It has been reported that defensive back junior-to-be Will Lockett will leave the program after apparently not being able to meet requirements set by the UCLA football team.
It looks like the the UCLA football team will once again be without safety Will Lockett. After it was reported that Lockett had left the program during the first portion of spring practice, he returned to the Bruins after spring break.
RELATED: Ranking the 2018 UCLA football games from easiest to toughest
In his return, he had limited time on the practice field, but eventually participated more and more as it got closer to the Spring Game, which he also took part in. Now it looks as if he is once again on the way out.
This morning, Bruin Report Online confirmed that Lockett has left the program. BRO’s Tracy Pierson wrote, “It was believed that Lockett didn’t satisfy program requirements and therefore was forced to leave.”
More from Go Joe Bruin
- UCLA Football: It’s time for the nation to meet Dante Moore
- UCLA Football: Where are they ranked heading into week 4
- UCLA Football: Position battle breakdown for Utah showdown
- UCLA vs. Utah: Location, time, prediction, and more
- UCLA Football: Highlights from Chip Kelly’s appearance on the Jim Rome Show
Lockett was expected to compete for time as a safety, though it looked as if he would have backed up Adarius Pickett or Quentin Lake who both thrived during spring.
Though he played sparingly last season, collecting only 16 total tackles in 12 games and one pass break up, he was expected to play an important role in 2018, especially with defensive backs DeChaun Holiday and Octavius Spencer leaving the program during the spring.
Though losing three DBs might be a lot for any program, one of the strengths of the Jim Mora era was his ability to recruit and develop defensive backs, so currently the Bruins are ok in regards to depth.
The Bruin defense will also have five players to add to the secondary this fall as 4-star Stephan Blaylock, 3-star Rayshad Williams, Kenny Churchill, Patrick Jolly and Elisha Guidry bring in some talent.
Next: The 30 Greatest UCLA Football Players of All-Time
As for Lockett, he will apparently look to transfer. Lockett has two season of eligibility left, though could burn one if he is forced to sit out a season due to NCAA transfer rules.