UCLA Football 2025 Depth Chart Roundup: Wide Receivers, Part 3

As UCLA's first practices loom ahead of the 2025 season, DeShaun Foster has cultivated a roster through recruiting and the transfer portal, ready to improve on last season.

Finishing their first season in the Big Ten with a 5-7 record, it's only up from here for the Bruins. With that being said, let's dive into UCLA's projected depth chart this upcoming season and how analysts view they'll impact UCLA. Up next, the players projected by Bruin Report Online's Tracy Pierson to be UCLA's slot receivers.

Mikey Matthews, Transfer Junior

Matthews comes to the Bruins by way of Cal, along with running back Jaivian Thomas, and is projected to be one of Nico Iamaleava's most targeted receivers this upcoming season. The dynamic slot finished last season with 32 receptions for 272 yards and one touchdown.

"UCLA has some obvious ties with Matthews, given he's from Southern California originally and he played for Toler last season. With UCLA losing Logan Loya and J.Michael Sturdivant to the portal, they are in need of some more experienced pass catchers and Matthews has played at both his previous stops of Utah and Cal with 60 career catches. We anticipate that Matthews will play in the slot and, given Rico Flores' injury, he likely projects as the starter there. We'd also anticipate that Matthews will immediately step in as UCLA's new punt returner in the absence of Loya, and he should be fine there -- probably pretty similar to Loya." --Bruin Report Online Staff

Rico Flores Jr., Junior

Flores is returning for his junior year in Westwood, and he played in the first four games of the 2024 season before sitting out the rest of the year due to injury. Still, he had 12 receptions for 187 yards and a touchdown. Beating out Matthews as the primary slot receiver is unlikely, but Flores is poised for a good season.

"Flores seemed to be the most agile, as he was occasionally sprinting, but in short bursts. Another encouraging aspect of their training came towards the end of the media viewing session as they were seen way off to the side and doing standing jumps onto a box that was about three feet off the ground. Flores had no problem jumping onto the box from the standing position." -- Mike Regalado, Bruin Report Online

Karson Gordon, Redshirt Freshman

Gordon is reportedly injured ahead of the season, or at least he seemed to be at spring practices. The wide receiver/quarterback is still a raw talent, but Bruins fans may have to wait a while actually to see him play. He came to the Bruins as a quarterback last season and made the full transition to receiver this offseason.

"Karson Gordon is a bit of a wildcard, now that he's more fully ensconced as a receiver. Last spring, he was still with the quarterbacks, and didn't make the transition over to receiver until the season started. He'd be an option at slot, but we want to get a good look at his hands." -- David Woods, Bruin Report Online

Shane Rosenthal, Freshman

Rosenthal is part of UCLA's 2025 recruiting class and is coming in as a three-star and 61st-ranked prospect out of California. He'll likely redshirt entering this stacked position group.

"Rosenthal is entering a stacked UCLA receiver room in 2025, so it would make a lot of sense for this to be a redshirt year for him. Right now, we have him slotted fourth on the slot receiver depth chart behind Mikey Matthews, Rico Flores, and Karson Gordon. A year from now, we can see Rosenthal working his way into the rotation, and then by his third year in the program, he should have a chance to compete to start in the slot. He may have some versatility to play outside as well, but given his size, we see him mostly as a slot at UCLA. With his quickness and hands, perhaps he could also eventually impact the depth chart at punt returner (again, sort of like Logan Loya)." -- Bruin Report Online Staff

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