Monday, December 15

UCLA football dwindles in numbers, defensive backs slotted for transfer portal


Redshirt sophomore defensive back Cole Martin (left) and junior defensive back Andre Jordan Jr. (right) are pictured. (Aidan Sun/Assistant Photo editor)


This post was updated Dec. 3 at 10:39 p.m.

Two more are gone.

Defensive backs redshirt sophomore Cole Martin and junior Andre Jordan Jr. announced their plans to enter the transfer portal – per On3 – which opens in the afternoon Jan. 2.

The departure of the defensive back tandem follows the exit of junior defensive back Scooter Jackson, who announced his plans to enter the portal Monday.

[Related: Defensive back Scooter Jackson announces plans to enter transfer portal]

Martin – who transferred to UCLA after spending his freshman season at Oregon and sophomore year at Arizona State – ranked fourth on the Bruins in tackles with 65. He also added three pass breakups and one interception, which he logged against Washington on Nov. 22.

The redshirt sophomore started all 12 games for the Bruins – primarily playing strong safety alongside redshirt senior free safety Key Lawrence. Standing at just 5-foot-9 and 190 pounds, Martin can also play slot cornerback by utilizing his speed and lateral quickness to match slot receivers.

Despite his short stature, he is a hard-hitting safety who can take down running backs and wide receivers behind the line of scrimmage and throttle pass catchers across the middle of the field.

Martin also played a special teams role, where he earned two fourth-down conversions on direct snaps off fake punts.

The defensive back came to Westwood alongside his father Demetrice Martin, who was the Bruins assistant coach, passing coordinator and secondary specialist during the 2025 campaign. He also served on the Bruins’ coaching staff from 2012-2017.

(Libby Li/Daily Bruin)
Assistant coach, passing coordinator and secondary coach Demetrice Martin is pictured on Spaulding field at UCLA. (Libby Li/Daily Bruin)

The departure of Cole Martin indicates the likely exit of his father, who coached in Eugene when Cole Martin committed to Oregon and left the university when his son departed for Arizona State.

Demetrice Martin could be one of many assistant coaches to leave the coaching staff with the hiring of new head coach Bob Chesney.

[Related: UCLA football expects to hire James Madison coach Bob Chesney as next coach]

Jordan – who held one of the starting outside cornerback spots for the final eight games of the 2025 season and replaced redshirt sophomore defensive back Robert Stafford III – notched 10 pass breakups, tying the Big Ten regular season high. Jordan, who stands at 6-foot-1, uses his height to cover receivers along the boundaries, break up passes and blanket pass catchers. He also boasts north-to-south speed to keep up with quick downfield receiving threats.

Jordan’s physical traits have helped him garner 15 pass deflections and 57 tackles across 32 games and 17 starts at UCLA and Oregon State.

The departures of Jordan, Martin and Jackson – along with the exhausted eligibility of Lawrence – mean UCLA will start its 2026 campaign without four of its five 2025 starting defensive backs.

Sports editor

Dullinger is the 2025-2026 Sports editor on the football, men's basketball and NIL beats. He was previously a 2024-2025 assistant Sports editor on the men's soccer, men's volleyball and softball beats and a contributor on the men's golf and men's volleyball beats. Dullinger is a third-year communication and political science student from Sandy Hook, Connecticut.


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