UCF Transfer Receiver Titus Mokiao-Atimalala Commits to UCLA Football
While the Bruins lost one Knight a week ago, they picked up another out of the transfer portal on Tuesday.
UCF receiver Titus Mokiao-Atimalala announced he would be transferring to UCLA football on Twitter, one week after entering the portal. Mokiao-Atimalala has three years of eligibility remaining.
Mokiao-Atimalala is the second transfer receiver to join the Bruins so far this offseason, with Duke's Jake Bobo committing back in December and reportedly already enrolling for winter quarter.
Mokiao-Atimalala was a true freshman at UCF this past season, racking up 102 yards and a touchdown on 12 catches in 13 games and one start. Mokiao-Atimalala's collegiate debut also stands as a high-point for him so far, considering he notched a career-high three catches and his lone touchdown of the season in that contest against Boise State on Sept. 2.
The quarterback who tossed that touchdown was Dillon Gabriel, who was committed to UCLA as well until he changed his mind and flipped to Oklahoma on Jan. 3. Gabriel's departure added several question marks to the Bruins' potential pass attack for 2022 at the moment, but Dorian Thompson-Robinson announcing his return Monday eased many of the short-term concerns surrounding the quarterback room.
Unlike Gabriel, who would have had to compete and likely sit on the bench for a year if he had come to Westwood, Mokiao-Atimalala is in a position to compete for targets the second he steps foot on campus.
Receiver Kyle Philips and tight end Greg Dulcich have already declared for the 2022 NFL Draft, so that's over half of UCLA's targets out the door already. Receiver Chase Cota could be the next to go, leaving Mokiao-Atimalala, Bobo, Kam Brown, Kazmeir Allen, Matt Sykes, Logan Loya and incoming freshman Jadyn Marshall to make up for the lost production.
Mokiao-Atimalala, Brown, Loya and Marshall are all former four-star prospects.
Three-star receiver Braden Pegan and four-star tight ends Carsen Ryan and Jack Pedersen are going to be coming in as freshman looking for snaps as well.
Mokiao-Atimalala earned a four-star rating in the 247Sports Composite in 2021. The 6-foot-1 wideout was the No. 3 recruit in the state of Hawaii and was the No. 18 athlete overall in his class. Playing his high school ball at James Campbell (HI) as an all-state standout, Mokiao-Atimalala joins Sykes as receivers going from the Aloha State to Westwood.
UCLA offered Mokiao-Atimalala a scholarship coming out of high school, but that was under former receivers coach Jimmie Dougherty. Now, with Jerry Neuheisel leading the receiving corps, Mokiao-Atimalala has finally cashed in on that offer.
Mokiao-Atimalala also returned three kicks for 68 yards and 13 punts for 95 yards for the Knights last fall. Allen will be back to continue returning kicks for the blue and gold in 2022, but the punt returner role is currently vacant with Philips gone.
Between Mokiao-Atimalala, Bobo, Washington edge rusher Laiatu Latu and Hawaii linebacker Darius Muasau, the Bruins have added four transfers so far in this year's cycle. The program has lost 12, though, including receiver Keontez Lewis.
Catch up on all the transfer market news related to UCLA at All Bruins' transfer portal tracker.
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