Where Are These UCLA Transfers Playing This Season? Part 5

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.

TJ Harden, RB, SMU Mustangs

Harden was one of the bigger losses for UCLA in the portal period. He has been a staple of the Bruins' run game the last three seasons. In his UCLA career, he played in 31 games, started in 14, and rushed 324 times for 1,658 yards and 12 touchdowns.

His best season was last year, when he appeared in 12 games and started in 11 and totaled 124 carries for 506 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He also pulled in 40 receptions for 368 yards and a receiving touchdown.

Although the Bruins lost Harden, DeShaun Foster was able to replace him with great talent in Jaivian Thomas, from Cal, and even Anthony Woods from Utah. Harden may have been a fan favorite, but Bruins fans don't have to worry about missing him too much.

Joey Aguilar, QB, Tennessee Volunteers

Aguilar is another transfer that never played a snap for UCLA, but it's because he also transferred to Westwood in the same portal period. The former App State quarterback came to the Bruins in December 2024 and transferred once Iamaleava made his move.

Interestingly enough, Aguilar transferred to Tennessee, Iamaleava's former school, effectively completing a swap at the position. Aguilar was widely expected to be UCLA's starting quarterback in week one, and now he's projected to start for the Vols.

Collins Acheampong, EDGE, Bowling Green Falcons

Acheampong, a rising redshirt sophomore, is starting the season with his third team in as many seasons. The defensive end started his collegiate career at Miami (Florida) and didn't see a single snap in his true freshman season, utilizing his redshirt and transferred to Westwood. Well, he didn't see a single snap with the Bruins either and entered the portal again, finding a new home with Bowling Green.

Acheampong was a highly-touted four-star recruit in the class of 2023 and was the 15th-ranked recruit out of California at the time. The Bruins put in a ton of work restructuring the edge position, which is a position of desperate need going into the season.