The 2023 college football season is now officially underway, which means that all eyes will be on the transfer portal between now and when the College Football Playoff kicks off. Players use the portal to make the best decisions for their career, and teams use the portal to reshape and rejuvenate their roster. One team that needs to do just that is UCLA football. 7-5 is not a bad season, but it isn't the standard that the Bruins set for themselves. They're in a state of transition with Dante Moore entering the transfer portal, but they could bounce back by making the right moves in the portal by signing the right players. The question then becomes: who are the right players UCLA should pursue in the portal?

Maalik Murphy

Maalik Murphy was a late addition to the transfer portal, but one that makes sense. He was the backup quarterback to Quinn Ewers this season, and it is possible Ewers returns to Austin for another season after this year. Arch Manning is also waiting in the wings and was the fifth overall prospect in the 2023 recruiting class. If Ewers left after this season, it seems more than plausible that Manning would be the next man up for the Longhorns.

It's an unfortunate situation for Murphy that he not only has to transfer but also has to leave his team before they embark on the College Football Playoff, but it's the best decision for him to continue onward as a starting quarterback somewhere. Many programs will be interested in Murphy, who was a four-star and Top 300 recruit according to ESPN, made two starts for the Longhorns this season filling in for Ewers this season and helped Texas win both games. UCLA football, who has shown interest in Murphy already, makes sense for Murphy for a few reasons.

For one, Murphy is from Inglewood, California. Every player would love to play close to home, and perhaps that would be appealing to Murphy as well. But UCLA also needs a quarterback since Moore is departing. Ethan Garbers is UCLA's other quarterback on their roster, but he didn't do much outside of beat up on some of the worst defenses in the nation when he played against Stanford, Colorado, and USC. Murphy could possibly start right away at UCLA and play right in his backyard. It's hard to find many situations more tantalizing than that.

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Tobias Merriweather

Tobias Merriweather has been lost in the shuffle at Notre Dame since arriving there as a Top 300 recruit. In two seasons at South Bend, Merriweather has just 15 receptions for 325 yards and three touchdowns. That doesn't mean he hasn't flashed high-end talent in those two seasons, however. All of Merriweather's touchdowns have come on receptions spanning at least 35 yards, including a 75-yarder against Central Michigan early in the 2023 season.

But Merriweather just hasn't been able to find his way on the field despite these flashes, which is why he is in the portal. UCLA, who has already shown interest in Merriweather, should be able to keep him on the field. After losing Jake Bobo, who transferred to UCLA from Duke, to the NFL, the Bruins had only two receivers who were able to exceed 300 receiving yards in 2023. One of them was J.Michael Sturdivant, who the Bruins also brought in from the transfer portal. UCLA football needs receivers and has shown a willingness to go after them in the portal. Bringing in Murphy and Merriweather would help greatly bolster UCLA's pass attack.