UCLA offensive lineman Garrett DiGiorgio is one of the rarest sights in college football these days: a five-year player, with all five years coming at the same school.
He’s been too busy to spend much time looking back on that period in his life yet, having been focused on preparing for the NFL draft. Wednesday’s Pro Day on campus, and the leadup to it, was perhaps his first and best chance to do so.
“It’s been a long last two and a half months in terms of training, so I haven’t really had time to reflect too much,” he said. “But being able to come back into Westwood last Monday? Man, it was like a breath of fresh air just being able to be back in my home territory.”
The Pro Day marked not only DiGiorgio’s return to campus but also an opportunity to reunite with a number of his teammates, all of whom have the same goal of making the NFL.
“We put blood, sweat, tears in together,” he said. “It was cool to be able to come out here and try to test out and get to that next level all together too.”
DiGiorgio was one of several Bruins who used the Pro Day as an opportunity to consider their time at UCLA. Many of the other participants transferred in after playing for other schools, but still took lessons and value away from their experience.
“I had an injury [while at UCLA], and being able to come back from that, I feel like I can come and do anything,” said defensive lineman Gary Smith III, a Duke transfer who missed the entire 2024 season with said injury. “Like, now, from anything out, I can do something big.”
Smith also credited UCLA with helping him become a more prepared player, a mindset he described as “Staying ready so I don’t have to get ready.”
The chances of any UCLA player being drafted this year are not great. The draft will be 257 picks long, and zero Bruins are listed in the top 257 of the NFL Mock Draft Database’s consensus big board. DiGiorgio is the highest at No. 301, though he tried to remain optimistic.
“I feel like I tested very well,” he said. “I’m looking forward to seeing what happens in April.”
“I just gotta be able to put each step in front of each other and just prep myself for stepping into that next big stage as an NFL football player.”
But regardless of where any of their professional hopes might fall, and even after a difficult 2025 season, the Pro Day was marked by a clear sense of gratitude for a journey that’s taken them this close to an NFL career. For all of them, UCLA is obviously a part of that.
“I’ll forever love UCLA,” running back Anthony Frias II said. “I’ll be back [as an alumnus], coming to games, things like that. All the brotherhood and the friendships, and even the coaches, the relationships that I’ve built with them, it’s deeper than blood, really.”
A California native who transferred from Kansas State, Frias brought his journey full-circle by returning to his home state to conclude his college career, making it easier for his family to attend games. The next time they watch him could be at the highest level, and if he does reach that point, perhaps he’ll be able to point to a successful pro day in Westwood as part of the reason he made the NFL.
“I love Kansas State, and I have nothing bad about Kansas State,” he said. “But I just love UCLA, and I’m a Bruin forever.”