Defensive lineman Jay Toia return to the UCLA football program on Monday evening after entering the transfer portal last week.
“Jay was here today,” UCLA football coach DeShaun Foster told the Southern California News Group on the Bleav in UCLA football podcast Monday. “We had our team meeting and I looked and I saw big Jay.”
The Grace Brethren alumnus started 12 of 13 games and had 28 tackles (four for a loss) and a sack in 2023. Toia helped anchor a defensive front that featured edge rushers Laiatu Latu, Gabriel and Grayson Murphy. All three players are expected to be drafted by NFL teams later this week.
Toia will likely be considered the top-rated NFL prospect for the Bruins in 2024.
“I’m just excited,” Foster said. “Being genuine is something that’s special here. We are just a family. There’s something hard about getting away from your family. I’m just glad Jay is in the building and we are going to continue to be Bruins and keep a fence up and keep our guys.”
He was ranked as the third-best defensive lineman in the transfer portal, according to 247sports.
More to come on this story.
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