Bruins Land Top Available RB in Transfer Portal

UCLA made another major splash on Friday.

Oct 26, 2024; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears running back Jaivian Thomas (25) reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Oregon State Beavers during the second quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Thomas was ruled down before the end zone after a video review. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

It would seem UCLA has found its next starting running back.

On Friday, On3's Hayes Fawcett reported that former Cal running back Javian Thomas has committed to the Bruins.

Thomas was the top-ranked remaining running back in the transfer portal by 247Sports, Rivals and On3. 247Sports has him rated a three-star transfer and the No. 11 overall transfer running back from the 2024-25 portal.

Thomas played two seasons at Cal. This past season, he recorded 626 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns while playing in all 12 games. He also logged 91 receiving yards on 11 catches.

His best game came in his first-ever collegiate start when he tallied 169 rushing yards on 17 carries against San Diego State.

That followed a freshman campaign in which Thomas posted 110 rushing yards, a rushing touchdown, 24 receiving yards and a touchdown reception in eight games.

A native of Oakland, California, who played for McClymonds High School, the former three-star recruit was ranked the No. 76 class of 2023 recruit in California and the No. 61 running back in his class, per the 247Sports Composite rankings.

Thomas will join his former teammate, wide receiver Mikey Matthews, who spent last season with the Golden Bears after transferring over from Utah. Matthews transferred to UCLA this past winter.

With Thomas' commitment, it's likely that he will be UCLA's starting running back next season. The Bruins did land former Utah running back Anthony Woods and are returning Jalen Berger, but Thomas seems to be the ideal man for the job.

The Bruins had lost their previous starter in T.J. Harden, who entered the transfer portal this winter and recently committed to SMU.

UCLA is in desperate need of rejuvenating its run game, having finished last season as the worst rushing team in the Big Ten, having averaged a mere 86.6 yards on the ground per game.

It was an odd weakness for a team that was in its first year under a UCLA running back legend in DeShaun Foster, but it ultimately came down to production up front.

The Bruins have added some solid pieces to the offensive line room, though, and should improve in that area, especially now with a clear RB1.

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