BREAKING: Key UCLA Transfer Suffers Camp Injury

The Bruins' transfer safety became a key figure on defense before suffering a leg injury Saturday.

Sep 3, 2017; Pasadena, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins defensive back Adarius Pickett (6) wears Hurricane Harvey sticker on helmet during a NCAA football game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Rose Bowl. The sticker features the state of Texas inside the symbol for a hurricane and a heart over where Houston is located on the state map. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

UCLA transfer safety Key Lawrence suffered an apparent right leg injury at the Bruins' fall camp in Costa Mesa on Saturday, according to Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times.

Bolch noted that Lawrence had to be helped off the field and to the trainers area to be looked at further. The season is still just a few weeks away, but Lawrence has emerged as one of UCLA's most important figures defensively.

UCLA safety Key Lawrence went down with an apparent right leg injury and had to be helped to the trainers’ area.

— Ben Bolch (@latbbolch) August 9, 2025

Lawrence Turning Heads as Leader Early in Camp

Bruins defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe had high praise for the redshirt senior transfer in his media availability on Wednesday.

"In the secondary, Key Lawrence is doing a great job," Malloe said. "His leadership skills are stepping up and you can see it carry over to the field, as well as off the field. In the meeting rooms, he's taking a leadership role there, and [players] are holding separate meetings by themselves. They're really taking the initiative to grasp this scheme."

UCLA was one of the many football programs to undergo massive roster shakeup through the transfer portal over the offseason.

Sep 23, 2023; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Oklahoma Sooners defensive back Key Lawrence (12) reacts after intercepting the ball during the first half against the Cincinnati Bearcats at Nippert Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

While the main goal is to bring in talent that improves team, the turnover and plethora of new faces could be difficult to navigate entering the season. In comes Lawrence, who immediately stepped into a leadership role among UCLA's secondary to be the conduit between new faces and new culture.

"That just comes with a lot of years under my belt, honestly," Lawrence said during fall camp on being a leader. "The people that we brought together, the knowledge that Coach Meat [Demetrice Martin] has, and the knowledge that coach Gabe Lynn has.

"It's a lot of things coming together and it's like Floyd Mayweather, he takes a lot from different people and they just mesh it all into one and make one masterpiece. And that's what we're trying to do right now."

Sure, he's a new face, but how did Lawrence go about becoming a leader in a packed secondary position group?

"Day by day," he said. "A wise man learns from other. One day, I might learn from a freshman, one day they pour into me and I might teach them something else. It doesn't matter. We're just all here trying to grind."

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