It’ll be interesting to see how offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri deploys his tight ends in Year 1 with the UCLA Bruins. UCLA’s offense was mediocre last year, but it figures to be a different looking squad in 2025, with a new coordinator, quarterback, and plenty of new faces around the offense. There will be some familiar faces too: Senior redshirt tight end Hudson Habermehl is projected to be UCLA’s starting tight end. Habermehl was on the Bruins’ roster last year, but after suffering an injury during the spring, he missed the entire season.
Habermehl has been with UCLA since 2019, appearing in 30 games while making six starts, having hauled in 24 passes for 315 yards and five touchdowns over his time as a Bruin. While it’ll be interesting to see how the 6’7” Habermehl looks as a receiver after missing last year but he should definitely be an asset that can help UCLA’s atrocious run game.
Behind the 245-pound Habermehl on the Bruins’ unoffical depth chart is redshirt junior Jack Pederson. Pederson is another long-tenured Bruin, as he’s been with UCLA since 2022, totaling 12 passes for 126 yards over 18 games. Pederson started four games with UCLA last year but didn’t produce eye-popping stats but perhaps with another year of development and improved quarterback play he’ll breakout this year for the Bruins.
Senior Jake Renda, redshirt sophomore Peter Bario and freshman Dylan Sims fill out the UCLA tight end room. Renda has spent the past four years with Pittsburgh and like Habermehl, missed the entire 2024 season due to injury. Bario has spent the last two years with UCLA but has only gotten special teams work, while Sims is transitioning to becoming a full-time tight end after splitting time as an edge rusher in high school.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: Hudson Habermehl to take over starting duties? A look at UCLA’s tight end room for 2025
Reporting by Dylan McNeill, UCLA Wire / UCLA Wire
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