The offseason hasn’t pulled any punches for coach DeShaun Foster. And in the latest blow, he could be losing two veteran offensive pillars.

UCLA football’s redshirt junior wide receiver J.Michael Sturdivant and redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Niki Prongos – both starters on the 2024 roster – have entered the transfer portal. Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports and 247Sports confirmed the former’s departure Tuesday evening, while 247Sports’ David Woods reported Prongos’ news Monday afternoon. 

Sturdivant, returning to the portal after transferring from California to UCLA ahead of the 2023 season, became a cornerstone of the Bruins’ passing attack through a pair of years in Westwood. The 6-foot-3 wideout quickly established himself as a go-to target, finishing his debut season with 597 receiving yards on 36 receptions and four touchdowns. 

This year, though, Sturdivant’s production dipped. He finished fifth on the team in receiving yards – and third among true wideouts – with 315 yards and two touchdowns. His average yards per catch dropped by 2.3 from 2023, sparking criticism of since-fired associate head coach and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy for failing to truly leverage Sturdivant’s blend of speed and size as a deep threat.

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A lone bright spot of the Bruins’ offensive line, Prongos anchored redshirt senior quarterback Ethan Garbers’ protection units before a season-ending injury forced him out of the final three games of the year. 

The left tackle started every game prior to his injury, writing a sort of Cinderella story after going from a walk-on to arguably one of UCLA’s top offensive linemen in the same season. Capable of excelling at tackle and guard, Prongos has earned praise for his mobility and versatility.

His departure will deliver a significant hit to an offensive line already facing mounting challenges and an offensive unit that struggled to find consistency – ranking near the bottom of the Big Ten in total offense. 

Foster’s wide receiver corps and offensive line were already in a precarious position after the end of this past season. The talent-packed wideout room was often slammed for being underutilized through the year and has now lost two leading threats in Sturdivant and redshirt senior wide receiver Logan Loya, who announced his entry to the transfer portal Thursday. 

Meanwhile, the Bruins’ offensive line was placed under a microscope this year, surrendering 2.83 sacks per game to place No. 109 in the nation and stalling the ground game to just 3.1 yards per carry.

Prongos and Sturdivant are the 11th and 12th Bruins, respectively, to indicate their entries to the transfer portal since last Monday. Foster and his revamped coaching staff – featuring a new offensive coordinator, offensive line coach, defensive backs coach and potentially a new defensive line coach in Fresno State’s Jethro Franklin – will have to actively seek replacements or lure critical talent back from the portal.