UCLA Football

HEIGHT: 6'2"

WEIGHT: 242

HAND: 9¼”

ARM: 31⅝”

WINGSPAN: 77½”

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VERTICAL: 39.5"

BROAD: 10'7"

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POSITIVES

— Very good athlete who can cover ground vertically and horizontally in a hurry.

— Athleticism and speed allows him to tighten windows when playing zone coverage, click and close, and help take away post routes when playing Tampa 2.

— Good change of direction and fluid hips to stay in phase or recover against running backs and tight ends in man coverage.

— Good eyes in zone coverage to locate threats coming into his area, and he can read the quarterback's eyes to step into passing lanes.

— Impressive instincts as a run defender, especially for someone with little game experience, and he has the speed to beat offensive linemen to the spot.

— Speed also gives him good sideline-to-sideline range.

— Showed flashes as a pass-rusher, using his athletic ability to get pressure when blitzing.

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NEGATIVES

— Limited on-field experience, he didn't play much until this year and didn't begin 2024 as a starter.

— Lacks the size and strength to hold his ground in the running game when taking on blocks from offensive linemen.

— Hasn't shown the ability to use his quickness and athleticism to slip blocks.

— Struggles to get extension and/or disengage from blocks, needs to develop a move to escape.

— Doesn't have much pop behind his pads, even when crashing downhill at full speed.

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NOTES

— Not ranked in the 2021 class, per 247Sports, originally a walk-on at UCLA

— No major injuries

— 2024: First-Team All-American, First-Team All-Big Ten

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OVERALL

A former walk-on turned All-American, Carson Schwesinger is one of the biggest risers in the 2025 NFL Draft class. He barely saw the field defensively and didn't even begin this past season as a starter before blossoming into one of the best and most productive linebackers in the country last fall.

Schwesinger's athleticism really stands out. He has springy legs and moves vertically and laterally well to cover a lot of ground on the field. That combined with loose hips allows him to be very effective in coverage.

He can drop and takeaway post routes in Tampa 2, tighten throwing windows when playing underneath and stay in phase against running backs and tight ends in man coverage.

The UCLA product has impressive instincts against the run, especially considering how little game experience he has. Paired with his speed and athleticism, he can beat offensive linemen to the spot to get unblocked tackles. Also, he knows when to crash downhill and attack gaps, and can match running backs' paths out of the backfield.

However, Schwesinger needs to spend some time in the weight room to get bigger and stronger as a run defender. Offensive linemen who can climb up to the second level quickly will swallow him up.

He gets pushed around far too easily and ends up on the ground too much as he needs to add lower body strength to anchor. Additionally, Schwesinger must improve his upper body strength to get extension and stack and shed or develop a move to escape blocks.

Overall, the former Bruin is a year or two away from being a complete player/full-time starter, but he has the makings of being an every-down contributor in the second half of his rookie contract. Schematically, he'd be best as a WILL linebacker right now and could become more scheme-versatile if his strength improves.

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GRADE: 7.4 (High-Level backup/Potential Starter — 3rd Round)

OVERALL RANK: 66

POSITION RANK: LB4

PRO COMPARISON: Deion Jones

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Matt Holder

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Prospect workout numbers, measurables (40-yard dash, hand size, etc.) and 2024 statistics will be added at a later date.

UCLA has moved on from offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy.

Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger first reported the move.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero shared a statement from Bieniemy's agent, Jason Fletcher, who said this was a mutual decision and "previously planned."

"He's still getting paid by the Commanders," Fletcher said. "After interviewing for head coaching jobs last year, he wanted to stay active and busy. So, he decided to go help out Deshaun Foster, who is like his little brother, at UCLA as opposed to sitting out a year. The plan was always to return to the NFL in 2025, and he's looking forward to the opportunities ahead."

Bieniemy joined the Bruins staff ahead of the 2024 season. Their offense ranked 117th in yards (328.8) and 126th in scoring (18.4 points) as the team went 5-7 overall and 3-6 in the Big Ten.

UCLA lost its leading passer from 2023, Dante Moore, which was a big blow because the 5-star recruit figured to be a big part of the offense long term. Leading rusher TJ Harden returned, though, as did the top three pass catchers (wide receivers Logan Loya and J. Michael Sturdivant and tight end Moliki Matavao). Senior quarterback Ethan Garbers had some starting experience.

In addition, promoting Foster from running backs coach to head coach as Chip Kelly's replacement provided some continuity.

Nobody expected the Bruins to be an elite offensive unit, but they certainly shouldn't have been near the bottom of the FBS.

Even though this was all by design, it's hard to see how the brief time he spent at UCLA helped to boost Bienemy's coaching stock.

Only a few seasons ago, he was considered a can't-miss candidate for whatever vacancy opened up in the NFL. He won two Super Bowls as offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs, and the team was top five in yards and points in all but one of his five years in that role.

When the time came for Bieniemy to leave Kansas City, though, he made a lateral move and joined the Washington Commanders as their OC in 2023. The Commanders' offense steadily went backward as the regular season unfolded, and he wasn't retained by newly hired head coach Dan Quinn this past spring.

Now Bieniemy is back on the coaching market after having had two chances to prove he can succeed outside of the Chiefs ecosystem and struggled each time. Based on his résumé, he should be able to get another job in the NFL this offseason, but it feels like he's stuck having to prove himself all over again if he still aspires to be a head coach.

The UC Board of Regents voted that UCLA will pay Cal $10 million annually for the next three seasons, rather than six years as was originally recommended, as a fee for leaving the Pac-12, The Athletic's Stewart Mandel reported.

The board will check in again when the deal ends after the 2026-27 season, Mandel noted.

The vote was 7-1 in favor, per Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times.

The board first voted in December 2022 to allow UCLA to join the Big Ten in exchange for an annual "Berkeley Tax" of between $2 and $10 million, Bolch, Thuc Nhi Nguyen and Steve Henson reported for the Times.

UCLA will make its Big 10 debut this fall, while Cal is headed to the ACC.

The board's decision follows a recommendation by UC president Michael Drake that UCLA pay Cal an annual fee on the upper end of the initial spectrum "given the disparity in forecasted revenues" between the two schools' media rights deals.

UCLA is expected to receive about $60 million per year in media revenue from the Big Ten thanks to the conference's historic media deal worth more than $7 billion, per Drake.

Meanwhile, the president stated that UC Berkeley is expected to receive $11 million in annual media revenue from the ACC.

To address this gap, the president's office initially recommended UCLA pay $10 million per year through the 2029-30 season, the term of the school's contract with Big Ten.

The board of regents' decision to run the deal through 2026-27 instead will come as a relative relief for the UCLA athletic department, which Bolch reported in January finished the 2023 fiscal year with a deficit of $36.6 million.

That marked the fifth straight year the department has recorded a deficit of at least $18 million, per Bolch.

Prior to this span, the Bruins had been in the black for 14 straight seasons stretching back to 2004, Bolch reported.

UCLA's move to the Big 10 was meant to address the state of the athletic department's finances, which at the time of the regents' initial vote regarding their conference exit stood more than $100 million in debt.

For at least the first few seasons of the school's tenure in their new conference, the Bruins' financial recovery will be hampered by the Cal payments as well as the estimated $10 million cost of moving conferences.

HEIGHT: 6'2"

WEIGHT: 251

HAND: 9½"

ARM: 30¼"

WINGSPAN: 76"

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40-YARD DASH: 4.63

3-CONE: 7.10

SHUTTLE: 4.56

VERTICAL: 37"

BROAD: 10'5"

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POSITIVES

— Good get-off on passing downs, decent at timing up the snap and is explosive off the line, as evidenced by his 1.62-second 10-yard split.

— Shows impressive quickness and change of direction to help turn speed to power as a rusher.

— Flashed a solid arm-over move as a pass-rusher.

— Bendy to turn a tight corner at the top of the rush.

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NEGATIVES

— Not physical against the run. Takes on blocks with high pad level and lacks lower-body strength to hold his ground against good blocking tight ends.

— Subpar accuracy with his hands as a pass-rusher. Struggles to knock the offensive tackle's hands down, which allows them to land their punch on his body. Having shorter arms hurts him here, too.

— Has a habit of dancing too much during the stem phase of the rush instead of just using his speed off the ball.

— Does a lot of unnecessary stuff after the whistle like cheap shots and late hits that will draw penalties.

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2023 STATISTICS

— 13 GM, 32 TOT, 5 SK, 9 TFL, 2 PD, 2 FF

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NOTES

— 3-star recruit in the 2019 class, per 247Sports

— Transferred to UCLA from North Texas ahead of the 2022 season

— Twin brother, Gabriel, also is an edge-rusher for UCLA, UNT transfer and NFL draft prospect

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OVERALL

Grayson Murphy had a strong showing at the East-West Shrine Bowl to help boost his draft stock. He was impressive in the one-on-ones and had a sack in the game. With his speed, get-off and overall athleticism, he has potential to become a third-down pass-rusher in the NFL.

However, Murphy was primarily a third-down player at UCLA and likely won't grow beyond that role in the NFL. He doesn't project well as a run defender, so he'll need to show off some pass-rush skills and the ability to play on special teams in training camp to make a final 53-man roster as a rookie.

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GRADE: 5.2 (Backup/UDFA with Roster Potential — UDFA)

OVERALL RANK: 259

POSITION RANK: EDGE26

PRO COMPARISON: Davis Tull

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Matt Holder

Visit B/R's NFL Scouting Department hub for scouting reports on all of the top prospects.

HEIGHT: 6'0"

WEIGHT: 225

HAND: 9½"

ARM: 31½"

WINGSPAN: 74¾"

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40-YARD DASH: 4.7

3-CONE: 7.23

SHUTTLE: 4.41

VERTICAL: 36.5"

BROAD: 9'9"

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POSITIVES

— Has good instincts as a run defender. Quick to key and diagnose plays to help improve play speed.

— Knows when to pick his spots to shoot gaps.

— Can hold his own against tight ends and weaker offensive linemen against inside runs.

— Shows good eye discipline and peripheral vision in zone coverage to help locate threats.

— Has upside as a pass-rusher with quickness to win around the edges against offensive linemen along with the strength and power to bull-rush running backs. Also showed a high motor and had a few batted passes.

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NEGATIVES

— On the smaller side, and had average athletic testing numbers with a 5.68 RAS out of 10.

— Has a habit of taking on blocks square and has shorter arms, which leads to him getting stuck on blocks.

— Struggles to drop the anchor and avoid getting washed by offensive linemen when moving laterally against stretch runs.

— Speed limitations do show up against outside runs.

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2023 STATISTICS

— 13 G, 75 TOT, 10.5 TFL, 4 SK, 1 INT, 6 PD

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NOTES

— Born Feb. 10, 2001

— 2-star recruit in the 2019 class, per 247Sports' composite rankings

— Began college career at Hawaii before transferring to UCLA ahead of 2022 season

— No major injuries

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OVERALL

Darius Muasau is an instinctual linebacker whose play speed is better than his testing numbers suggest. That's how he makes plays as a run defender and in coverage, as he's in the right spot more often than not. He's also a physical player and was a productive pass-rusher for an off-ball linebacker with 16.5 career sacks in college.

However, it's unclear how well Muasau's game will translate to the NFL since he's on the smaller side and posted underwhelming numbers at the combine. His lack of speed does show up against outside runs, and it could also be an issue in man coverage against faster tight ends and running backs.

The UCLA product is worth the gamble in the later rounds, though. He'll likely have to make a name for himself on special teams to earn a roster spot, which he did some but not a lot in college.

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GRADE: 5.7 (Backup/Draftable — 6th-7th Round)

OVERALL RANK: 206

POSITION RANK: LB16

PRO COMPARISON: Jalen Reeves-Maybin

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Matt Holder

Visit B/R's NFL Scouting Department hub for scouting reports on all of the top prospects.

In one of the more surprising moves of this year's offseason, former UCLA head coach Chip Kelly left the Bruins to take over as Ohio State's offensive coordinator.

Kelly, who has been a head coach for several different collegiate and NFL teams since 2009, explained his decision in an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show Thursday.

He explained that the change in responsibility for a collegiate head coach had him longing for the days when he could focus solely on football. In his new position with the Buckeyes, he believes he'll be able to return to that role.

"I say it all the time, but the best part of football is football," Kelly said. "As the game has changed at the collegiate level, we've talked about that, I think the head coaching role has turned a lot more into being a CEO than a coach. And I understand that and that comes with the territory. But I was at a point in time where I could make a decision about what I wanted to do."

"The best part of football is football and the head coaching role has turned a lot more into being a CEO than a coach..

The opportunity to come to Ohio State and coach football really appealed to me"

Chip Kelly #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/EzZjOePXih

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 7, 2024

For Kelly, a distinctive moment last season made him want to change roles. While preparing for the Bruins' bowl game against Boise State, Kelly took over quarterback coaching duties after Ryan Gunderson left to be Oregon State's new offensive coordinator. Being in that role reminded him of his love for simply coaching, rather than managing like he did in his head coach role.

"I got the chance to coach our quarterbacks in the bowl game because our quarterbacks coach is a great football coach and left to be the offensive coordinator at Oregon State," Kelly said. "So I coached the quarterbacks and I was in the meeting room daily for two weeks leading up to our bowl game against Boise State and I almost forgot about how fun that portion of it is. As I thought about it, I was at a point where I can say, here's an opportunity to go be a coach again, not a CEO."

The decision to leave UCLA, where he had been the coach since 2018, wasn't easy. He said the right place would have to pull him away, and Ohio State was that place.

"It would have taken a real special place to get me to leave UCLA, cause I love the players there, I love the coaching staff we had there," Kelly said. "We had a great situation, but the opportunity to come here and just coach football, and not have to do the things that a head coach is asked to do now in college football appealed to me."

Now Kelly will begin his first non-head coaching role since 2008 when he was the offensive coordinator at Oregon. Kelly served as Oregon's head coach from 2009 to 2012, led the Philadelphia Eagles from 2013 to 2015 and was the San Francisco 49ers head coach in 2016. He spent six seasons with UCLA.

He joins an Ohio State team that's coming off an 11-2 season, but fell short of reaching the College Football Playoff. While the Buckeyes have been one of college football's top teams for several years, they haven't won a national championship in a decade.

With Kelly now on the staff, the Buckeyes will be looking to bring a championship back to Columbus.

Eric Bieniemy wanted to clear the air regarding his move from the Washington Commanders to UCLA.

ESPN's Pete Thamel and Adam Schefter reported Bieniemy is joining the Bruins on a two-year deal as the associate head coach/offensive coordinator. Yet the coach clarified in an email that he is doing so because he wants to and not because he was fired as the Washington offensive coordinator.

"I have no regrets with the Commanders," Bieniemy wrote. "Contrary to what some think and what has been put out in the media, I was not fired. I actually just chose not to stay. Learned a lot and that is always a good thing.

"I will continue my walk in my peace. I'm excited to be here and to coach these young men and football again. My expectations and desire to be excellent will never be turned down. I'm fired up. Let's go."

Bieniemy grew up in Southern California and was an assistant coach for UCLA from 2003 to 2005, so this is something of a homecoming for him.

Yet he also pointed out he had other opportunities in the NFL and was not personally responsible for some decisions.

"I have had countless conversations and interviews with many teams, and I have been applauded and lauded," he wrote. "I can't say why certain decisions were or were not made but it had nothing to [do] with a lack of anything on my end.

"My self-dignity, worth, integrity, personhood, manhood will never be questioned or compromised. It is not always about money, either. With everything in life, it is often all about timing. At this time in my life, the opportunity affords me the pleasure of continuing to be a maker and leader of men, to do what I love, follow my passion and my dreams while not compromising on who I am as a man."

Ultimately, he spent just one season as the Commanders' offensive coordinator. It did not go as hoped, as the team finished in last place in the NFC East at 4-13 with an offense that was 24th in the league in yards per game and 25th in points per game.

It was a far cry from his time as the offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs from 2018 to 2022.

Kansas City won two Lombardi Trophies, advanced to three Super Bowls and made the AFC Championship Game five times during that span as the gold standard of the NFL. It certainly helps having Patrick Mahomes under center, but that time made Bieniemy a household name after he was previously an assistant for Colorado, UCLA and the Minnesota Vikings.

Now he joins a UCLA program that could be staring at a rebuilding process.

Head coach Chip Kelly left to become Ohio State's offensive coordinator right as the Bruins are joining a difficult Big Ten that features the Buckeyes, Michigan, Penn State, Oregon, Washington and USC, among others.

New coach DeShaun Foster is facing a challenge, but he at least has a high-profile offensive coordinator with Super Bowl experience who could be quite the boost on the recruiting trail to provide some help.

UCLA football has hired former Kansas City Chiefs and Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy as its new associate head coach/offensive coordinator on a two-year deal, per ESPN's Adam Schefter and Pete Thamel.

Bieniemy will work under new UCLA head coach DeShaun Foster, and he spoke about the opportunity in a text to CBS Sports' Josina Anderson (via Garrett Podell):

"This is a great opportunity for me to help support DeShaun as a new head coach, to work with him and for him as well. I chose to fly under the radar during this hiring process, and my experience generated a lot of interest from a number of NFL teams prior to coming to this decision."

Bieniemy, who starred at Colorado as a running back before playing in the NFL from 1991 to 1999, notably won two Super Bowls as the Chiefs' OC in 2019 and 2022.

Bieniemy left the Chiefs to become the Washington Commanders' assistant head coach/offensive coordinator in 2023 under Ron Rivera. Washington fired Rivera after the 2023 season, leaving Bieniemy looking for new opportunities.

He told CBS Sports that two NFL teams showed interest in his becoming their new offensive coordinator. Bieniemy also interviewed for the Commanders' head coaching gig before they rolled with Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.

Ultimately, Bieniemy is going back to college, where he coached from 2001 to 2005 and again in 2011-2012.

Bieniemy was Colorado's running backs coach in 2001 and 2002 before taking the same job with UCLA in 2003 and 2004. He added recruiting coordinator to his duties in 2005 before beginning his NFL coaching career in 2006 as the Minnesota Vikings' running backs coach.

Five years later, Bieniemy went back to Colorado as its OC, but Reid then hired him as the Chiefs' running backs coach in 2013. Five years later, he got promoted to OC when his predecessor, Matt Nagy, left to become the Chicago Bears' head coach.

Former UCLA running back DeShaun Foster is the school's new head coach.

"We are looking for a coach with integrity, energy and passion; someone who is a great teacher, who develops young men, is a great recruiter and fully embraces the NIL landscape to help our student-athletes," UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond said in a statement.

Foster—who also served as the team's running backs coach between 2017-23—will take over for the departing Chip Kelly, who is reportedly off to Ohio State to serve as Ryan Day's offensive coordinator.

An unforgettable moment. ✨ @DeShaunFoster26 #GoBruins pic.twitter.com/i8opcBbGiE

— UCLA Football (@UCLAFootball) February 12, 2024

He had taken a position with the Las Vegas Raiders last week as running backs coach before returning to UCLA as head coach.

According to Thamel, the Bruins interviewed 11 different candidates for the job before choosing Foster.

UCLA official believe Foster can resonate in the LA market and emphasize recruiting and fundraising. He’s consistently produced NFL tailbacks while at UCLA and was the overwhelming choice of the current players.

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) February 12, 2024

When you talk to folks inside college football about who are the nicest guys coaching, just genuine folks, names mentioned most are #Michigan coach Sherrone Moore, #Alabama coach William Inge and new #UCLA head coach DeShaun Foster. https://t.co/ZMx5uHpLTa

— Steve Wiltfong (@SWiltfong_) February 12, 2024

This will get UCLA fans far more excited than they would have for most of the names that were out there. https://t.co/EXQoXiUoZQ

— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) February 12, 2024

"This is a dream come true," he said in a statement. "I always envisioned being a Bruin ever since I was young, and now being the head coach at my alma mater is such a surreal feeling, and I'm grateful for this opportunity. The foundation of this program will be built on discipline, respect and enthusiasm. These are phenomenal young men, and I'm excited to hit the ground running."

The 44-year-old Foster spent four seasons at UCLA as a running back (1998-01), accumulating 3,049 rushing yards, 57 catches for 535 yards and 43 total touchdowns. The Carolina Panthers selected him in the second round of the 2002 NFL draft and he went on to play six seasons with the Carolina Panthers (2003-07) and the San Francisco 49ers (2008), putting up 3,570 rushing yards and 16 total scores.

Following his playing career he returned to UCLA as a student assistant (2013) and graduate assistant (2014-15) before heading to Texas Tech for one season as their running backs coach (2016). He then returned to UCLA to coach running backs.

His ascension to head coach comes at a pivotal time for the school's football program, as UCLA heads to the Big Ten next season alongside USC, Washington and Oregon. He'll look to build on the progress Kelly established, as UCLA has posted three straight winning seasons and went 8-5 in 2023.

The school last won a conference title in 1998, however, and getting back to those heights will be all the more difficult in a conference featuring defending national champions Michigan, to go along with Ohio State, Penn State, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan State and the Pac-12 defectors.