The 2025 College Football Season is drawing to a close with just one game left for the national title. While there won’t be any Long Beach representation for either Miami or Indiana during Monday’s title game, there’s been a ton of activity on and off the field for the city’s gridiron stars.
In the College Football Playoff, a pair of Long Beach Poly Jackrabbits were with the Oregon Ducks as they made a run to the CFP Semifinals. Redshirt freshman linebacker Dylan Williams played sparingly this season, and recorded a tackle in playoff games against James Madison and Indiana.
Former Poly teammate Daylen Austin appeared in 13 games this season for the Ducks, recording 10 tackles, three pass breakups, and an interception. The redshirt sophomore defensive back left the program during their playoff run, announcing that he would enter the NCAA Transfer Portal. A few days ago, Austin announced he had signed with Arizona.
Another former Poly DB is on the move again as Donovan Turner announced he would be leaving the University of Illinois. Turner also played at UMass and LBCC after his time as a Jackrabbit, and did not make an appearance during his junior season with the Illini. He announced that he’s signed with Sacramento State for the 2026 season.
Millikan alums Ezavier Staples and Myles Jackson both entered their names into the portal last week. Staples has been a wide receiver at UCLA since 2021, appearing in 11 games this season with a pair of catches. Jackson has been a backup QB at Stanford for the past three years and did not see game action for the Cardinal.
On the field, there were a number of Long Beach products who made an impact during bowl season, starting right here in SoCal with the LA Bowl. Both Jordan Washington (Jordan High) and Tacario Davis (Millikan High) were suited up for the Washington Huskies at SoFi Stadium against Boise State.
Washington was the only one who saw game action in the LA Bowl, rushing four times for 25 yards in a big win for the Huskies. He was a backup running back during his redshirt freshman season, but had some solid performances including a 68-yard TD run against Purdue. In total, Washington appeared in 10 games for the Huskies, and was named to the Big Ten All-Academic Team.
Davis, meanwhile, did not play in the LA Bowl as he is preparing for the upcoming NFL Draft. The 6-foot-4 senior cornerback played in 13 games for Washington this season, recording 19 total tackles and an interception. As part of his draft process, Davis is scheduled to play in the Senior Bowl on Jan. 31.
Speaking of the draft, former Long Beach Poly linebacker Bryun Parham officially declared for the 2026 NFL Draft following his senior season with UConn. The former Washington Husky was a force for his new pack of Huskies in Connecticut, leading the team with 116 tackles and 10.5 sacks. In the Fenway Bowl against Army, he led the team with 10 tackles and a forced fumble. His former Long Beach Poly teammates Jacob Tuioti and Donovan Poe were on the opposite sideline for Army, but did not make it onto the stat sheet.
In other bowl action, former Millikan running back Anthony League had a nice performance in the Hawai’i Bowl, rushing four times for 25 yards and his first collegiate touchdown for the Golden Bears. League appeared in four regular season games as a freshman, preserving his ability to redshirt.
Blocking for League was Long Beach Poly grad Tyson Ruffins on the Cal offensive line. The redshirt sophomore was one of eight Golden Bears to appear in all 12 games during the 2025 season.
Long Beach made the trip to Arizona in a number of ways for this year’s Arizona Bowl. The event was sponsored by local icon Snoop Dogg, who performed during halftime with the bands from Miami (OH) and Fresno State. On the field, a pair of Long Beach guys were in the game for Fresno State, with former Millikan defensive back Loyall Mouzon and former Long Beach Poly wideout Jordan Malau’ulu. Both of the redshirt freshmen saw limited action, with Malau’ulu hauling in one pass for three yards during the Bulldogs’ 18-3 victory.
Sticking with The Grand Canyon State, former Millikan offensive lineman Maki Stewart started the Sun Bowl for Arizona State. The Sun Devils’ offense played well despite the 42-39 loss against Duke. Stewart played in seven games for ASU as a freshman tackle, and should be a valuable piece for the Sun Devils moving forward.
There were also a pair of Long Beach Poly Jackrabbits who played in the Holiday Bowl with the Arizona Wildcats. Senior offensive lineman Chubba Maae played in all 13 games for Arizona this season, as did redshirt sophomore Dominic Lolesio, who had 19 total tackles and a sack from his spot on the defensive line.
Other players who had their teams reach bowl games but did not participate include Long Beach Poly alums Wendell “WoWo” Moe, Jr. (Tennessee) and Aaron Smith (New Mexico), along with LBCC alum Rey Sanchez (USC) and Millikan grad JP Mialovski (San Diego State).
