How Did These UCLA Transfers Perform in 2024? Part 2

The 2025 college football season is looming which means UCLA Bruins fans will finally get their first look at some of the Bruins' incoming transfers from the offseason.

DeShaun Foster went to work in the transfer portal in his first full offseason as Westwood's head coach and lured 29 transfers to cultivate the 20th-ranked transfer class in the nation on 247Sports' transfer ranking board.

In this new UCLA Bruins on SI series, we're going to dive into each transfer and how they did last season, including a few evaluations from national college football analysts.

In part two, we're moving to the other side of the ball and looking at UCLA's three best defensive transfers this season -- Nico Davillier, Andre Jordan Jr. and Ben Perry.

Nico Davillier, Senior TR Edge, Arkansas Razorbacks

Davillier is the Bruins' highest rated defensive transfer this season and is coming off a disruptive season in Arkansas. He finished his junior season with 23 tackles, two tackles for loss and one sack.

"UCLA took a step back in its pass rush last season, with Laiatu Latu, the Murphy twins, and Carl Jones being replaced by Oluwafemi Oladejo and an assortment of utility guys. Now, it's poised to take another step back, with Oladejo gone and no obvious replacements waiting in the wings. It's maybe the most critical thing to figure out entering fall camp -- who is going to provide some pass rush?

"Davillier is an option. He played three years at Arkansas, with considerable snaps coming the last two years. He recorded a productive 34 tackles in that time, but managed just two sacks. The question, obviously, is whether he can significantly increase his production in his last year of college eligibility. The list of guys who have done so is pretty short. The reality, though, is that he may be thrust into a larger role than he ever had with the Razorbacks given the lack of ideal options -- and perhaps that increased role leads to a breakout for him." -- David Woods, Bruin Report Online

Andre Jordan Jr., Junior TR CB, Oregon State Beavers

Jordan was the 39th ranked corner in the transfer portal period and is going into the season as the Bruins' best projected starting corner after losing Kaylin Moore, Devin Kirkwood and Jaylin Davies.

"UCLA needed a starter-level player at cornerback from the transfer portal for the 2025 season, and it looks like it got one with Jordan.  Demetrice Martin, who was one of UCLA's best recruiters when he was with the program during the Jim Mora era, did some great recruiting here with Jordan before he was ever officially announced as the new UCLA secondary coach (scroll through the Instagram post below to see Martin with Jordan and his dad on the official visit).  It's good to see that Martin hasn't missed a beat in terms of his recruiting energy and effectiveness. 

"With the advent of Davies to the portal, it appears Martin is reworking the secondary's entire personnel. And it's probably safe to perhaps anticipate more secondary departures.  UCLA, in transfer portal efforts this offseason, might not be able to upgrade many of the position groups, or even equal the talent it had last season. But with the addition of Jordan, another commitment from nickel/safety Benjamin Perry, and the remaining guys Martin is currently recruiting, you'd have to say, though, the secondary could end up being one of the units that does have a chance to be upgraded from last season." -- Bruin Report Online Staff

Ben Perry, Redshirt Senior TR LB, Louisville Cardinals

Previously a safety, Perry comes to Westwood with the hopes to be UCLA's starting linebacker with the departures of Kan Medrano and Carson Schwesinger to the NFL Draft. He had 29 tackles, three tackles for loss and a sack with Louisville last season.

"UCLA is replacing its starting linebacker corps from last year, and the Bruins had quite the tandem in Kain Medrano and Carson Schwesinger, two NFL Draft picks. Filling those shoes will not be easy. While much of the focus will be on replacing Schwesinger's excellent instincts and feel, replacing Medrano's athleticism and ability to cover is also going to be difficult.

"Could Perry help out in that area? That's the hope -- or that he at least might replace some of what Ale Kaho provided last year. The former safety certainly has the coverage skills, but whether he can also defend the run without giving up too much at about 205 pounds is the real question. He looks more like a safety masquerading as a linebacker, and that *can* work in certain systems, but much will depend on his own tenacity and strength. We could also see him fit into more of a situational linebacker role, a la Kenny Churchwell at times his last year at UCLA, while also fitting in as a safety in a pinch. It'll be very interesting to see how he ends up being used." -- David Woods, Bruin Report Online