UCLA Brings In Boston College Transfer Tight End

The UCLA Bruins have brought in a young hometown talent by way of the transfer portal, landing Boston College transfer tight end Stevie Amar Jr.

Amar, a 6-foot-2, 228-pound tight end, will be returning to his home state of California, as he originally hails from Oxford, California. He was considered a top-60 tight end in the country in his high school class, and ended up at Boston College before the 2025 season.

chesne — Dec 20, 2025; Eugene, OR, USA; James Madison Dukes head coach Bob Chesney and Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning greet one another after the game at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Amar didn’t receive any actual in-game reps on offense, and only appeared in three games in the 2025 season, all on special teams, as he redshirted his freshman season. Now, he’ll join newly hired head coach Bob Chesney’s program at UCLA in hopes of a larger opportunity.

In his junior, and senior seasons of high school, Amar accumulated almost 1,000 yards through the air with 14 touchdowns on 81 catches. He is the second tight end to be acquired by UCLA via the transfer portal, joining James Madison transfer Josh Phifer.

Sep 21, 2024; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; James Madison Dukes tight end Taylor Thompson (17) reacts with tight end Josh Phifer (89) after scoring a touchdown in the second quarter at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Amar figures to earn some playing time as a receiving tight end next to starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who has already made clear of his plans to return to UCLA for the 2026 season. Those two, along with Chesney, will try to turnaround what was a pitiful offense for the Bruins during their forgettable 3-9 season.

While Chesney, and the other coaches he’s brought on to his staff, represent the biggest change for UCLA this offseason, their roster is also experiencing serious turnover. So far, the Bruins have brought in 24 incoming transfers, with some of the more notable acquisitions being James Madison transfer running back Wayne Knight, San Jose State transfer wide receiver Leland Smith, and Michigan transfer Semaj Morgan, California transfer edge Ryan McCullough, and defensive lineman Amier Washington from Texas Tech, among others.

Dec 20, 2025; Eugene, OR, USA; James Madison Dukes head coach Bob Chesney looks on during the second quarter against the Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

They’ll have to make up for the loss of 22 outgoing transfers from last season's team. Some of their key losses include wide receiver Kwazi Gilmer, linebacker Isaiah Chisom, backup quarterback Henry Hasselbeck, linebacker Ben Perry, defensive lineman Siale Taupaki, and edge Anthony Jones.

After a disappointing first two seasons in the Big Ten conference, the Bruins will look to have an impactful offseason in which they bring in plenty of high-caliber transfers along with their freshman recruits.

With Chesney now at the helm, he’ll look to spearhead a turnaround of UCLA’s program similar to his rapid rise with James Madison, making it all the more important that UCLA takes the right steps towards contention in 2026.

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