UCLA pass rusher, former South Carolina transfer Drew Tuazama re-enters NCAA Transfer Portal

UCLA defensive end Drew Tuazama, a former transfer from Syracuse, UAB and South Carolina, has re-entered the NCAA Transfer Portal. On3’s Pete Nakos confirmed the news.

Tuazama qualifies for a sixth season of collegiate eligibilty after the NCAA granted a blanket waiver for any student-athletes that previously participated at a non-NCAA/junior college program that had exhausted their four-year eligibility window with the 2024 season.

The 6-foot-5, 260-pound Tuazama has participated in 27 career games over five seasons between four FBS programs: UCLA (two games in 2024), South Carolina (five games in 2023), UAB (13 games in 2022) and Syracuse (seven games between 2019-20). He also spent the 2021 season at East Mississippi Community College, thus qualifying for the NCAA waiver for the 2025 season. Tuazama has 44 career tackles, eight tackles for loss and four sacks over his five seasons at the FBS level.

At UCLA, Tuazama recorded one solo tackle as a reserve defensive lineman vs. Fresno State. Prior to transferring to Los Angeles in June 2024, Tuazama logged just a single solo tackle in his lone start of the 2023 season against Georgia in his lone season at South Carolina.

Tuazama had his most productive season at UAB, where he earned All-Conference USA honors as a part of a defense that led the league in scoring defense, passing defense and defensive efficiency. Recording 33 tackles, three pass breakups, three quarterback hurries, and a team-leading five sacks in 2022.

Ahead of the 2021 season, Tuazama dropped down to the junior college level at East Mississippi Community College, where he’d round up 32 tackles, six tackles for loss, and a fumble recovery.

In two seasons at Syracuse, Tuazama redshirted in 2019 and then played in six games during the 2020 season, tallying seven tackles, two tackles for loss and a blocked punt against Clemson.

Tuazama played high school football at Knightdale High School in North Carolina before being rated a three-star prospect. He was ranked the No. 4 overall recruit and the No. 1 EDGE in the prep school ranks out of Jireh Prep Academy in 2019, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire.

The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.

Kaiden Smith contributed to this report.