Rising redshirt junior safety Tevin McDonald has been released from the UCLA football team following a violation of team rules.
McDonald was a starter at safety in both his freshman and sophomore seasons with the Bruins, but was suspended from play for the Holiday Bowl versus Baylor in December after a third failed drug test.
Rising sophomore Randall Goforth and rising junior Dietrich Riley, who missed all of last season recovering from a neck injury he sustained two seasons ago, have been named the team’s starters at safety to open spring practice.
In his sophomore campaign, McDonald finished with 79 tackles, good for the team’s third highest total behind then-redshirt sophomore linebacker Eric Kendricks and then-junior linebacker Anthony Barr.
The Bruins will be without three additional former players when spring practice opens next Tuesday. Wide receivers Jerry Rice Jr. and Ricky Marvray as well as linebacker Todd Golper, all of whom still had one year of eligibility remaining, are not on the team’s spring roster and will graduate this spring.
Rice caught seven passes for 52 yards last season and Marvray, who underwent back surgery in 2012, had three catches for 18 yards.
Compiled by Andrew Erickson, Bruin Sports senior staff.