Alex Akingbulu

Four players -- offensive linemen Alex Akingbulu, Sean Seawards and Jax Wacaser, and punter Austin Kent -- are no longer with the UCLA football team, according to various sources.

Akingbulu, Seawards and Kent were informed there wasn't a spot for them on the team, while Wacaser opted for a medical retirement.

Akingbulu, who would have been a redshirt sophomore, was probably the most likely to see playing time in the 2018 season. He spent the 2017 season recovering from an ACL injury and then had an up-and-down spring practice. He began the spring as the starter at right guard but then fell to the second-string by April.

Kent, who would have been a junior, had been a sometime starter as UCLA's punter, but was over-taken last season by walk-on Stefan Flintoft, who will be a redshirt senior in 2018. In the 2016 season as a freshman, Kent averaged 38.3 yards, but has been hampered by inconsistency while at UCLA.

Redshirt-sophomore-to-be Seawards was a back-up interior offensive lineman who hadn't really threatened to compete for a starter spot since being at UCLA, and spent his time with the second- and third-string in spring.

Akingbulu, Seawards and Kent are still enrolled in school, but there is conflicting information whether they'll be able to stay on scholarship if they decide to remain at UCLA and not count against the program's 85-scholarship limit. There are sources that have indicated there is an NCAA rule that provides an exemption for a new head coach within a certain time period to move scholarship players off the roster, with the players retaining their scholarship and not counting against the scholarship limit.

We have heard that Akingbulu and Seaward have investigated the possibility of transferring.

Wacaser, who would have been a redshirt freshman this season, has been hampered by injury since coming to UCLA. By NCAA rules pertaining to a medical retirement, he will be allowed to stay on scholarship if he chooses to remain at UCLA with his ride not counting toward the 85-scholarship total.

There is also the possibility that Akingbulu could be opting for a medical retirement because of his ACL injury.

While none of the four were projected to see playing time, the loss of three offensive linemen makes an already thin offensive line depth chart even thinner. A few walk-on offensive linemen did play roles in the offensive line two-deep during spring practice, and Kelly and offensive line coach Justin Frye have a number of walk-on offensive linemen coming to UCLA this fall.

We also reported in spring that redshirt freshman tight end Jimmy Jaggers was leaving the program due to a medical retirement, and he officially announced it last week.