UCLA wide receiver Rico Flores Jr. was excluded from the Bruins’ roster in EA Sports’ “College Football ’25.” The game’s developers issued an apology to Flores for this oversight, likely related to the timing of his transfer from Notre Dame.
“I gotta make ‘em not forget ever again,” Flores told Ben Bolch of The Los Angeles Times. His omission from the game has motivated him, giving him a chip on his shoulder. Despite this setback, the sophomore has impressed his new teammates with his maturity and competitiveness on the field.
Unfortunately, the video game errors didn’t stop with Flores. The creators also disappointed several Bruins regarding the rating given to Titus Mokiao-Atimalala. “I get it, he didn’t play last year,” said Logan Loya about Mokiao-Atimalala, who sat out last season, “but his rating should be way higher.”
Mokiao-Atimalala had a promising 2022 season, catching 17 passes for 290 yards. Transferring from Central Florida, he quickly made a name for himself at UCLA. Both Flores and Mokiao-Atimalala are key standouts in training camp, with UCLA boasting strong depth at receiver this season, making it a solid group under coach Erik Frazier.
The talent in the wide receiver room has heightened the intensity of practices. “I tell them every day: ‘Make it hard for me not to play you,’” Frazier emphasized.
Michael J. Sturdivant is expected to be the top receiver for the Bruins this year. “I just want to do my job,” he stated. “When the ball comes to me, I want to make the play and when I’m setting up a play for another teammate, I’m going to do my job.”
With new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy implementing a pro-style offense, the receiver group has more flexibility. “EB’s playbook is definitely a different one for me,” Sturdivant noted. “I’ve been studying it a lot coming out here early to practice, walking through the script and making sure I get comfortable with the offense. He’s been a great teacher.”
With Bieniemy leading the way in a receiver-friendly scheme, the UCLA wide receiver group is poised for a standout season in the Big Ten conference.
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