UCLA’s offense is about to look a lot different, and the running backs may be the clearest sign of where this new staff wants to live.
Bob Chesney has arrived after a standout run at James Madison, where he guided the Dukes to their first Sun Belt Championship since joining the conference in 2023 and pushed them into the College Football Playoff. He’s now taking over a Bruins program that moved on from DeShaun Foster after losing its first three games in his second season.
Chesney isn’t coming alone, either. New offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy is on the same page when it comes to identity: run the ball, lean on the ground game, and let the backs set the tone.
That makes UCLA’s backfield one of the most important parts of the rebuild.
The headliner is Knight, the only running back to arrive through the transfer portal this offseason, and he brings the kind of production that can change an offense fast. His first three college seasons were modest - 464 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 86 carries - but last year he broke out in a big way as the lead back.
Knight piled up 1,373 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on 207 carries, while also adding 608 receiving yards and three scores. Those 1,373 rushing yards ranked seventh in college football, and they tell the story: he can run inside, bounce it outside, and stay involved as a pass-catcher.
Going into next season, he looks like the clear No. 1 back and should carry most of the workload.
Thomas is in a different spot, but he still has a role to play. He transferred to UCLA last offseason after two productive years at Cal, looking for a chance to be the lead back.
That opportunity never fully materialized. Thomas finished tied for second on the team in carries with 81, matching redshirt senior Jalen Berger, and turned that into 294 rushing yards and one touchdown.
He did have a solid year as a receiver, and that may be where he fits best moving forward. With a new offensive line in place, there’s at least a path for Thomas to rebound if the run game opens up.
Woods is another back hoping for a reset. He missed the entire 2024 season at Utah because of a season-ending injury before entering the transfer portal and landing at UCLA.
Last year didn’t turn into the comeback he wanted. Woods logged just 64 carries and finished with 294 rushing yards, the same total as Thomas, but he didn’t score.
Even so, the setup for next season could suit him better. In a system built around the run, Woods has a chance to step into a more useful power-back role and make himself part of the rotation.
In Other News...
UCLA Is Deep In The Fight For The Nations Top Recruit
The race for Kaleena Smith is only getting bigger, and UCLA has secured a spot in the middle of it. The top-ranked player in the 2027 class has lined up 11 official visits, with Westwood on the itinerary for Oct. 30, giving the Bruins a chance to make their case to one of the countrys most coveted young guards. Smith, a 5-foot-6 point guard, has built her reputation on scoring and vision, and her junior season numbers, 31.5 points and 6.9 assists per game, show why so many programs are pressing to get her on campus.
UCLA is not alone in the chase, with Smith also setting visits to schools such as Louisville, Cal, Syracuse, LSU and Notre Dame, along with a long list that stretches across the country. The Bruins have been in the mix for a while, having offered her in August 2025 and later bringing her to Westwood on an unofficial visit, but the upcoming official trip adds a different level of urgency. For UCLA, the timing matters, and so does the competition, because this recruitment already looks like one that could stretch deep into the cycle. [Read more 🡒]
Five Bruins Just Earned Early Big Ten Respect
Athlons preseason All-Big Ten teams offered an early snapshot of how UCLA is being viewed in its new conference home, and five Bruins made the cut. Wayne Knight, Sahir West, Eugene Brooks, Samy Omosigho and Rodrick Pleasant all landed on the magazines lists, a notable showing for a program still building its Big Ten identity and looking to establish itself against a deeper, more familiar league hierarchy.
Knight drew the most attention with dual recognition as a second-team all-purpose player and third-team specialist, while West was tabbed for the third-team defense. Brooks, Omosigho and Pleasant were also included based on what they have already shown and what they are expected to provide, giving UCLA a solid preseason footprint before a snap is played. The bigger question now is how much of that respect turns into production once the Bruins start facing Big Ten competition for real. [Read more 🡒]