Did UCLA Bruins Make Major Mistake With Departed WR?

The UCLA Bruins may regret how they handled things with talented wide receiver J.Michael Sturdivant.

Sep 2, 2023; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins wide receiver J. Michael Sturdivant (1) celebrates after a completion on a long pass from quarterback Dante Moore (3) in the first half against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Going into the 2024 college football season, wide receiver J.Michael Sturdivant was one of the most intriguing players on the UCLA Bruins' roster.

He was coming off of a 2023 campaign in which he caught 36 passes for 597 yards and four touchdowns, demonstrating his big-play ability by averaging 16.6 yards per catch.

It looked like Sturdivant was ready to truly break out and establish himself as an elite threat this year, but instead, he was a relative afterthought, logging just 22 catches for 315 yards and a couple of scores.

As a result, Sturdivant — who was viewed by many as a legitimate NFL prospect heading into 2024 — decided to enter the transfer portal and just landed with the Florida Gators.

That begs the question: did UCLA, which is in dire need of offensive weapons, make a mistake in how it handled things with Sturdivant?

The 6-foot-3, 200-pound pass-catcher went four games without a catch this season. He did put together a pair of 100-yard performances, topping out at 117 yards on five receptions during the Bruins' Nov. 23 loss to USC.

But other than that, Sturdivant was scarcely used, and you have to wonder why.

He pretty clearly displayed game-breaking talent in the two 100-yard outings he had in 2024. It's also not like UCLA had a ton of other options in the aerial attack.

Now, to be fair, Coach DeShaun Foster may have seen things in practice that fans may not have noticed while watching the games. But it just seems somewhat strange that the Bruins didn't utilize their most physically gifted receiver much at all.

Sturdivant actually began his collegiate career at California in 2021 and spent two years with the Golden Bears before transferring to UCLA. During his final season at California, he hauled in 65 receptions for 755 yards while reaching the end zone seven times.

The 22-year-old appeared to be a tantalizing talent, and again, he did show some of those flashes during his debut campaign with the Bruins.

But instead of UCLA building on that with Sturdivant in 2024, it opted to neglect him, and he has now taken his talents elsewhere.

We'll see if the Bruins end up regretting this next season.

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