Jay Toia, IDL, UCLA
Size:
Height: 6020
Weight: 342
Arm: 32 ½”
Hand: 10”
Accomplishments:
Four-star recruit
“Jay Toia is a rushing attack’s nightmare; with his first-step explosion and quickness into the backfield, he has a knack for finding the football.”
Strengths:
First step
Gap merchant
Speed to power
Lateral movement in and out of gaps
Concerns:
Pass-rush plan
Lateral anchor
Defeating doubles
Film Analysis:
Jay Toia has racked up experience in his three seasons at UCLA, appearing in 36 games for the Bruins and totaling 66 tackles, seven for loss, and two sacks. He briefly entered the transfer portal after the 2023 season before returning to UCLA for his senior season. With the iron man game style, Toia will look to improve some of his stats with his eyes set on the 2025 NFL Draft. He’ll be playing in a new defensive system and without star pass rusher Laitau Latu, who the Colts drafted with the 15th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Bruins defense will rely on his playing experience to lead this group on a new journey into Big Ten country.
Toia moved around the front for UCLA from 5-tech to 0-tech and was an explosive presence wherever he lined up. His first step is fast and upfield quickly, and he times it beautifully with the snap for maximum impact. That get-off, combined with quick hands, allows him to take the physicality to the offensive line with devastating speed and power to knock back opponents. There’s something about a defensive tackle who lives in the opposition’s backfield that gives hope for improvement as a pass rusher; maybe in a new scheme, he’ll get more one-on-one opportunities.
The lateral agility for a 325-pound defensive tackle is good, and he can put his foot in the ground to change lateral direction quickly toward the ball-carrier. He locates the football quickly and his eyes rapidly identify the direction the offensive line is going, putting his plan in motion. Toia wants to throw linemen to the ground, and with his hands swiftly located to the chest and how quickly he gets on top of them, he’s up to the task. He has an array of pass-rush moves that he uses to get into gaps in the run game, as well.
On pass-rush downs, Toia often moves closer to the center, sees far more double teams, and can’t split them no matter what he does. As impactful as he is against the run getting into the backfield, it hasn’t translated into sacks in the pass rush. His pass-rush plan is underdeveloped and, with an added length concern, might cause him to remain ineffective. When facing double teams, Toia’s lateral anchor could use some strength. Adding core and lower-half strength will allow him to improve the anchor.
Overall, Toia is a highly effective run defender who can stack and shed one-on-one and be a gap merchant who blows up plays in the backfield. He needs to develop as a pass rusher to be a genuine three-down defensive tackle threat, but there’s an unrealized upside.
Prospect Projection: Day 2 — Adequate Starter
Written By: Daniel Harms
