UCLA’s tackle picture already looks a little less settled than it did when fall camp opened.
The Bruins spent their first week of camp sorting through the offensive line, and the two tackle spots remain very much in flux. Coming into camp, South Alabama transfer Jordan Davis and Boise State transfer Hall Schmidt looked like the cleanest answers for Week One. Davis brings three years of starting experience, while Schmidt logged 12 starts during Boise State’s 2024 College Football Playoff season.
But Davis has now missed UCLA’s last three fall practices because of an ongoing dehydration issue, and that absence could open the door for other linemen to get more work with the first group. Bob Chesney doesn’t sound alarmed, but he also isn’t ready to hand out labels just yet.
“I don't think we're there yet. I think it's going to take a little bit more...
So it's not enough of a body of work just yet to say what it could be. When we get in games, we're going to figure out exactly what we're made of...
I do like the progressions that have been made, but ultimately don't feel like we have a definitive...depths just yet." Chesney said at Big Ten Media Days.
One name to keep in the mix is Jensen Somerville. He’s entering his third college football season with UCLA and has the size and experience to climb the depth chart if the opportunity opens up. Last season, Somerville’s work came almost entirely on field goal and extra point units, but that usage could shift this year.
He wasn’t part of the initial conversation as a favorite for a starting tackle job, but his development could matter a lot if injuries hit or if the Bruins decide the current options need more competition. That makes the tackle battle one of the more important things to track as camp rolls on.
With Iamaleava needing protection, UCLA’s staff has a clear job ahead: sort it out, and sort it out right.
In Other News...
UCLA Camp Is Already Raising One Early Concern For Bruins Fans
A week into UCLA training camp, there are already signs that the Bruins are getting a better read on where some key pieces fit. Receiver Matthews has apparently been more involved in the offense, which is the kind of development the staff wants to see this time of year, while Wayne Knight continues to look like a dependable option in the backfield. There is enough positive momentum in those spots to suggest the offense is sorting itself out in a few important areas.
The concern, at least for now, is on the other side of the ball. Malik Hartford appears to be trending in the wrong direction, and the bigger worry is whether UCLA's defensive front line will be able to hold up against the run when the season starts for real. Training camp is designed to surface problems before they become full-blown issues, and this one already looks like it could stick around for a while. [Read more 🡒]
Mick Cronin Just Set A Standard This UCLA Roster Must Meet
Mick Cronin is once again pushing UCLA toward the kind of identity he believes travel well in March. The Bruins were solid enough last season to be above average on both ends, but Cronin made it clear that is not the bar in Westwood, where he wants this group to live in the top 10 nationally on offense and defense. It is the sort of standard that turns every practice, every rotation decision and every matchup into a test of whether this roster can match the coachs expectations.
The harder part, at least right now, is on the defensive end, where UCLA does not appear to have a player with the same kind of back-line insurance Adem Bona provided. Cronin sees that type of "mistake eraser" as a necessity if the Bruins are going to make a real postseason run, and finding out who can fill that role may end up shaping the season as much as any scoring answer. Until someone proves capable of doing it, the gap between being good and being built for March will remain the most important storyline around this team. [Read more 🡒]
UCLAs Backfield Battle Could Finally Fix A Longstanding Problem
UCLA is heading into the season with a clear push to lean harder on the ground game under coach Bob Chesney, and the backfield looks like the part of the roster most likely to make that plan work. Transfer Wayne Knight joins a group that already includes returning backs Anthony Woods and Jaivian Thomas, giving the Bruins a deeper and more varied set of options than they have had in recent years.
For a program that has too often struggled to get much going on the ground, the chance to finally build a reliable rushing attack matters well beyond one position battle. Chesney has made it plain that surviving the season at running back takes more than one or two capable options, and UCLAs challenge now is turning that depth into something durable enough to hold up when injuries, fatigue and the grind of the schedule set in. [Read more 🡒]