UCLA Football Picks Up Commitment From Colorado OL Jake Wiley
The Bruins have added a much-needed body up front.
Former Colorado offensive lineman Jake Wiley committed to UCLA football on Monday, he announced on Twitter. Wiley entered the NCAA transfer portal on April 26, becoming one of many Buffaloes to depart the program at the conclusion of spring camp.
Wiley, who has appeared in 30 games and started 22 in his collegiate career, has two years of eligibility remaining.
Wiley is the 16th transfer to commit to the Bruins since the end of the 2022 regular season, and the sixth to come from another Pac-12 program. Before Wiley came Cal linebacker Oluwafemi Oladejo, Oregon tight end Moliki Matavao, Cal wide receiver J.Michael Sturdivant, USC wide receiver Kyle Ford and Oregon defensive lineman Keanu Williams.
UCLA has now reeled in four offensive linemen via the transfer portal this offseason, with Wiley joining Purdue left guard Spencer Holstege, College of the Sequoias tackle Caleb Walker and Old Dominions left tackle Khadere Kounta. The Bruins also added three-star interior lineman Tavake Tuikolovatu in their 2023 recruiting class.
Wiley was a three-star recruit himself coming out of Eaglecrest High School (CO) in 2019, and his offers were from Arizona State, Colorado, Colorado State, Northern Colorado, Oklahoma State, UNLV and Washington State.
After committing to the Buffaloes, Wiley played four seasons in Boulder. Wiley was Colorado's primary starting right tackle the past two years, although the team went 5-19 with a bottom-10 scoring offense in the country in that time.
Wiley was one of 50-plus Colorado players to enter the transfer portal after Deion Sanders came in as head coach, and it didn't take him long to rack up offers from Cal, Cincinnati, Duke, Purdue, San Diego State and Washington State.
UCLA hosted the 6-foot-6, 310-pound Wiley for an official visit over the weekend, though, and he verbally committed Monday morning. Darrin Chiaverini, who was Colorado's offensive coordinator from 2020-2021, is notably an offensive analyst in Westwood.
The Bruins lost three starting offensive lineman this offseason – left tackle Raiqwon O'Neal, left guard Atonio Mafi and right guard Jon Gaines II – one year after losing another three starters up front – left tackle Sean Rhyan, left guard Paul Grattan Jr. and right tackle Alec Anderson.
Several of their replacements have spent much of spring camp banged up, with Holstege and right tackle Garrett DiGiorgio only now easing their way back into drills after several weeks off. Kounta, meanwhile, has yet to arrive on campus.
Wiley is in prime position to lock up a starting spot when he arrives for fall camp, whether it be at right tackle or right guard.
The transfer portal was open from April 15 to 30, and UCLA only had one scholarship player hop in – scout team linebacker Jake Newman. The Bruins still have plenty of room for incoming transfers, and that's after limiting losses to an absolute minimum.
Click here to check out All Bruins' 2023 transfer portal tracker
Follow Connon on Twitter at @SamConnon
Follow All Bruins on Twitter at @FN_AllBruins
Like All Bruins on Facebook at @FN.AllBruins
Subscribe to All Bruins on YouTube
Read more UCLA stories: UCLA Bruins on Sports Illustrated
Read more UCLA football stories: UCLA Football on Sports Illustrated
PHOTO COURTESY OF JAKE WILEY/TWITTER
