Cal LB Oluwafemi Oladejo Announces Transfer to UCLA Football

Just hours after he entered the portal, the Bruins picked up a commitment from an accomplished Pac-12 linebacker.

The transfer portal is up and running, and the Bruins have already cashed in on a big-time in-conference addition.

Former Cal linebacker Oluwafemi M Oladejo announced his commitment to UCLA football Monday on Twitter. Oladejo entered the transfer portal earlier in the day – the first day it was open to non-graduates – and it didn’t take him long to pick the Bruins.

Oladejo has two years of eligibility remaining.

Done deal. #ThankYouGod🙏🏿 pic.twitter.com/3FHMbh5vRX

— Oluwafemi M Oladejo (@femigokrazy) December 5, 2022

Oladejo is coming off a breakout year with the Golden Bears, ranking second on the team with 91 tackles as a sophomore. The Elk Grove, California, native also added 4.5 tackles for loss, 1,0 sack, one interception, one forcee fumble, one fumble recovery, two quarterback hurries and two passes defended.

On Nov. 25 against UCLA, Oladejo racked up a career-high 17 tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss.

The 6-foot-3, 255-pound linebacker appeared in 20 career games for Cal over the past two seasons.

Coming out of Cosumnes Oaks High School (CA) in 2021, Oladejo was a three-star recruit. Oladejo had 84 tackles his junior season before COVID-19 cost him his senior campaign. UCLA, who had Don Pellum as their inside linebackers coach at the time, did not send Oladejo an offer.

Ken Norton Jr. is back in Westwood now, though, and he has started to drastically reshape the position group over the past year. Four of UCLA's 12 commits in its 2023 recruiting class are inside linebackers – four-star Tre Edwards and three-star Solomone Malafu are the highest-rated of the bunch, while three-star safety Ty Lee and three-star athlete Donavyn Pellot were recruited to play linebacker as well.

Two inside linebackers have already left the Bruins via the portal – Erich Osteen and Jeremiah Trojan – but Shea Pitts is the only one who has exhausted his eligibility. Darius Muasau and Ale Kaho could leave for the NFL Draft, though, so their decisions will be ones to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.

Oladejo is the second transfer to commit to UCLA this offseason, and the first at his position. UPenn defensive end Jake Heimlicher became the first member of the Bruins’ transfer class on Nov. 29.

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