Former Louisville, Ole Miss QB Pierce Clarkson signs with UCLA out of transfer portal

Former Louisville and Ole Miss quarterback Pierce Clarkson has signed with UCLA out of the NCAA transfer portal. That news comes courtesy of a report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

Clarkson played very sparingly for the Cardinals, throwing just six passes in the last two years. He completed four of them for a total of 18 yards, failing to throw either a touchdown or an interception.

He’ll enter a quarterback room at UCLA looking for some pop after a topsy-turvy offseason. Multiple transfers have changed the picture at quarterback for the Bruins.

Things started when Appalachian State quarterback Joey Aguilar transferred in to UCLA. But he would end up leaving the program after spending time in the spring with the Bruins.

He did so because star Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava opted to transfer to UCLA following a controversial disagreement over his NIL compensation with the Volunteers. Iamaleava opted for a new spot, and he arrives on the West coast knowing he’s got a great shot to start right away. Aguilar then left for Tennessee.

That wasn’t the only move at quarterback for UCLA this offseason, though. Iamaleava’s brother, Madden Iamaleava, also transferred in from Arkansas this offseason.

That leaves a crowded quarterback room. It’s one in which Pierce Clarkson will now compete for snaps in.

UCLA quarterback signs with San Jose State

As a further result of the chaos in the quarterback room at UCLA, another member is on his way out. UCLA transfer quarterback Robert McDaniel has signed with San Jose State, per On3’s Pete Nakos. McDaniel will have four years of eligibility remaining.

McDaniel originally committed to UCLA as a three-star recruit, according to the On3 Industry Rankings, which is a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services. He was the No. 482 overall prospect in the 2025 recruiting cycle, as well as the No. 31 quarterback in the class.

McDaniel was recruited by the likes of Arizona, Florida, and Indiana, among others. The California native was even committed to Arizona for a time, but flipped his commitment last December. He also held an offer from San Jose State coming out of high school. Clearly, the Spartans were still interested in his services for the 2025 college football season.

On3”s Barkley Truax also contributed to this report.