After spending half the season as UCLA’s top tight end, redshirt junior Austin Roberts declared for the NFL draft on Saturday, becoming the fourth draft-eligible junior from UCLA to announce he is leaving school early.
“From waking up at 5 a.m. to run and lift with my teammates to staying up til 4 studying for an exam to making players under the Rose Bowl lights, my time at UCLA has been a blessing,” Roberts wrote on social media. “Along with graduating, I’m blessed to say that I am taking the next step and putting my name in the NFL Draft!”
Had a few typos on the first draft😅 but thank you UCLA!🐻🐻 pic.twitter.com/o9MwVs5FUe
— Austin Roberts (@youseela88) January 6, 2018
Roberts, who was on the preseason John Mackey Award watch list for the nation’s top tight end, took over as the team’s No. 1 tight end option after redshirt sophomore Caleb Wilson suffered a Lisfranc injury in the fifth game of the year. The redshirt junior from Hollywood, Fla., had 19 catches with 220 receiving yards and two touchdowns in 10 games.
Roberts appeared in only 24 career games for the Bruins after redshirting his true freshman year.
With Wilson expected to return from the injury that halted his promising season and transfer Devin Asiasi now eligible after sitting out last year, UCLA still has a deep group of tight ends. Redshirt sophomore Jordan Wilson had 16 catches for 155 yards and two touchdowns, while the Bruins also have freshmen Moses Robinson-Carr, who played mostly special teams, and Jimmy Jaggers, who redshirted.
Roberts’ father Alfredo was a longtime NFL tight ends coach before taking over running backs for the Chargers this season.
Quarterback Josh Rosen, receiver Jordan Lasley and offensive tackle Kolton Miller have also declared for the draft with the Jan. 15 deadline still one week away.
Murray chooses UCLA
Mater Dei offensive lineman Chris Murray committed to UCLA during the U.S. Army All-American Bowl on Saturday, giving the Bruins a much-needed recruiting boost.
The four-star recruit chose the Bruins over Stanford and Notre Dame, saying on the live NBC broadcast that he thought his athleticism would lend itself perfectly to head coach Chip Kelly’s system.
Murray is UCLA’s 11th known verbal commit for the class of 2018 and second offensive lineman, joining Etiwanda’s Alec Anderson. Eight players have already signed national letters of intent.
UCLA recently lost a coveted pledge from cornerback Olaijah Griffin and before Murray’s announcement, the Bruins had the seventh-best recruiting class in the Pac-12, according to 247 Sports’ Composite Rankings. Murray’s commitment bumped UCLA up to fourth in the Pac-12.
Brendan Radley-Hiles, one of the top cornerbacks in the country, had UCLA in his final four, but instead chose Oklahoma during Saturday’s all-star game.