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Dorian Thompson-Robinson returning to play his senior season at UCLA

UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson looks to pass against California on Nov. 15.
UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, looking to pass against California on Nov. 15, Thompson-Robinson will be back with the Bruins next season.
(Associated Press)
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With three words and a single tweet, UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson signaled his intentions about his future as a Bruin.

One more year,” Thompson-Robinson wrote Monday.

One more year to solidify his NFL stock. One more year to nudge UCLA into winning territory. One more year to leave a legacy.

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All are on the table now that Thompson-Robinson will return for his senior season. His junior season ended in inglorious fashion, Thompson-Robinson suffering an apparent right knee injury in the second quarter of the Bruins’ 48-47 loss to Stanford in double overtime on Saturday at the Rose Bowl.

Kelly fielded the most entertaining team of his three seasons with UCLA, but another losing season means another disappointing year for Bruins fans.

Thompson-Robinson had been on the verge of overtaking Troy Aikman for seventh place on UCLA’s all-time passing list when he crumpled to the ground, never to return. He finished the season completing 65.2% of his passes for 1,120 yards and 12 touchdowns with four interceptions in five games, having missed two others while stuck in quarantine because of COVID-19 contact-tracing protocols.

His production and reliability both enjoyed a significant uptick after he committed 19 turnovers, including seven fumbles, as a sophomore.

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“At least I didn’t lead the conference in turnovers this year lol,” Thompson-Robinson tweeted last week.

Thompson-Robinson will enter his final college season with 5,132 passing yards, needing 166 to surpass Aikman on the school’s all-time list. His passing-efficiency rating of 156.29 last season was higher than Brett Hundley’s 152.7 during Hundley’s junior season before going on to the NFL.

With the NCAA granting every player an extra year of eligibility in the wake of the pandemic, the Bruins could return everyone on offense besides running back Demetric Felton Jr., who announced Sunday that he was headed to the NFL.

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