UCLA Football: Bruins WR Addresses Being Left Out of College Football Video Game

Valentina Martinez | Sep 7, 2024

Aug 31, 2024; Honolulu, Hawaii, USA; UCLA Bruins wide receiver Rico Flores Jr. (1) pulls in a catch for a touchdown over Hawaii Rainbow Warriors defensive back Peter Manuma (1) during the third quarter of an NCAA college football game against the UCLA Bruins at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex. Mandatory Credit: Marco Garcia-Imagn Images / Marco Garcia-Imagn Images

After wide receiver Rico Flores Jr. was excluded from the Bruins' roster in EA Sports' "College Football '25," he was recently added in the game's latest update.

“Finally,” Flores told Ben Bolch of The Los Angeles Times. “Long time coming.”

The creators of the video game issued an apology to the sophomore following his absence from UCLA's roster in the game. The mistake was due to Flores' late transfer from Notre Dame.

Despite being added to the video game recently, Flores was disappointed by his player rating.

“I wouldn’t say I’ve arrived yet,” Flores said. “I’ve still got a lot of work to do.”

Although Flores didn't get the player rating he hoping for, he certainly made an impact on the field in the Blue and Gold's season opener against Hawaii.

The receiver caught a 39-yard touchdown pass from Ethan Garbers that prompted a resurgence for UCLA. After the sophomore's score, the Bruins were only down by three.

Flores was confident he was going to score on that play since he was able to get away from the cornerback.

“I posted and took it over the top,” Flores said, “and the rest is history.”

Although Flores didn't get the player rating he wanted in "College Football '25," he certainly had the performance he was hoping for on Saturday.

Flores wasn't the only player that was disappointed in the rating they received. The EA Sports game also disappointed several Bruins with the player rating for Titus Mokiao-Atimalala.

“I get it, he didn’t play last year,” Logan Loya said of Mokiao-Atimalala, who sat out last season, “but his rating should be way higher.”

Mokiao-Atimalala is poised for a comeback season. The junior caught 17 passes for 290 yards in 2022 for the Blue and Gold. The receiver was a transfer from Central Florida but hit the ground running as soon as he arrived in Westwood. Mokiao-Atimalala established a name for himself soon after he arrived at UCLA.

The new era of UCLA football features a pro style offense with new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. As a result, the wide receiver room has more opportunities to shine this year.

The Bruins had a rocky start to the first season in the Big Ten Conference; however, UCLA will use the bye week to try and get the hang of things ahead of their second game against Indiana.

The start to the season was certainly alarming, but there's still a lot of football left to play.