There’s no such thing as too many pass rushers, and another option just appeared in the transfer portal as a potential option for the UCLA Bruins, with former five-star defensive end Hayden Lowe leaving the Miami Hurricanes’ program.
Miami head coach Mario Cristobal announced on Tuesday that Lowe will not be returning to the Hurricanes’ program for a second season. Lowe played in just one game in 2025 for Miami, watching from the sidelines as the Hurricanes made a run to the College Football Playoffs national title game.
Mario Cristobal announced on Tuesday morning on WQAM that former 5-star DL recruit Hayden Lowe is no longer with the Miami program.https://t.co/oIha7FhsbP
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos) August 4, 2026
UCLA recruited Lowe back when he was coming out of Oaks Christian High School
in Westlake Village, California back in 2025. The Bruins were far from the only school interested in Lowe, with USC, Georgia, Oregon, Washington and UCLA all hosting Lowe for visits before he eventually wound up in Miami.
While Lowe’s freshman season wasn’t a breakout campaign, Lowe is still a 6’5”, 255 lbs presence on the edge that was the No. 16 recruit in the entire nation according to 247 Sports. 247 Sports’ Director of Scouting Andrew Ivins was impressed with Lowe back in his high school days.
“Booming edge rusher with long limbs and gap-closing burst that can finish with authority. Took a major step forward from a developmental standpoint between junior and senior campaigns before a promising showing at the Navy All-American Bowl where he totaled three quarterback pressures,” Ivins said in January of 2025. “Likely to undergo a major physical transformation in the coming years as he’s young for the grade, which should in turn help make him more potent as a run defender. Overall, should be viewed as a potential sack artist for a College Football Playoff contender.”
It was a different UCLA coaching staff that recruited Lowe back in 2024 but new head coach Bob Chesney has shown the ability to bring elite recruits and highly-sought after transfers to Westwood, with Lowe being a possibility to become another.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: UCLA could get a second chance at landing SoCal native Hayden Lowe
