Transfer defensive back Azizi Hearn takes long road to UCLA football

It wasn’t simply visitors that stalled Azizi Hearn’s journey from Oceanside to Westwood.

The UCLA defensive again took the lengthy highway up the California coast, looping via Tucson, Ariz., and Laramie, Wyo., and turning into the switch portal twice. 5 years after strolling on to his first school crew, the San Diego-area product is comfortable to say he’s arrived to his final vacation spot.

“That is house for me,” Hearn stated Wednesday after observe at Spaulding Discipline on UCLA’s campus.

Lower than a month into his UCLA profession, the graduate switch has emerged because the crew’s fifth defensive again, leaping in with the highest unit because the slot nook. Redshirt senior Stephan Blaylock stated final week that Hearn was an early standout in spring camp as a result of he grabbed two interceptions within the first two weeks. He had one other decide throughout one-on-one drills.

Hearn is predicted to make an on the spot impression at UCLA. That’s the usual he set for himself whereas at Wyoming, the place he performed in 32 straight video games in three years. He began all 13 video games final 12 months with 30 tackles and 5 move breakups because the Cowboys went 7-6 and completed the season with a victory within the Idaho Potato Bowl.

The Oceanside native went to Wyoming after two years at Arizona, the place he started as a walk-on in 2017 underneath Wealthy Rodriguez. He cracked the rotation the next 12 months, which was Kevin Sumlin’s first season in Tucson, and rose to the beginning function by the ultimate three video games, ending with 26 tackles and a fumble restoration for a landing.

Hearn admitted he had early goals of taking part in at UCLA. It felt like a hometown faculty for the San Diego-area product, however the three-time crew captain at Oceanside Excessive by no means broke into the recruiting highlight. Having to start as a walk-on is rarely removed from Hearn’s thoughts.

“That also fuels me to at the present time, truthfully,” he stated. “I nonetheless sort of have a chip on my shoulder.”

Hearn’s ample school expertise makes him a prepared chief for a protection adjusting to 4 new assistant coaches, together with first-year defensive coordinator Invoice McGovern. Hearn related rapidly with veterans Blaylock and Kenny Churchwell, who’re each of their fifth years at UCLA, and youthful gamers akin to sophomore Devin Kirkwood.

“He’s like a giant brother to me,” Kirkwood informed reporters final week. “He talks to me on a regular basis. He helps me keep locked in.”

Hearn stated he selected UCLA after Wyoming as a result of it provided him a spot to “develop as a person and as a participant.” Robust relationships with former UCLA gamers and fellow San Diego prospects akin to Kyle Philips and Jordan Genmark-Heath contributed to the selection. They each spoke extremely of their experiences as Bruins and seeing how the college ready them for potential NFL careers solely intrigued Hearn extra as he goals of the following cease in his journey.

“To see them put themselves in that place, it’s simply thrilling,” Hearn stated. “And I can’t wait to fulfill them up there.”