UCLA offensive tackle Justin Murphy granted a sixth year of eligibility

UCLA’s offensive line on Monday received a significant boost for next season when the NCAA approved a sixth year of eligibility for right tackle Justin Murphy.

The graduate transfer described himself as “extremely grateful” on Twitter and thanked UCLA’s compliance department for its assistance in handling his petition for the extra year of eligibility.

“Thank you for everything y’all do over there,” Murphy wrote, “it doesn’t go unnoticed!”

Murphy had played parts of two seasons at Texas Tech before medically retiring in 2016 because of ongoing knee issues. He enrolled at UCLA before this season and played in the first four games before suffering another knee injury against Colorado in late September that required surgery to clean up cartilage damage.

Murphy, who played both tackle and guard, returned for the Bruins’ final two games of the season.

UCLA’s offensive line could return fully intact next season if junior left tackle Andre James returns for his senior season instead of making himself available for the NFL draft. The Bruins also recently picked up a commitment from Sean Rhyan, a highly touted tackle from San Juan Hills High in San Juan Capistrano.