Where Are These UCLA Transfers Playing This Season? Part 3

The 2025 college football season is nigh, and UCLA is entering the year with high hopes following a star-studded transfer class headlined by Nico Iamaleava.

Much like every program in Division I college football nowadays, the Bruins also lost some talent to the transfer portal. Finishing its first season in the Big Ten with a 5-7 record and poised to come in looking better next season, let's take a look at the talent that UCLA lost this season.

Logan Loya, WR, Minnesota Golden Gophers

Loya, a five-year standout at UCLA, entered the portal as soon as he could and transferred to Minnesota on Dec. 23, 2024. The former Bruin enters Minnesota as a sixth-year player in his final year of eligibility. Would he, like J.Michael Sturdivant, have left had he known Iamaleava was coming in? Who knows.

In his five seasons with UCLA, he played in 47 career games and made 109 receptions for 1,314 yards and 12 touchdowns. On special teams, he returned 33 punts for 255 yards. In 2024, he played in all 12 games and made five starts. He caught 29 passes for 348 yards and four touchdowns, leading the team.

Loya, though slightly falling off in contributions last season compared to the season before, could have benefited from the talents of Iamaleava, but then again, who knows.

Marquise Thorpe-Taylor, OT, Fresno State Bulldogs

Thorpe-Taylor, a rising sophomore with four seasons of eligibility remaining, entered the portal in April and transferred to Fresno State in May. The offensive lineman didn't see a single snap last season, which means he's likely to utilize his redshirt.

Out of high school and in the class of 2024, he was a high-three-star out of Washington and was the 115th-ranked tackle in the class. Much like other offensive linemen who left Westwood in the portal, Thorpe-Taylor most likely left because of the abundance of experience on the line for UCLA ahead of this season.

Khristian Dunbar-Hawkins, CB, North Carolina Tar Heels

Dunbar-Hawkins, another rising sophomore with four seasons of eligibility, entered the portal in April and committed to the Tar Heels on May 2. He didn't see a single snap in his true freshman year last season.

He was a three-star recruit out of the class of 2024 and was the 96th-ranked prospect out of the state of California as a safety. UCLA and secondary coach Demetrice Martin overhauled the secondary through the portal in the hopes of revamping UCLA's defense.