LOS ANGELES - UCLA standouts Eric Kendricks, Owamagbe Odighizuwa and Brett Hundley were selected last week in the 2015 NFL Player Draft. Three more Bruins, Anthony Jefferson, Ellis McCarthy and Malcolm Bunche were inked to free agent contracts in the hours after the draft.
Kendricks, chosen by the Minnesota Vikings in the second round with the No. 45 overall pick, is the third Bruin linebacker to be selected in the last two drafts (Anthony Barr – first round Minnesota and Jordan Zumwalt – sixth round Pittsburgh in 2014 Draft). He will join former Bruin linebacker Anthony Barr, punter Jeff Locke, long snapper Kevin McDermott and offensive lineman Mike Harris on the Vikings roster.
The all-time leading tackler (481) in school history, Kendricks won both the 2014 Butkus Award and the Lott IMPACT Trophy while leading the nation in solo tackles per game (7.8). He also established a school record with 11 double-digit tackle games in 2014.
Odighizuwa was selected by the New York Giants with the tenth pick in the third round, No. 74 overall. Bruin defensive linemen have now been chosen in six of the last eight drafts --- 2008 Bruce Davis, Pittsburgh Rd. 3-88th overall; 2010-Brian Price, Tampa Bay Rd. 2-35th; 2011-David Carter, Arizona Rd. 6-184th; 2013-Datone Jones, Green Bay Rd. 1-26th; 2014 Cassius Marsh, Seattle Rd. 4-108th.
Odighizuwa recorded 61 tackles and tied for the team lead last season with 11.5 tackles for loss. He also ranked second on the team with six sacks.
Hundley was chosen by the Green Bay Packers with the 11th pick in the fifth round, No. 147 overall. He will join former teammate defensive lineman Datone Jones, a 2013 first round pick, on the Packers roster. Hundley completed his Bruin career as the all-time school leader in touchdown passes (75), total offense (11,713), 300-yard total offense games (20) and completions (837).
Hundley threw for, or ran for, a touchdown in all but one of his 40 UCLA career games and owns five of the school’s total of 10 career 400-yard total offense games. The Arizona native recorded at least one scoring pass in 36 of his 40 career contests and is the only player in school history to produce a 4,000-yard total offense season (2012 – 4,095 yards). One of the most accurate Bruin passers ever, he totaled the second- (.691 in 2014), third- (.668 in 2013) and fourth-highest (.665 in 2012) season completion percentages in UCLA annals during his career. Cade McNown, a first round selection in 1999, was the last Bruin quarterback to be tabbed in the draft.
Defensive back Anthony Jefferson was signed by the Chicago Bears as a free agent. He ranked third on the team in tackles (72) and tied for the team lead in pass breakups (8) in 2014. Jefferson was a member of the coach’s second-team All-Pac-12 team. He had a season-high 10 tackles last season versus Stanford, including 1.5 tackles for loss.
Defensive lineman Ellis McCarthy will become a member of the Miami Dolphins after inking a free agent contract. McCarthy saw action in all 13 games in 2014 and was credited with 21 tackles and 3.0 sacks. He recorded a season-best four tackles in last season’s win over USC and had multiple tackles in seven games.
Offensive lineman Malcolm Bunche signed with the Philadelphia Eagles. Bunche transferred to UCLA from Miami, Fla and played last season as a graduate student. He started six games at left tackle and three more at left guard in 2014 while helping to pave the way for Pac-12 rushing leader Paul Perkins who ran for the second-highest single-season rushing yards total in school history.
UCLA has now had 12 players selected in the last three NFL Drafts --- five in 2014 and four during the 2013 event. The last time UCLA had as many as 12 players chosen during three straight drafts was in 2002 (6), 2003 (2) and 2004 (4). The last time the Bruins had more than 12 players picked during three straight drafts was in 1992 (6), 1993 (4), 1994 (5). Last season, there were 10 free agent Bruins listed on NFL rosters in the final week of the regular season.
UCLA begins its 2015 season in the Rose Bowl, on September 5, against Virginia. For 2015 ticket information, please click HERE.