UCLA Football: Which Incoming Transfer Is Set to Dominate in 2024?
UCLA is going through a period of unsustainable recruiting. Some in the media have claimed that their 2024 recruiting class is the worst in the history of the program since "recruiting rankings were a thing.'
There is a valid argument to be made for this claim given that UCLA only has 10 signed letters of intent from high school recruits, with signing day quickly approaching. Chip Kelly doesn't concern himself with these rankings, however, and has been open about his desire to leverage the transfer portal to fill gaps that his high school recruiting created. Thus far, the quality of his incoming transfer class isn't (at least on paper) good enough to backfill a slew of outgoing transfers his program faced towards the end of 2023.
Currently, UCLA has 11 incoming transfers spread out across the field. Seven on defense, two on offense, a kicker and a long snapper. So we decided to evaluate who out of these 11 brave souls is poised to have the biggest on-field impact in 2024.
UCLA lost three defensive backs to the transfer portal, two of which played significant roles in the 2023 Bruin secondary (Kamari Ramsey and John Humphrey). UCLA also lost three of their best pass rushers to the NFL including defensive end Laiatu Latu upon the conclusion of the 2023 season. Despite former five-star quarterback recruit Dante Moore's transfer to Oregon, UCLA is relatively set at that position with returning starter Ethan Garbers coming back next season.
Compound this with UCLA losing their defensive coordinator, and all signs point to defense being the area where a transfer could step in and make a big impact.
So, which incoming defender have already proven themselves at their previous school(s)? Former Navy defensive end Jacob Busic started in 2021 and 2022 for Navy, but his 2023 season was cut short due injury. He has 32 tackles and nine sacks on his resume and will have two years of eligibility remaining. The biggest question with Busic is will he return to his six-sack 2022 season form after his torn bicep.
Notre Dame safety transfer Ramon Henderson is stepping into a desirable spot from his perspective, but the 6-foot-1, 196-pound senior lacks the experience that fellow incoming transfer defensive back K.J. Wallace has.
At his former school, Georgia Tech, K.J. Wallace tallied 42 tackles, eight passes defended, and one interception in 2023 alone. He made 10 starts at nickel back according to Georgia Tech's website. If we're betting on which transfer shines the brightest, at this point in time, our money is on Wallace.
All that being said, wide receiver Rico Flores, a transfer for Notre Dame, is an intriguing talent and is surely one to watch in spring practice.
