UCLA’s first fall camp under Bob Chesney has already started to reveal what the Bruins want to be in this new era: a team built around a handful of players who can steady the roster on both sides of the ball.
Chesney is in his first year in Los Angeles, and while nobody is pretending one coach can flip a Big Ten program into a title threat overnight, UCLA does have pieces it can count on if it wants to push its 2025 win total higher. The Bruins’ path forward runs through several starters who are expected to carry real weight this season.
On defense, Jalen Woods remains one of the most familiar faces. He is one of the few original Bruins who stayed put instead of transferring in, and he has been a steady presence at the second level for the past couple of seasons.
Last year, Woods finished with 47 tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss. Now, the undersized but physical linebacker is set to close out his college career as one of the team’s most dependable defenders.
Another transfer who should matter immediately is Landon Ellis. With Chesney and offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy coming from James Madison, the Bruins are leaning into the kind of explosive playmaking that defined that program, and Ellis fits that profile.
Quarterback Nico Iamaleava brings the big arm, but he needs a receiver who can win downfield and turn catches into chunk gains. Ellis did exactly that, averaging 17.3 yards per catch and scoring five touchdowns.
UCLA is also counting on Davis to hold down the left side of the line. His 2025 season ended early because of a season-ending injury, but the former South Alabama transfer was a major piece of an offense that played fast and hit hard. At 6-foot-4 and 328 pounds, Davis brings the kind of size and power that can keep a quarterback upright, and that responsibility only grows with Iamaleava entering what the article describes as a make-or-break year.
Sahir West is another name with real upside. Just a redshirt sophomore, the James Madison transfer already has the numbers of a disruptive edge defender, posting 14 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks as a redshirt freshman. He enters the season as one of UCLA’s best overall players, and the expectation is that his production could keep climbing if his game keeps developing.
In the secondary, Johnson may be the most important piece. He arrives with the reputation of a future NFL player and could be a top safety prospect for the 2027 NFL Draft.
In 2025, Johnson recorded 51 tackles, two interceptions, and four passes broken up, and he gives the Bruins range, ball skills, and the kind of physical edge that can change how a defense plays. If he delivers right away, UCLA’s secondary could start creating more takeaways.
In Other News...
Bob Chesney Faces UCLA's Real Test Much Sooner Than Fans Wanted
Bob Chesney arrives in Westwood with the kind of rsum UCLA fans can get behind, having guided James Madison to a Sun Belt Conference championship and a College Football Playoff berth before taking over for DeShaun Foster. The Bruins are already trying to absorb the habits that follow him, from the accountability and discipline he is expected to demand to the familiar faces he has brought over from his former program, all while leaning on a handful of key returners to help steady the transition.
The problem for UCLA is that the easing-in period looks short. A challenging schedule is waiting, which means Chesney will not get long to sort out chemistry, install his approach or find out how quickly the new pieces can fit together. For a program that wanted a cleaner runway into this next era, the real test appears to be arriving sooner than anyone around the Bruins would have liked. [Read more 🡒]
UCLAs Defensive Rebuild Now Hinges On Two Bruins Who Know It Best
The defensive reset at UCLA has a familiar feel for Aiden Gobaira and Darold DeNgohe, two linemen who already know Bob Chesneys system from their time with him at James Madison. Both arrived with a practical purpose beyond adding depth up front: they are helping new Bruins learn the scheme as UCLA tries to steady a defensive line that struggled through a difficult 2025 season. For a group trying to change its footing quickly, having two players who can translate the playbook from experience matters almost as much as the reps themselves.
Gobairas path back to this point has been especially notable, given how much he has had to overcome to get back on the field, while DeNgohe brings another layer of continuity to the room after reuniting with Chesney in Westwood. The Bruins are counting on that shared background to speed up the rebuild, but the bigger question is how quickly that familiarity turns into production once the season pressure starts to build. [Read more 🡒]
Nico Iamaleava Faces A Big UCLA Test In Year Two
Nico Iamaleava is heading into his second season at UCLA with the kind of attention that comes with being the Bruins quarterback, but his focus has stayed on the details that shape a season long before kickoff. He said he wants to be more consistent in both preparation and play, and he sounded like a player who is settling into an offense that now feels more familiar as fall camp unfolds.
Iamaleava also pointed to head coach Bob Chesneys steady approach as part of what has helped him grow. For UCLA, the stakes are simple enough: if Iamaleava keeps progressing through camp and carries that comfort into the fall, the Bruins give themselves a better chance to make this season count. [Read more 🡒]