UCLA Football: Pac-12 First Teamer To Skip Bruins Bowl Game, Prep For Draft

UCLA will be missing a big piece in the bowl game.

Your UCLA Bruins football team will be without one of their better players when they take the field against Boise State for their bowl game in a few weeks. Star defensive rusher Laiatu Latu will skip the bowl game as he prepares for the upcoming 2024 NFL draft, per Thuc Nhi Nguyen of The Los Angeles Times.

Chip Kelly said Laiatu Latu will not play in the bowl game in favor of preparing for the NFL draft and finishing school.

(Hi, I'm at UCLA for @latbbolch this week)

— Thuc Nhi Nguyen (@thucnhi21) December 11, 2023

Latu has established himself as one of the best defensive players in the country this season and helped the Bruins' defense fully emerge. They were one of the better units in the nation, with Latu leading the way.

His missing this bowl game was always a possibility since he has plans to enter the NFL next season. While he hasn't officially declared yet, it's a poorly kept secret.

This past season, Latu posted 49 total tackles with 21.5 of them for loss. He added in 13.0 sacks on the year and also had two interceptions as well. 

The Bruins' defense will miss him in the bowl game, as his impact can't be overstated. He is a truly elite player and gave this defense someone that they could count on each time out. 

He is likely to be a consultation prize for some NFL team that misses out on the top quarterbacks in the upcoming draft. If he does well during the pre-draft events, he could easily go within the top 10 of the first round.

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