UCLA Lands Former Cal Poly QB in Transfer Portal

The UCLA Bruins have brought in an impactful piece by way of the transfer portal, bringing in Cal Poly transfer Ty Dieffenbach.

Dieffenbach, a redshirt sophomore, spent last season at Cal Poly after spending his first two seasons at Pitt. He redshirted his freshman season, and didn’t see any action as a redshirt freshman the following season.

In 2025, Dieffenbach completed 92 of his 162 pass attempts for 1,305 yards, with 9 passing touchdowns and 9 interceptions. He also added 321 rushing yards on 67 carries for 4 rushing touchdowns.

Dieffenbach is a big quarterback, standing at 6-foot-6, and weighing in at 220 pounds. His large frame makes him an interesting option looking ahead for Bob Chesney’s program. Chesney was previously the head coach at James Madison, where he led the Dukes to a 12-2 record, and a College Football Playoff appearance, but took the UCLA job last December. The Bruins will still have Nico Iamaleava for next season, but they’ve seen many players on offense opt to hit the transfer portal amidst the coaching change.

Dieffenbach will be part of a revamped offense under Chesney. Last season, the Bruins averaged less than 20 points per game, and were near the bottom of the Big Ten in multiple offensive categories. They’ll be looking to change that in 2026.

Sep 6, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Cal Poly Mustangs quarterback Ty Dieffenbach (7) prepares to pass the ball against the Utah Utes during the first quarter at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

In high school, Dieffenbach didn’t start playing quarterback until his sophomore season, originally starting out as a wide receiver. Over three seasons as a quarterback, Dieffenbach threw for 4,153 yards, and 48 touchdowns. In his junior year, he threw for 2,669 yards and 34 touchdowns on his way to being named all-state, all-county, and all-league in his region. He would finish his high school career as the #95 player in the state of California by ESPN.

Dieffenbach figures to be one of starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava’s backups for next season. He is now one of 28 incoming transfers for the Bruins after hiring Chesney before the offseason. They’ll have to make up for the loss of 22 outgoing transfers so far. Quarterbacks Henry Hasselbeck, and Luke Duncan are among those that have departed from UCLA.

Dec 9, 2025; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Bob Chesney is introduced as UCLA Bruins football coach at press conference at Renee Luskin Conference Center Centennial Ballroom. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Bruins will be looking to get back to their winning ways, as their first two seasons in the Big Ten haven’t gone according to plan. UCLA is just 8-16 combined over their two seasons in the Big Ten, and last season they were just 3-9 while firing former head coach DeShaun Foster mid-season.

Ensure you follow on X (Twitter) @UCLAInsideronSI to keep up with every story surrounding UCLA athletics! Please let us know your thoughts on this when you like our Facebook page, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.

Never again miss one major story related to your beloved Bruins when you sign up for our 100% FREE newsletter that comes straight to your email with the latest news. SIGN UP HERE NOW