With a contract extension between coach Chip Kelly and UCLA, priority has been given to filling the remaining vacancies on the football coaching staff.
Kelly made his third and fourth coaching moves of the off-season adding some experienced offensive coaches.
Tim Drevno was promoted to offensive line coach this week, replacing Justin Frye. Frye was UCLA’s offensive line coach for the past four seasons and an offensive coordinator for the past three seasons.
Drevno was announced as the offensive line coach, but has experience as a coordinator during his time at USC and Michigan. He joined the Bruins last season as an offensive assistant and helped coach the offensive line with Frye.
Jeff Faris was named as UCLA’s new tight end coach.
Faris takes over from Derek Sage, who became Nevada’s offensive coordinator after four seasons with the Bruins.
Faris spent 10 seasons at Duke and his hire at UCLA will reunite him with incoming transfer Jake Bobo.
Faris helped recruit Bobo for Duke, where he spent the last four seasons as a curator.
Bobo earned All-ACC third team honors in 2021 after a season of 74 catches. His 6.2 receptions per game ranked 28th in the NCAA.
Bobo was one of four transfer players to sign with the Bruins this week. Co-recipient Titus Mokiao-Atimalala (Central Florida), linebackers Darius Muasau (Hawai’i) and Laiatu Latu (Washington) also signed this week.
It remains unclear whether Kelly plans to hire someone as offensive coordinator or whether he will lead the offensive in the same way he did his first season at UCLA, before promoting Frye to that role in 2018.
Kelly is expected to hire a defensive coordinator after Jerry Azzinaro reportedly resigned this month.
RETURN
Edge rusher Mitchell Agude was offered the opportunity to sign out of the 2022 NFL Draft, but has decided to return for his third year with the Bruins.
Alumnus Corona Santiago High was the third-greatest tackler with a total of 54 tackles in 12 games. The top two tacklers, defending defender Qwuantrezz Knight and linebacker Jordan Genmark Heath, have signed up for the NFL Draft.
Agude had two forced fumbles in each of the Bruins’ first two games last season. He also registered two sacks. He transferred from Riverside City College to UCLA in 2020. Myles Jackson, who was listed as a backup behind Agude, had switched to Indiana earlier this month.
ON THE WAY
Receiver Chase Cota and defending defender Jay Shaw were the last players to leave UCLA and enter the transfer portal.
Cota was poised to take on a bigger role with the Bruins after receiver Kyle Philips and tight end Greg Dulcich declared the Bruins’ top two receiving options before the NFL Draft.
Cota finished last season as the third leading receiver with 18 receptions for 286 yards and a touchdown. He has appeared in all 43 games for the Bruins in the past four seasons. He graduated with a degree from UCLA and will be eligible for one year.
Shaw was set to take on a fledgling role in UCLA’s defense after announcing his return to the program earlier this month. Shaw diverted that promise and verbally pledged to Wisconsin.
Shaw was listed as a backup cornerback last season, but his three interceptions equaled Quentin Lake safety for most of the team.
Shaw’s return would have been significant as three of the Bruins’ defensive backs had already signed up for the draft.
Recipient Keontez Lewis will join Shaw in Wisconsin. Lewis entered the transfer portal in December after spending his real freshman season with the Bruins.