Donovan Dent’s path back to UCLA looks increasingly unlikely, even with the latest eligibility wrinkle giving him a possible extra year.
Dent, the four-year transfer guard from New Mexico, had previously retired from basketball after deciding against entering the NBA Draft. But that changed when United States District Court of Colorado Judge Charlotte Sweeney issued a preliminary injunction that granted college athletes from the high school class of 2022 who finished a fourth season of eligibility this spring a fifth season for 2026-27. Dent was among the players who filed a lawsuit against the NCAA in California seeking that 2026-27 eligibility.
Even with that opening, Dent has entered the transfer portal with a “Do Not Contact” tag, a strong sign that his next stop is already in mind.
That destination appears to be Gonzaga. The Bulldogs have been heavily linked to Dent, and the interest has reportedly been significant enough that the move could come together soon. One report described the pairing as one that would push Gonzaga into national championship contention conversations.
Dent’s college résumé is already impressive. He broke out at New Mexico, where he was the 2025 Mountain West Conference Player of the Year and averaged 20.4 points per game while starting all 35 games for the Lobos.
His lone season at UCLA was productive, but not quite at that New Mexico level. Dent started all but one of the Bruins’ 35 games, averaging 13.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 7.6 assists per game while shooting 40.8%.
At UCLA, he helped guide the Bruins to a 24-12 record, a 7-seed in the NCAA Tournament and a run to the Round of 32 before the loss to UConn.
If Dent does end up in Spokane, he would join a Gonzaga roster already built to win big. For UCLA, the likely departure leaves a gap, but the Bruins still have plenty to work with heading into the season.
In Other News...
Dan Lanning Has Oregon In The Hunt For Elite QB Talent
Oregon is already making the 2028 class a priority, and the Ducks have zeroed in on one of the West Coasts most intriguing young quarterbacks in Josiah Boyd. The Moreno Valley product is rated the No. 7 quarterback in the country, and his early shortlist includes Oregon, USC, UCLA, LSU and Kentucky, a sign that this race could quickly become a regional recruiting battle with national pull.
For UCLA, Boyds presence on Oregons radar matters because the Bruins are right there among the programs being weighed by a top-end California passer. Boyd has spoken positively about Oregons culture, player development and fan support, and he is expected to make game day visits in the fall, which could give the Ducks another chance to separate themselves before this recruitment gets any more crowded. [Read more 🡒]
Nico Iamaleava Finally Has The UCLA Setup Fans Wanted
Nico Iamaleava arrives at UCLA with the kind of resume that makes a fan base pay attention. After finishing his second season at Tennessee with 2,616 passing yards, 19 touchdowns and five interceptions while helping the Volunteers reach the College Football Playoff, he now lands in a new setting with a fresh opportunity to reshape the Bruins offense around him.
Bob Chesney has already started putting pieces around his new quarterback, bringing in talent from James Madison in running back Wayne Knight and receiver Landon Ellis. For a UCLA team that has been looking for more stability and more punch, that matters, because Iamaleava should have a better chance to operate with real support this time around. The bigger question now is how quickly all of it comes together when the season starts. [Read more 🡒]
Nico Iamaleava Gives UCLA Fans A Real Reason To Dream Big
Nico Iamaleava is already giving UCLA a different kind of buzz as the Bruins turn the page into a new era under head coach Bob Chesney and offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy. The junior quarterback has been named to the Maxwell Award preseason watch list, a sign that his profile is rising well beyond Westwood as he heads into his second season with the program.
Iamaleavas first year at UCLA offered enough flashes to make people take notice, with the quarterback appearing in 11 games and contributing both as a passer and runner. Now the bigger question is how quickly he and Kennedy can click in an offense that should look different from a year ago, and whether that combination can turn preseason recognition into something much more meaningful once the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]