The Bruins have a new head coach and the transfer portal could come in handy for him.
It has now been over three months since the Michigan football team raised the national championship trophy back in January at NRG Stadium in Houston. It was a season to remember in college football as it was the last year of the four-team College Football Playoff, and it was also the last year of the Pac-12. There are going to be a lot of changes next season, and there have also been a lot of changes in this offseason already in terms of coaching moves and the transfer portal. Now, spring football is well underway, and there is sure to be more transfer portal chaos in the second window.
In today’s college football world, the transfer portal is one of the most important aspects of the game. Before NIL and the transfer portal began to dominate the college football landscape, everything was very different. Players weren’t transferring to other schools because they thought they could get more NIL money elsewhere, and it was also much more difficult to transfer and often required the player to sit out for a season. A lot of players have good reason to transfer and shouldn’t be punished for it, but with the new rules, some players jump ship when things don’t go their way, and that’s the big issue that people have with it.
People have issues with NIL and the transfer portal, but they have also brought positives to the game. It is good for players that actually have a good reason to transfer to be able to do so easily and not have to miss an entire season. Also, these players that are bringing in millions of dollars of revenue to their schools are getting paid for it. College football fans are thrilled too because NIL helped bring back the NCAA football video game. There are definitely positives, but there are still some things to work out to make this new era of college sports better.
Like it or not, NIL and the transfer portal are huge parts of college football now. With spring football winding down, the transfer portal is once again going to be a huge talking point. When the season ended, there was a lot of news regarding the portal, and the college football world is ready to do it all again for the second wave.
The UCLA football team has lost their five-star quarterback and their head coach this offseason. DeShaun Foster is now the new head coach for the Bruins, and he has his work cut out for him during year one as the team transitions into the Big Ten. Next season could be ugly for UCLA, but if Foster has a good offseason in the transfer portal, the Bruins could surprise some people. They need talent, and here are a couple players they could go after.
Jason Zandamela, OL, USC
The best current player in the transfer portal is Jason Zandamela who is transferring from USC, so he is right in UCLA football’s backyard. Yes, the Bruins and Trojans are rivals, but it isn’t uncommon to see guys transfer from school to school. For example, UCLA’s defensive coordinator left this offseason to take the same job at USC, and a few Bruins followed him there. Now, UCLA could go and get Zandamela from the Trojans. He is likely going to end up having a good college career.
Damien Martinez, RB, Oregon State
UCLA football needs the best talent they can find in the transfer portal, and this fellow Pac-12 running back could be a good fit for the Bruins. Martinez is one of the best available players in the portal right now as well as he ran for over 1,100 yards last season. He didn’t get as much attention as other top backs in college football, but he is going to make a team very happy next season.
Watching DeShaun Foster’s first season with UCLA football is going to be interesting. It’s going to be difficult and Bruins fans shouldn’t expect their squad to compete for a Big Ten title, but the transfer portal could be a big help this offseason.
