For the second offseason in a row, the Bruins’ top tight end is going pro.
Redshirt junior tight end Devin Asiasi declared for the 2020 NFL Draft via Twitter on Wednesday, forgoing his final year of eligibility with UCLA football. Asiasi led the Bruins with 14.6 yards per catch in 2019, among pass-catchers with five or more receptions.
Former UCLA tight end Caleb Wilson also left Westwood for the NFL at the end of his redshirt junior season, ultimately getting selected by the Arizona Cardinals with the final pick of the 2019 NFL Draft. Asiasi racked up 44 receptions, 641 yards and four touchdowns in 12 games as Wilson’s primary replacement – all of which were career highs for the Shoreview, California, native.
It’s been real UCLA, thank you 🏁 #BRUIN4LIFE pic.twitter.com/60zM3j3NYE
— Devin Asiasi “2X” 🏁 (@ASI2X) January 1, 2020
Asiasi transferred to UCLA from Michigan in January of 2017, but he sat out his first year with the Bruins. The tight end hauled in six passes for 130 yards in his debut season in Westwood.
While Wilson led the nation’s tight ends in receptions and receiving yards in 2018, Asiasi was unable to match that pedigree in 2019. However, Asiasi did still rank inside the top 15 in both categories this past fall.
Asiasi becomes the first Bruin underclassman to officially declare for the draft this winter, and the deadline for any of his former teammates to join him is Jan. 17.
