Former Notre Dame defensive end Devin Aupiu commits to transfer to UCLA

Devin Aupiu is committed to UCLA once again. 

The former Notre Dame defensive end announced the Bruins as his transfer portal destination Monday night on Instagram.  

Aupiu was verbally committed to UCLA as a recruit until flipping his commitment to Notre Dame shortly before the early signing period in December. Then Aupiu enrolled early at Notre Dame in February. 

The 6-foot-5, 200-pound Aupiu opted to end his Notre Dame career early when he entered the transfer portal in late June after spending the spring semester with the Irish. 

Notre Dame recruited Aupiu as a three-star prospect out of Oxnard (Calif.) Pacifica. Aupiu did not play his senior season because the high school football season in California was moved to the spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Rivals ranked Aupiu as the No. 39 weakside defensive end in the 2021 class. 247Sports slated him as the No. 50 linebacker. 

Aupiu should be able to use the NCAA’s new one-time transfer exception and be eligible to play immediately at UCLA because he entered the transfer portal before July 1. The deadline for football players in future years will be May 1. 

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All 13 active players who entered the transfer portal following Notre Dame’s 2020 season have now settled on transfer decisions. Only senior safety Houston Griffith chose to stay at Notre Dame after initially entering the transfer portal. 

The other 11 former Notre Dame players who departed after the season have transferred to the following schools: wide receiver Jafar Armstrong (Illinois), running back Jahmir Smith (Appalachian State), center Colin Grunhard (Kansas), cornerback Isaiah Rutherford (Arizona), defensive end Ovie Oghoufo (Texas), linebacker Jack Lamb (Colorado), wide receiver Micah Jones (Illinois State), running back Kendall Abdur-Rahman (Western Kentucky), wide receiver Jordan Johnson (Central Florida), offensive guard Dillan Gibbons (Florida State) and wide receiver Jay Brunelle (Yale). 

Four other former Notre Dame players transferred since the start of last August: offensive lineman John Olmstead (Lafayette), linebacker Jordan Genmark Heath (UCLA), nose guard Ja’mion Franklin (Duke) and defensive end Kofi Wardlow (Charlotte). 

Notre Dame added to graduate transfers during the offseason: Wisconsin quarterback Jack Coan and Marshall guard Cain Madden. Both are expected to start for the Irish this season. Notre Dame is scheduled to start its preseason camp Saturday on campus.

Follow ND Insider Tyler James on Twitter: @TJamesNDI.