TE Josh Phifer becomes latest James Madison-to-UCLA transfer
The inevitable James Madison-to-UCLA train continued to pick up steam Tuesday, with tight end Josh Phifer revealing his commitment to the Bruins after a weekend official visit that featured a dozen Dukes players who hit the portal.
Phifer will reunite with head coach Bob Chesney, tight ends coach/special teams coordinator Drew Canan and six other assistants on the new-look UCLA staff. The 6-foot-5, 258-pounder has two years of eligibility remaining.
The announcement comes a day after James Madison offensive lineman JD Rayner informed BruinBlitz that he committed while on the visit and kickstarted a string of pledges in UCLA’s favor.
In all, four James Madison players are now committed to play for the Bruins including edge rusher Aiden Gobaira and offensive linemen Riley Robell and Rayner.
Phifer’s production at JMU
The Peachtree City, Ga., product appeared in 27 games, including three starts, over three seasons with the Dukes. He redshirted after five games as a freshman in 2023.
This past season, Phifer played alongside All-Sun Belt honorable mention tight end Lacota Dippre, who also left James Madison and committed to Florida on Monday.
Phifer made four catches for 40 yards and a touchdown while appearing in 12 of 14 games. He had a catch in three consecutive appearances from mid-October to mid-November. His other reception came in the Dukes’ first-ever College Football Playoff contest at Oregon more than two weeks ago.
Tight end room at UCLA
Phifer joins a program that lost starter Hudson Habermehl (out of eligibility) and redshirt junior backup Jack Pedersen (transfer portal). The duo combined for 31 catches and 210 yards without a touchdown in 2025.
The soon-to-be redshirt junior gives the Bruins experience at a position that includes freshmen Noah Fox-Flores and Dylan Sims. Only Flores saw action, appearing in 10 games and making one catch for a 4-yard touchdown in a road loss at UNLV early in the season.
Others with remaining eligibility on the roster include redshirt junior Jake Renda, who completed his first season with the program and played two games after transferring from Pittsburgh, and redshirt sophomore Peter Bario, a converted defensive lineman who appeared mostly on special teams in five games.
Tight end Camden Jensen signed with UCLA and moved in along with the rest of the 2026 early enrollees this past weekend.