Rival Big Ten Running Back Transfers to Bruins

The UCLA Bruins have acquired a running back through the transfer portal. Michigan State’s Jalen Berger will once again transfer to another Big Ten school. Berger told Rival’s Adam Frediman that he will take his talents to Westwood.

Berger is no stranger to the Big Ten, as UCLA will be his third Big Ten school. He began his college career at Wisconsin, where he enrolled in 2020. During the 2021 season, Berger entered the transfer portal and landed at Michigan State. He spent two full seasons there before re-entering the portal at the end of April 2024.

Berger has some familiarity with UCLA, though that was under the previous regime. The Bruins made Berger an offer in November 2019, and he went on an official visit in December 2019 before committing to Wisconsin less than a month later.

The former four-star recruit has 1,165 rushing yards in four college seasons, with his best season coming in 2022 with the Spartans, where he caught 148 carries for 683 yards and six touchdowns.

The New Jersey native is a three-star transfer recruit ranked 1,171 overall and the No. 104 running back, according to 247Sports. The Bruins roster is in somewhat of a rebuild following the departure of former head coach Chip Kelly. DeShaun Foster is now the captain of the ship, and he’ll look to use Berger in their inaugural season in the Big Ten.

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