trying to make some additions via the Spring transfer portal window. After a series of injuries involving three players tearing their ACLs, DeShaun Foster could look to upgrade at a number of positions.

The Bruins have suddenly emerged as an option for Ohio State running back Dallan Hayden, per Steve Wiltfong of On3.

“One of the most talented players in the transfer portal, former Ohio State RB Dallan Hayden says “Colorado, UCLA, Louisville, Auburn, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech” are the programs he’s heard from so far.”

Hayden entered the portal as soon as the Spring window opened up and has been a hot commodity. His freshman season was certainly impressive as Hayden ran for 553 yards on 111 carries with five scores. In 2023, he had just 19 carries for 110 yards and a score.

With the Buckeyes landing Ole Miss star Quinshon Judkins in the portal, it makes sense for Hayden to explore other options.

And, the thought of a TJ Harden-Dallan Hayden RB room is quite something, especially with former UCLA and NFL RB DeShaun Foster running the show.

UCLA Bruins host class of 2028 edge defender Marcus Fakatou

The Bruins are hosting players at Spring practice.

The UCLA Bruins are doing their work to prepare for the future. In this case, far into the future. Last weekend, the Bruins hosted a class of 2028 recruit at their spring practice, Marcus Fakatou.

The Orange Lutheran product from Fontana, CA, who could graduate after the DeShaun Foster era, depending on his success, already has college-level size. At 6’7″ and 260 pounds, Fakatou is a massive player off the edge and has a chance to continue growing.

Though planning this far ahead could be potentially a fruitless endeavor, hosting Fakatou cements the fact that the UCLA Bruins are playing the long game in Westwood.

The Bruins have already offered players from the 2026 recruiting class and have made a good impression, it seems, on Fakatou. With his size and potential to play at the college level, Fakatou could be a hot commodity for recruiters down the line.

So, it remains to be seen whether the Bruins doing their due diligence pays off, but for now, it shows that they are all in on the future.

Laiatu Latu meets with Bills, Eagles ahead of NFL Draft

The meetings keep coming for Laiatu Latu ahead of the NFL Draft.

The buzz surrounding former Bruin Laiatu Latu continues to build. The edge rusher is a projected first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and has meetings scheduled with two NFL franchises.

Latu, who already met with the Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears, and Denver Broncos last week, now heads to the East Coast to visit the Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles.

Buffalo holds the #28 pick in the Draft, while the Eagles have the #22 pick. With several mock drafts having Latu falling as far as #23 overall, the Eagles have a better shot of landing Latu than the Bills. Unless Buffalo moves up, they would be hoping that a run on quarterbacks early allows the All-American to fall to them.

There is no doubt that Latu has the attention of several teams picking in the first round. With mock drafts showing Latu going as high as ninth overall, where Latu is selected continues to be a topic of conversation.

UCLA’s Laiatu Latu ranks 18th in USA TODAY Top 50 Draft prospects

Laiatu Latu is at No. 18.

There is a lot to love about the 2024 NFL Draft for Bruins fans. From darkhorse day three picks like Carson Steele and Darius Muasau to the Murphy twins, there is no shortage of exciting storylines.

But one former Bruin trumps them all: Laiatu Latu. The consensus first-round pick looks to be drafted early on day one. And according to USA TODAY’s Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, Latu is a top-20 player in the draft at #18. 

Middlehurst-Schwartz writes, “Equipped with a pass-rush arsenal far more varied and advanced than his peers, Latu sets himself apart as easily the most pro-ready edge defender in this class.”

Armed with prototypical pass-rusher size and a bevy of moves, Latu is clearly one of the best at his position in the draft. 

Though quarterbacks and skill position players garner more buzz, any team that selects Latu will have a blue chip player off the edge for their team for seasons to come. 

UCLA Bruins a finalist for four-star safety Jadyn Hudson

UCLA a finalist for a big 4-star safety.

The UCLA Bruins are in the mix to land a highly-recruited safety. According to Hayes Fawcett, the Bruins join Tennessee, Ohio State, and rival USC as potential fits for Jadyn Hudson. 

Hudson, a class of 2025 safety, garnered a lot of attention from Power Five schools this season. A consensus four-star recruit, Hudson declined offers to play for powerhouses like Georgia, Michigan, LSU, and Oklahoma. 

In what has been a busy offseason for the Bruins, taking big swings at top-tier talent, the Bruins hope the Pittsburgh-born defensive back will make Westwood his new home. 

The 6′ 2″, 185 lb free safety Hudson has a knack for tracking the ball, making him one of the best ballhawks in his class. With freaky closing speed, even over-throws and under-throws are within his grasp to pick off. As a result, it is no wonder why teams are looking to add the interception-making machine to their secondary. 

For the Bruins, Hudson should be a priority in the BIG 10, where defense is king to make them a contender for years to come. 

UCLA QB Collin Schlee heads for transfer portal

Collin Schlee is in the portal once again.

The UCLA Bruins football program is gearing up for its Spring Game later on in April.

With DeShaun Foster and the team undergoing spring practice, they saw a notable addition in the transfer portal. Quarterback Collin Schlee, who transferred to Westwood last season from Kent State, is now back in the portal, per Adam Rittenberg of ESPN.

Schlee spent three years at Kent State and played in 11 games in 2022, throwing for 2,109 yards with 13 touchdowns and five interceptions before leaving for LA.

In 2023, he was mostly used in a backup role and threw for just 217 yards with two touchdowns and a pair of interceptions. But, Schlee had 42 carries for 425 yards and three scores, being used in a rushing role quite often by Chip Kelly.

With Foster taking over as head coach and Ethan Garbers the run-away favorite for the QB1 job, Schlee will look elsewhere once again as he enters the portal for the second straight year.

Three-star offensive tackle sets date to visit UCLA

The visits keep on coming for UCLA.

The Bruins have saved the date for a visit with an offensive tackle whose stock is on the rise. Hoping to recruit more depth at tackle this offseason, the Bruins will meet with Demetri Manning. But they will not be the only school to do so.

In an article from national recruiting editor Brandon Huffman for 247 Sports (subscription required), the Bruins, Arkansas Razorbacks, and Miami Hurricanes have official visits lined up later this spring. The Bruins, who get the first visit with Huffman on May 17th, hope to lock in the 6′ 7″ tackle early. 

The Bellevue, Washington, product wowed at the National Combine in January, helping his stock rise. With great left tackle size, Manning can deliver punishing blocks at the line of scrimmage but could work on technique and awareness. Manning’s tape shows that he is an aggressive blocker who often takes himself out of plays to finish his blocks on the turf. 

With his senior season still to play, the Bruins hope he can clean up some of his over-aggressiveness and become the next great, polished offensive lineman in Westwood.