With the 2024 college football season just around the corner, media days for the Power 5 Conferences, including the Big Ten Conference, are also almost in full swing. In a historic first, UCLA Bruins athletes will be attending this year’s Big Ten Football Media Days held from July 23rd-25th at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The team, previously a member of the Pac-12 Conference, officially join the Big Ten Conference on August 2nd 2024—paving the way for exciting new matchups. Bruins’ athletes are slated to appear on July 24th, and there’s several high-profile names to look out for.
Quarterback Ethan Garbers
Ethan Garbers will be the Bruins’ starting quarterback this fall, and he’ll attend Media Days this month. Garbers is mentally tough, quick on his feet, and a steady player that may just be what the team needs to come out on top in their first Big Ten season. Last season, the Bruins won all four games in which Garbers completed roughly 25 passes. In his last two games against Stanford and Colorado, Garbers finished 40 of 55 passes for over 500 yards and four touchdowns with one interception.
Defensive Lineman Jay Toia
6-foot-3, 325-pound Jay Toia will begin his third season with the UCLA Bruins this fall. Toia has so far started 24 games, and remains a vital member of the defense—an area of the team that improved so much last year, the Bruins won eight games largely as a result. The team came eighth in the Football Bowl Subdivision in expected points allowed per play, which is a huge improvement since they finished 111th the year prior. Last season, Toia finished with 28 tackles, including a sack and four for loss. In 2022, he completed 30 tackles (which included three for loss) and a solo tackle.
Linebacker Oluwafemi Oladejo
Oluwafemi Oladejo signed with the Bruins in January 2023 after transferring from Cal State. Across 13 games, Oladejo completed 54 tackles, two fumble recoveries, and an interception. Oladejo also completed ten tackles against Utah, the highest recorded in the season. Another achievement occurred in the LA Bowl against Boise State when Oldejo posted six stops, which led to a win for the team.
The unofficial start to college football season, Big Ten Football Media Days generates a lot of excitement within the league and fans alike. You can catch live coverage of the event on Big Ten Network each day starting at 8 a.m. PST.
