25 Bruins Named to Active Rosters Ahead of 2024 NFL Season ...

The UCLA football team had 25 former standouts named to active rosters leading up to the 2024 NFL regular season, which is slated to kick off Thursday in Kansas City. 

Among the Bruins in the professional ranks are are 19th-year tight end Marcedes Lewis of the Chicago Bears and 10th-year linebacker Eric Kendricks, who is set to embark on his first season with the Dallas Cowboys this fall.

Four Bruins will appear at SoFi Stadium on Sunday, the most of any Week 1 NFL game, as the Los Angeles Chargers (DL Otito Ogbonnia) play host to the Las Vegas Raiders (CB Darnay Holmes, OL Andre James, OL Kolton Miller) at 1:05 p.m. A slew of other Week 1 games will feature a trio of Bruins, including Arizona at Buffalo, Minnesota at New York (Giants), Denver at Seattle, and Dallas at Cleveland.

UCLA football fans will have rooting interests all week long, as Bruin alums will feature in NFL contests on Thursday, Friday, Sunday, and Monday. 

Rookie running back Carson Steele has the chance to make his NFL debut on Thursday night, as the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs host Baltimore on Thursday at 5:20 p.m. PT on NBC.

Then on Friday night, a pair of Bruins will suit up for Green Bay (DE Kenny Clark, OL Sean Rhyan) as the Packers face Philadelphia in São Paolo, Brazil. It will be the first-ever NFL regular-season game played in South America.

Finally, defensive lineman Takk McKinley (New York Jets) and center Jake Brendel (San Francisco 49ers) will face off on Monday Night Football.

Including Steele, eight members of UCLA's 2023 squad are set to begin their first NFL campaigns this week. That list includes the No. 15 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft in edge rusher Laiatu Latu of the Indianapolis Colts, as well as linebacker Darius Muasau of the New York Giants, and tight end Colson Yankoff of the Washington Commanders. Cornerback Alex Johnson (New York Giants, practice squad), linebacker Carl Jones Jr. (Chicago Bears, practice squad), and edge rushers Gabriel Murphy (Minnesota Vikings, injured reserve) and Grayson Murphy (Miami Dolphins, injured reserve) will also look to make their professional debuts this fall.

In total, 36 Bruins are affiliated with 22 NFL teams, with others occupying spots on practice squads and reserve lists.