Before UCLA could officially make an announcement, recruits were already starting to hear about the newest member of the Bruins’ football coaching staff.

Tony Washington Jr., who spent last season as a defensive graduate assistant working with the outside linebackers at Oregon, was officially announced Friday as UCLA’s new defensive line coach.

The job opened up when Ikaika Malloe was promoted to defensive coordinator.

Washington, whose social media bio already reflected the hire before the announcement, was tagged Friday in a graphic posted on social media by local 2025 edge rusher Weston Port.

A couple hours later UCLA formally announced the hire, along with the addition of quarterbacks coach Billy Fessler, who was previously the Akron offensive coordinator.

Washington also has experience working with the outside linebackers, in addition to a director of player development role with the Ducks dating back to 2021. Other stops including a two-year stint as a graduate assistant at Nebraska from 2019-21.

"It's been exciting to watch Tony develop throughout the years," Bruins head coach Chip Kelly said in a release. "I can't wait to see what he does with our players."

As a player, he was a linebacker at Oregon from 2010-14 and had stops in the NFL with the Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans.

Fessler is taking over the quarterbacks coach job left behind by Ryan Gunderson, who left to be the new offensive coordinator at Oregon State.

"Billy has earned a reputation for his attention to detail toward the quarterback position," Kelly said in a separate release. "I look forward to seeing what he can accomplish on and off the field with our talented quarterback room."

UCLA’s other moves earlier this offseason included promoting Ken Niumatalolo from director of leadership to tight ends coach, filling the vacancy created when Jeff Faris took the Austin Peay head coaching job.