Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season gave UCLA a strong showing across the league, with 19 former Bruins taking the field and a pair of defenders setting the pace for their teams with 10 tackles apiece.
Carson Schwesinger, now in his second year with the Cleveland Browns, backed up his reigning AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year status with a busy opener. He finished with 10 tackles, added a tackle for loss and also logged a quarterback hit.
Quentin Lake matched that tackle total for the Los Angeles Rams and piled on more impact plays, finishing with a team-high 10 tackles, three passes defensed and the second interception of his career. The Rams captain also drew attention from the league’s official account for the pick.
Ka’imi Fairbairn was right in the middle of Houston’s season opener against Buffalo, drilling a 58-yard field goal and going 4-for-4 on extra points. That long kick put the Texans in front 31-30 with 6:44 left in the fourth quarter. Fairbairn came off a 2025 season in which he ranked second in the NFL with 160 points and tied the league’s single-season record with 44 made field goals.
A few other Bruins also got their 2026 campaigns rolling. Jake Brendel started at center for San Francisco and even picked up his first career reception after a batted pass ricocheted to him for a two-yard gain. He helped the 49ers beat the Rams 27-7 in Melbourne, Australia, as San Francisco avoided a sack and piled up 174 rushing yards.
Kenny Clark opened with two solo tackles in Dallas’ 28-20 loss to the New York Giants on Sunday Night Football.
Matt Dickerson chipped in with an assisted tackle off the bench in Jacksonville’s 34-10 win over Cleveland.
Greg Dulcich, starting for Miami, caught two passes for 18 yards against Las Vegas.
Carl Jones, elevated from Baltimore’s practice squad for Week 1, made his mark on special teams with two solo tackles in the Ravens’ 41-23 win over Indianapolis. One of those stops came on a late fourth-quarter kickoff return and kept a touchdown off the board.
Laiatu Latu began his third NFL season with six tackles, including a half-sack, against Baltimore.
Osa Odighizuwa made his 49ers debut count, recording two tackles and a game-high four quarterback hits in San Francisco’s 27-7 win over the Rams.
Otito Ogbonnia posted four tackles for Dallas against the Giants.
Oluwafemi Oladejo added three tackles, including one for loss, in Tennessee’s 23-10 defeat to the New York Jets.
In Other News...
UCLA Just Made A New Move That Reaches Far Beyond The Sidelines
UCLA Athletics has lined up another off-field addition for its marquee programs, announcing a multiyear partnership with JLab that makes the company the Official Headphone Sponsor of UCLA Football and UCLA Mens and Womens Basketball beginning this fall. The deal extends beyond a logo placement, with JLab branding set to appear on coaches headsets and the company also working with select student-athletes through its NIL roster.
The agreement was put together with JMI Sports, UCLA Athletics multimedia rights partner, and it adds another commercial layer around a department that has been leaning into outside deals across major programs. For UCLA, the broader value of a partnership like this is as much about visibility and modern branding as it is about the equipment itself, especially with football and both basketball teams carrying so much of the schools public profile. [Read more 🡒]
UCLAs First Big Ten Test Will Say A Lot About Chesneys Start
UCLA has opened 2-0 under new coach Bob Chesney, and the early returns have given the Bruins a little breathing room before the schedule gets real. A trip into Big Ten play against Purdue now offers a better read on where this team actually stands, especially with an offensive line built in part around several transfers from James Madison holding up well through the first two games.
Purdue brings its own challenge, and this one should tell a lot about Chesneys start because the Boilermakers have looked better in their second season under Barry Odom. Quarterback Ryan Browne and running back Fame Ijeboi give Purdue enough balance to make UCLA defend with discipline, which is exactly the kind of test that can reveal whether the Bruins fast start is built to last. [Read more 🡒]
UCLA Is 2-0 But The Bruins Already Have One Big Concern
UCLAs home opener at the Rose Bowl ended with a comfortable 28-10 win over San Diego State, and Bob Chesneys team is 2-0 to start the season. Wayne Knight powered the offense with three rushing touchdowns, including a late 36-yard burst, while the defense settled in after halftime and helped put the game away by tightening up against the run and creating turnovers.
Still, the result came with an obvious concern for the Bruins. Nico Iamaleava never really found a rhythm behind shaky protection, and his passing numbers reflected a night in which UCLA leaned more on the ground game than it probably wants to long term. For a team trying to build momentum early, the next step is getting the offense cleaner around its quarterback, because the defense may not be able to carry that load every week. [Read more 🡒]