Last week, UCLA Bruins defensive tackle Jay Toia announced his intent to enter the transfer portal delivering a major blow to the team. But there is a glimmer of hope that UCLA could retain the 6’1″ 300 lbs Simi Valley native.
UCLA Bruins Still In the Mix for Toia
UCLA football beat reporter Will Decker reported that according to anonymous sources familiar with the situation Toia wants to stay in Westwood and that Wooden Athletic Fund has the necessary amount of money to match or beat other offers.
Decker expressed how important Toia is to the 2024 Bruins season on his podcast ‘The Bruin Bible.’
“[Toia] was the lone building block off that defensive line. And I know Keanu Williams has potential. I know Gary Smith is a veteran. Those guys cannot do half the things Toia can do.”
“Was he having a good spring, too? You know, he was bulldozing his way and blowing a place left And right on that practice field, man. It was a scene to watch.” He was the next in line to be out of UCLA to have that future career on the NFL level”
“Your job [as an interior DL] is to clog the lanes and make sure that you can get your linebackers and edge rushers in the position,where they need to be, and he did that as well as maybe anybody within the Pac-12 last year. If you look at the production, this defensive line put up in terms of pressures and sacks as a whole, has a lot to do with Toia. This is just such a massive, massive loss on so many different fronts.”
