Tennell, Starting Tight End at UCLA, Declared Ineligible

Derek Tennell, UCLA’s starting tight end the last two seasons, has been declared academically ineligible, the school announced Saturday.

Tennell, who caught 24 passes last season, will not travel to Norman, Okla., for the Bruins’ opener against Oklahoma next Saturday. Coach Terry Donahue said that junior Joe Pickert will start in Tennell’s place.

There is a possibility that Tennell will regain his eligibility when UCLA’s summer session ends in three weeks.