UCLA’s fall camp is shaping up as a proving ground, but the buzz around this roster already points to a few names that could separate fast.
The Bruins enter camp with a rebuilt group, especially along the defensive line and at wide receiver, and a lot of the intrigue comes from the transfer haul. Almost every starting job outside of quarterback and running back looks up for grabs, while Nico Iamaleava gives UCLA a clear anchor at QB. Wayne Knight, meanwhile, arrived with head coach Bob Chesney and the UCLA staff from James Madison and looks positioned to become the centerpiece of the ground game.
Knight’s 2025 season at James Madison was a monster: 1,373 rushing yards, nine touchdowns, 40 catches, 397 receiving yards and another score. That kind of production should make him the first 1,000-yard rusher for UCLA since Zach Charbonnet’s 1,359-yard season in 2022. He also should draw votes for All-Big 10, with the preseason All-Big 10 team expected at the end of next week after the conference’s media days wrap up in Chicago.
That kind of impact would be a welcome change for a UCLA rushing attack that was stuck in neutral last season. The Bruins finished 85th nationally in 2025, averaging 139.67 rushing yards per game.
At receiver, the turnover is even more dramatic. Six of the top seven wideouts on the projected UCLA three-deep are incoming transfers, and James Madison transfer Landon Ellis is the name to watch.
Ellis had 36 catches for 624 yards and five touchdowns in 2025, and he should push past UCLA’s leading returning receiver, Mikey Matthews, to become Iamaleava’s top target as camp rolls on. UCLA simply did not have much of a downfield threat last season, and Ellis is expected to help fix that.
On the other side of the ball, UCLA is also counting on another James Madison import to change the picture up front. West was a 2025 First Team Freshman All-American, the Sun Belt Freshman of the Year and All-Sun Belt Second Team selection. In 14 games, he posted 45 tackles, led James Madison with 14.0 tackles for loss and 7.0 sacks, added four passes defended and forced a fumble.
West should bring that same kind of disruption to UCLA’s defensive line. The Bruins were last nationally in 2025 with 40 sacks and 10 sacks, and they didn’t have a defender opponents had to circle on the scouting report. West should change that quickly.
ESPN’s initial Football Power Index has UCLA ranked 64th and projects the Bruins to finish 5.1-6.9. That number looks laughable on paper, especially with the talent infusion from the transfer portal, and particularly from James Madison. Camp will decide which of these newcomers truly separate themselves, but the roster looks a lot different already.
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