UCLA Football: Rahyme Johnson Announces Plans to Transfer

While the 2019 UCLA recruiting class looks to be the worst since 2004, the exodus from the UCLA Bruins football program is continuing as outside linebacker Rahyme Johnson announced today via Twitter that he will be leaving the program:

@rahyme_johnson

A total of 35 players, including Austin Roberts, Kolton Miller, Jordan Lasley, Josh Rosen, Andre James and Caleb Wilson who chose to leave early for the NFL, have left in the Chip Kelly era:

1. WR Austin Roberts

2. DL Ainuu Taua

3. OL Kolton Miller

4. WR Jordan Lasley

5. DB Denzel Fisher

6. QB Josh Rosen

7. LB DeChaun Holiday

8. OL Andre James

9. DB Colin Samuel

10. DB Octavius Spencer

11. DB Will Lockett

12. DL Chigozie Nnoruka

13. LB Breland Brandt

14. WR Damian Alloway

15. LB Brandon Burton

16. QB Devon Modster

17. WR Audie Omotosho

18. RB Brandon Stephens

19. OL Alex Akingbulu

20. LB Marcus Moore

21. OL Paco Perez

22. DB Keyon Riley

23. FB Jalen Starks

24. P Austin Kent

25. TE Caleb Wilson

26. LB Jaelan Phillips

27. DL Greg Rogers

28. OL Stephan Zabie

29. TE Jimmy Jaggers

30. OL Jax Wacaser

31. OL Zach Sweeney

32. OL Sean Seawards

33. OL Kanan Ray

34. TE Matt Alaimo

35. OL Justin Murphy

This, coupled with the abysmal recruiting class, has fans wondering what the 2019 season has in store. Not only are we losing out on recruits, especially the blue chip recruits, but we are losing our current players like there’s no tomorrow.

In 2018, Johnson recorded a total of two tackles, one solo and one assist in the game at Oklahoma on September 9. In 2017, then-head coach Jim Mora’s final season, he appeared in two games and recorded four solo tackles. It’s clear that he wasn’t seeing much playing time, which could explain why he has chosen to leave.

But, is this recent exit another case of players not seeing satisfaction with the Chip Kelly program?

Rumors have flown around about Kelly’s inability to get along with players, the most recent coming from Michael Vick and DeSean Jackson, who accused Kelly of caring more about the system he was employing in Philadelphia than about the players who were in it.

Is this what we’re seeing in Westwood?

All we can do is sit and wait at this point. Kelly has a giant contract with an even bigger buyout and, while some fans have already called for his head, we still have to give everything a chance to play out on the field.

But with players leaving and a poor recruiting cycle for the 2019 class, things are not looking good.


Go Bruins.