UCLA safety Kamari Ramsey enters transfer portal

After a playing a critical role in helping improve UCLA’s pass defense, redshirt freshman safety Kamari Ramsey announced Wednesday he has entered the transfer portal.

Ramsey is the seventh player to transfer out of the program since Nov. 27, following receivers Kam Brown and Keegan Jones, tight end Carsen Ryan, quarterback Dante Moore, offensive lineman Jake Wiley and defensive back William Nimmo Jr. The latter was Ramsey’s backup on the Bruins’ two-deep depth chart.

He is the third UCLA undergraduate to announce he is transferring.

Ramsey’s announcement also comes five days after defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn decided to leave Westwood for crosstown rival USC.

A four-star safety out of nearby Chatsworth (Calif.) Sierra Canyon, he chose the Bruins among a top five that included Arizona State, Ohio State, Stanford and USC in the 2022 recruiting cycle.

After appearing in four games as a freshman, Ramsey broke through with a strong spring camp and won a starting job in the secondary this season.

The 6-foot-1, 205-pounder started 11 of UCLA’s 12 games, sitting out the loss to Arizona State due to injury. Ramsey finished with 40 tackles, including two for a loss, to go with an interception and a pass deflection. He made a career-high eight tackles on the road at Oregon State.

Ramsey’s emergence helped a defense that was the nation’s 12th-worst against the pass in 2022 improve to 71st among 130 FBS teams after allowing 229.4 yards per game this season. His play, in particular, helped the Bruins make stops for minimal gains against screen passes that UCLA had issues containing the previous season.

Ramsey’s decision is another hit to UCLA’s future, which has two defensive backs — both cornerbacks — committed to the 2024 class in three-star Jamir Benjamin and four-star Khristian Dunbar-Hawkins.

Waiting in the wings is freshman safety R.J. Jones, a former four-star recruit who was signed in the 2023 class.