Bob Chesney didn’t arrive at UCLA with a blank canvas. He arrived with a familiar blueprint, the same one that has followed him from stop to stop as he climbed from the lower levels of the sport and kept winning along the way.
That pattern is all over the Bruins’ roster. Chesney, like Curt Cignetti, has leaned hard on players he already knew, and UCLA now has a dozen former James Madison players in the program.
Roughly half of them are meaningful contributors. The idea is simple: bring in familiar pieces, trust the culture they already understand, and use that to speed up the rebuild.
The biggest name in the whole operation is Nico Iamaleava. The five-star quarterback, a senior transfer from Tennessee, was the kind of retention Chesney viewed as essential after the dysfunction of the 2025 season.
Iamaleava said it took just one meeting to convince him that staying at UCLA and staying close to home was the right move. His legs have been the bigger weapon than his arm so far, but his leadership has mattered just as much.
UCLA’s ground game has become the engine behind everything else, and Wayne Knight is driving it. The fifth-year back, a transfer from James Madison, was brought back into the fold after being estranged from the program when Chesney arrived in Harrisonburg. He had other offers last offseason, but he chose to follow Chesney to Los Angeles through the portal.
Four games into the season, Knight has been spectacular. He leads one of the nation’s top rushing attacks with 9.08 yards per carry, and he already has more rushing touchdowns than 30 Power Four teams.
“I know this guy wins,” Knight said about Chesney to the school's website. “He wants to talk to his players.
He wants to get to know you and know your journey and just know what kind of person you are. So, you can not only be a better player for him, but a better man after it's all said and done.”
The Bruins haven’t needed much from the passing game yet. Brian Rowe Jr., Landon Ellis and Semaj Morgan make up the receiver group, with Morgan leading the team with 14 catches so far this season. The aerial attack has been quiet because UCLA has been so effective on the ground.
The tight ends are part of that same identity. Brayden Loftin and Harry Lodge, both fifth-year transfers, are mostly being used as extra help in the run game rather than as featured pass catchers.
Up front, Chesney’s James Madison influence is especially obvious. Riley Robell and Carter Sweazie, both former Dukes, are part of an offensive line that also includes Jordan Davis, Eugene Brooks Jr., Hall Schmidt and Jensen Somerville.
The interior pieces matter most here, especially Sweazie, a 6-foot-1 guard. Together, they’re clearing the way for one of the country’s most efficient rushing attacks.
The defensive front also reflects the same roster-building strategy. Sahir West and Aiden Gobaira, both from James Madison, anchor the edges, while the line rotates heavily around them.
That kind of depth helps UCLA stay fresh, and the Bruins have also benefited from playing with big leads in most of their games this season. Against Oregon, though, the challenge changes completely, especially against an offensive line trying to show its early-season problems were just a bump in the road.
At linebacker, Sammy Omosigho has emerged as one of the team’s biggest breakout players. The Oklahoma transfer already has 7.5 tackles for loss and three sacks, and after being buried in the shuffle at OU, he said this spring that he had found “an opportunity.” He’s made the most of it.
The secondary has leaned on a mix of transfers and familiar faces as well. At cornerback, UCLA has Scooter Jackson, Rodrick Pleasant and Derrick Barksdale, with Pleasant bringing a built-in comfort level from his time at Oregon and Barksdale arriving with James Madison familiarity from the playoff run.
At safety, James has become a ball magnet with three interceptions, which ranks second in the country. He’s paired with Malik Hartford, who came back from shoulder surgery in 2025 and has contributed this season in Los Angeles.
The talent level is part of what separates this version of the rebuild from the one Cignetti oversaw at Indiana. The Hoosiers entered last season ranked 72nd in the 247Sports Talent Composite.
UCLA sits 24th in 2026, helped heavily by key retention, especially Iamaleava. Chesney is hoping that blend of familiar imports and higher-end talent can produce the same kind of transformation Cignetti already delivered at Indiana.
It’s still early, but the structure of the roster is easy to see.
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For a rivalry that never needs much help finding edge, a unanimous Texas lean from SEC Nation and College GameDay will only add to the noise when October rolls around. Oklahoma still has plenty of time to shape the conversation before the Cotton Bowl meeting, but the early national temperature check is clear, and it is leaning orange. [Read more 🡒]
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Herbstreit also noted the uneven offensive play on both sides of the matchup, including Arch Mannings underwhelming production for Texas and Oklahomas own struggles moving the ball. Even so, his read was that this one should be tight before the Longhorns eventually find a way through, which is hardly the kind of verdict that settles anything for Sooners fans hoping their defense can turn the rivalry into a real upset chance. [Read more 🡒]