2026 UCLA Bruins football team

2026 UCLA Bruins football
2026 UCLA Bruins football
Conference	Big Ten Conference
Record	0–0 (0–0 Big Ten)
Head coach	Bob Chesney (1st season);
Offensive coordinator	Dean Kennedy (1st season)
Defensive coordinator	Colin Hitschler (1st season)
Home stadium	Rose Bowl
Uniform

2026 Big Ten Conference football standings

Team	W		L	W		L
Illinois	0	–	0	0	–	0
Indiana	0	–	0	0	–	0
Iowa	0	–	0	0	–	0
Maryland	0	–	0	0	–	0
Michigan	0	–	0	0	–	0
Michigan State	0	–	0	0	–	0
Minnesota	0	–	0	0	–	0
Nebraska	0	–	0	0	–	0
Northwestern	0	–	0	0	–	0
Ohio State	0	–	0	0	–	0
Oregon	0	–	0	0	–	0
Penn State	0	–	0	0	–	0
Purdue	0	–	0	0	–	0
Rutgers	0	–	0	0	–	0
UCLA	0	–	0	0	–	0
USC	0	–	0	0	–	0
Washington	0	–	0	0	–	0
Wisconsin	0	–	0	0	–	0
Championship: December 5, 2026
As of March 19, 2026 Rankings from AP poll

The 2026 UCLA Bruins football team will represent the University of California, Los Angeles as a member of the Big Ten Conference (B1G) during the 2026 NCAA Division I FBS football season.^[1] They will be led by first-year head coach Bob Chesney, and play their home games at Rose Bowl located in Pasadena, California.^[2]^[3] It will be the Bruins' 107th season overall and 3rd as a member of the Big Ten.^[4]

Offseason

Positions key
Offense	Defense	Special teams
QB — Quarterback RB — Running back FB — Fullback WR — Wide receiver TE — Tight end OL — Offensive lineman T — Tackle G — Guard C — Center	DL — Defensive lineman DE — Defensive end^[a] DT — Defensive tackle^[b] LB — Linebacker^[c] DB — Defensive back CB — Cornerback S — Safety^[d]	K — Kicker^[e] P — Punter LS — Long snapper RS — Return specialist^[f]
^ Sometimes referred to as an edge rusher (EDGE) ^ Includes nose tackle (NT) ^ Includes middle linebacker (MLB or MIKE), outside linebacker (OLB, WILL, SAM), and off-ball linebacker ^ Includes free safety (FS) and strong safety (SS) ^ Also known as a placekicker (PK) ^ Includes kickoff and punt returners

Departures

NFL draft

Name	Pos.	Team	Round	Pick

Outgoing transfers

Name	No.	Pos.	Height	Weight	Year	Hometown	New school
Kanye Clark	1	DL	6'0"	190	FR	Sacramento, CA	Florida
Rico Flores Jr.	1	WR	6'2"	205	SO	North Highlands, CA	Virginia
Andre Jordan Jr.	2	DB	6'1"	175	JR	Federal Way, WA	Auburn
Kwazi Gilmer	3	WR	6'2"	190	SO	Los Angeles, CA	Nebraska
Ezavier Staples	4	WR	6'4"	205	SR	Long Beach, CA
Ben Perry	10	LB	6'3"	210	Sr	Chicago, IL	Louisville
Jaedon Wilson	11	WR	6'3"	185	SR	Desoto, TX
Jamir Benjamin	12	DB	5'10"	185	FR	Lansing, MI	Rice
Luke Duncan	12	QB	6'6"	210	SO	Orinda, CA	Nevada
Carter Shaw	14	WR	6'3"	195	SO	Atherton, CA	Stanford
Anthony Jones	15	DL	6'5"	265	JR	Las Vegas, NV	Nebraska
Henry Hasselbeck	18	QB	6'3"	180	FR	Weston, MA	Appalachian State
Jadyn Marshall	18	DB	6'1"	200	JR	Stockton, CA
Jamier Johnson	19	DB	6'0"	190	SR	Pasadena, CA
Croix Stewart	22	DB	6'2"	205	JR	Vallejo, CA	Fresno State
Bryon Threats	23	DB	5'10"	185	SR	Byron, GA
Scooter Jackson	28	DB	6'1"	185	JR	Compton, CA	Withdrew/returning to UCLA
Jack Pedersen	28	TE	6'5"	240	JR	Murrieta, CA	Washington State
Isaiah Chisom	32	LB	6'1"	235	SO	Santa Clarita, CA	Oklahoma State
Morrow Evans	41	LS	6'1"	220	FR	Houston, TX
Will Karol	49	P	6'4"	210	JR	Mosman, NSW	Texas Tech
Garrison Blank	54	OL	6'7"	330	FR	Rocklin, CA	Sacramento State
A.J. Fuimaono	55	DL	6'4"	311	SO	Las Vegas, NV	Withdrew/returning to UCLA
Oluwafunto Akinshilo	69	OL	6'5"	325	SR	Lagos, Nigeria	Syracuse
Siale Taupaki	92	DL	6'4"	335	JR	Oakland, CA	Penn State
Mateen Bhaghani	94	PK	6'1"	175	JR	San Diego, CA	Withdrew/returning to UCLA
Keanu Williams	99	DL	6'5"	320	SR	Clovis, CA	Penn State

Retirements

Coaching departures

Name	Previous Position	New Position
DeShaun Foster	UCLA - Head coach	None
Jethro Franklin	UCLA - Defensive line coach	None
Andy Kwon	UCLA - Offensive line coach	Memphis - Offensive line coach
Ikaika Malloe	UCLA - Defensive coordinator and interior linebackers coach	Penn State - Run game coordinator and defensive line coach
Demetrice Martin	UCLA - Passing game coordinator and secondary	Arizona State Sun Devils football - Senior defensive analyst
Corey Miller	UCLA - Head football performance coach	None
Jerry Neuheisel	UCLA - Interim offensive coordinator, assistant head coach and tight ends coach	Northwestern - Quarterbacks coach
Tim Skipper	UCLA - Interim head coach	Cal Poly - Head coach
Tino Sunseri	UCLA - Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach	Indiana - Co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach
Burl Toler III	UCLA - Pass game coordinator and wide receivers coach	None
Scott White	UCLA - Associate head coach and linebackers coach	San Diego State - Run game coordinator and linebackers coach

Acquisitions

Incoming transfers

Name	No.	Pos.	Height	Weight	Year	Hometown	Prev. school

Recruiting class

College recruiting information (2026)
Name	Hometown	School	Height	Weight	Commit date
Overall recruit ranking:
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, On3, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources:

New walk-ons

Coaches acquisitions

Name	Previous Position	New Position
Drew Canan	JMU - Special teams coordinator and tight ends coach	UCLA - Special teams coordinator and tight ends coach
Bob Chesney	JMU - Head coach	UCLA - Head coach
Sam Daniels	JMU - Defensive line coach	UCLA - Defensive ends coach
Anthony DiMichele	JMU - Safeties coach	UCLA - Safeties coach
Colin Hitschler	JMU - Defensive coordinator	UCLA - Defensive coordinator
Dean Kennedy	JMU - Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach	UCLA - Offensive coordinator
Colin Lockett	New Mexico - Wide receivers coach	UCLA - Wide receivers coach
Chris Smith	JMU - Offensive line coach and run game coordinator	UCLA - Offensive line coach and run game coordinator
Vic So'oto	Cal - Linebackers coach	UCLA - Linebackers coach
Legi Suiaunoa	Michigan State - Defensive line coach	UCLA - Defensive line coach
Eddie Whitley Jr.	JMU - Cornerbacks coach	UCLA - Defensive backs coach
Jon Boyer	Michigan State	assistant quarterbacks coach
Mike Cordova	James Madison	assistant tight ends coach
Chris Monfiletto	Buffalo	assistant special teams coordinator/specialist coach

Preseason

NFL Combine

Spring game

Big Ten media days

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV
September 5	TBD	at California*	California Memorial Stadium Berkeley, CA	TBD
September 12	TBD	San Diego State*	Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA	TBD
September 19	TBD	Purdue	Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA	TBD
September 26	TBD	at Maryland	SECU Stadium College Park, MD	TBD
October 10	TBD	at Oregon	Autzen Stadium Eugene, OR	TBD
October 17	TBD	Wisconsin	Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA	TBD
October 24	TBD	Michigan State	Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA	TBD
October 31	TBD	Nevada*	Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA	TBD
November 7	TBD	at Minnesota	Huntington Bank Stadium Minneapolis, MN	TBD
November 14	TBD	Illinois	Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA	TBD
November 21	TBD	at Michigan	Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI	TBD
November 28	TBD	USC	Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA (Victory Bell)	TBD
*Non-conference game All times are in Pacific time Source: ^[5]^[1]

Game summaries

at California

UCLA Bruins (0–0) at California Golden Bears (0–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	Total
Bruins			0
Golden Bears			0

at California Memorial Stadium • Berkeley, California

Date: September 5

Statistics	UCLA	CAL
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
UCLA	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
California	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

vs San Diego State

San Diego State Aztecs (0–0) at UCLA Bruins (0–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	Total
Aztecs			0
Bruins			0

at Rose Bowl • Pasadena, California

Date: September 12

Statistics	SDSU	UCLA
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
San Diego State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
UCLA	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

vs Purdue

Purdue Boilermakers (0–0) at UCLA Bruins (0–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	Total
Boilermakers			0
Bruins			0

at Rose Bowl • Pasadena, California

Date: September 19

Statistics	PUR	UCLA
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Purdue	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
UCLA	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at Maryland

UCLA Bruins (0–0) at Maryland Terrapins (0–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	Total
Bruins			0
Terrapins			0

at SECU Stadium • College Park, Maryland

Date: September 26

Statistics	UCLA	MD
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
UCLA	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Maryland	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at Oregon

UCLA Bruins (0–0) at Oregon Ducks (0–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	Total
Bruins			0
Ducks			0

at Autzen Stadium • Eugene, Oregon

Date: October 10

Statistics	UCLA	ORE
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
UCLA	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Oregon	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

vs Wisconsin

Wisconsin Badgers (0–0) at UCLA Bruins (0–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	Total
Badgers			0
Bruins			0

at Rose Bowl • Pasadena, California

Date: October 17

Statistics	WIS	UCLA
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Wisconsin	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
UCLA	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

vs Michigan State

Michigan State Spartans (0–0) at UCLA Bruins (0–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	Total
Spartans			0
Bruins			0

at Rose Bowl • Pasadena, California

Date: October 24

Statistics	MSU	UCLA
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Michigan State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
UCLA	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

vs Nevada

Nevada Wolf Pack (0–0) at UCLA Bruins (0–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	Total
Wolf Pack			0
Bruins			0

at Rose Bowl • Pasadena, California

Date: October 31

Statistics	NEV	UCLA
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Nevada	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
UCLA	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at Minnesota

UCLA Bruins (0–0) at Minnesota Golden Gophers (0–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	Total
Bruins			0
Golden Gophers			0

at Huntington Bank Stadium • Minneapolis, Minnesota

Date: November 7

Statistics	UCLA	MINN
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
UCLA	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Minnesota	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

vs Illinois

Illinois Fighting Illini (0–0) at UCLA Bruins (0–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	Total
Fighting Illini			0
Bruins			0

at Rose Bowl • Pasadena, California

Date: November 14

Statistics	ILL	UCLA
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Illinois	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
UCLA	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at Michigan

UCLA Bruins (0–0) at Michigan Wolverines (0–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	Total
Bruins			0
Wolverines			0

at Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, Michigan

Date: November 21

Statistics	UCLA	MICH
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
UCLA	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Michigan	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

vs USC

USC Trojans (0–0) at UCLA Bruins (0–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	Total
Trojans			0
Bruins			0

at Rose Bowl • Pasadena, California

Date: November 28

Statistics	USC	UCLA
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
USC	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
UCLA	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

Personnel

Roster

2026 UCLA Bruins football team roster

Players

Coaches

Offense

Pos.	#	Name	Class

Defense

Pos.	#	Name	Class

Special teams

Pos.	#	Name	Class

Head coach

Bob Chesney

Coordinators/assistant coaches

Colin Hitschler – Defensive coordinator
Dean Kennedy – Offensive coordinator
Drew Canan – Special teams coordinator/tight ends
Chris Smith – Offensive line/run game coordinator
Colin Lockett – Wide receivers
A.J. Steward – Running backs
Vic So'oto – Linebackers
Legi Suiaunoa – Defensive line
Anthony DiMichele – Safeties
Eddie Whitley Jr. – Defensive backs
Sam Daniels – Defensive ends
Gabe Lynn – Nickels

Legend

(C) Team captain
(S) Suspended
(I) Ineligible

Injured
Redshirt

Roster
Last update: January 21, 2026

Statistics

Team

	UCLA	Opp
Points per game
Total
First downs
Rushing
Passing
Penalty
Rushing yards
Avg per rush
Avg per game
Rushing touchdowns
Passing yards
Att-Comp-Int
Avg per pass
Avg per game
Passing touchdowns
Total offense
Avg per play
Avg per game
Fumbles-Lost
Penalties-Yards
Avg per game
Punts-Yards
Avg per punt
Time of possession/Game
3rd down conversions
3rd Down Pct.
4th down conversions
4th Down Pct.
Sacks-Yards
Touchdowns scored
Field goals-Attempts
PAT-Attempts

Individual leaders

Offense

Passing statistics
#	NAME	POS	RAT	CMP	ATT	YDS	AVG/G	CMP%	TD	INT	LONG

Rushing statistics
#	NAME	POS	ATT	GAIN	AVG	TD	LONG	AVG/G

Receiving statistics
#	NAME	POS	CTH	YDS	AVG	TD	LONG	AVG/G

Defense

Defense statistics

Key: POS: Position, SOLO: Solo Tackles, AST: Assisted Tackles, TOT: Total Tackles, TFL: Tackles-for-loss, SACK: Quarterback Sacks, INT: Interceptions, BU: Passes Broken Up, PD: Passes Defended, QBH: Quarterback Hits, FR: Fumbles Recovered, FF: Forced Fumbles, BLK: Kicks or Punts Blocked, SAF: Safeties, TD : Touchdown

Special teams

Kicking statistics

Kickoff statistics
#	NAME	POS	KICKS	YDS	AVG	TB	OB

Punting statistics
#	NAME	POS	PUNTS	YDS	AVG	LONG	TB	FC	I–20	50+	BLK

Kick return statistics
#	NAME	POS	RTNS	YDS	AVG	TD	LNG

Punt return statistics
#	NAME	POS	RTNS	YDS	AVG	TD	LONG

Scoring

UCLA vs. non-conference opponents

	1	2	3	4	Total
UCLA	0	0	0	0	0
Opponents	0	0	0	0	0

UCLA vs. Big Ten opponents

	1	2	3	4	Total
UCLA	0	0	0	0	0
Opponents	0	0	0	0	0

UCLA vs. all opponents

	1	2	3	4	Total
UCLA	0	0	0	0	0
Opponents	0	0	0	0	0

Rankings

Ranking movements
	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Final
AP
Coaches
CFP																Not released

Notes

References

^ ^a ^b "2026-27 Football Schedule". UCLA Bruins. Retrieved January 21, 2026.
^ Ben Bolch (December 1, 2025). "In a bold move, UCLA is set to hire Bob Chesney as its next head football coach". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
^ "UCLA to play 2026 football season at Rose Bowl as lawsuit continues". latimes.com. Los Angeles Times. February 21, 2026.
^ "Bruins for Life". UCLA Alumni Association. October 9, 2023. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
^ "2026 UCLA Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved January 21, 2026.

[edge-5] Sometimes referred to as an edge rusher (EDGE)

[6] Includes nose tackle (NT)

[7] Includes middle linebacker (MLB or MIKE), outside linebacker (OLB, WILL, SAM), and off-ball linebacker

[8] Includes free safety (FS) and strong safety (SS)

[9] Also known as a placekicker (PK)

[10] Includes kickoff and punt returners

[UCLABIG10SCHEDULE-1] "2026-27 Football Schedule". UCLA Bruins. Retrieved January 21, 2026.

[ChesneyHire-2] Ben Bolch (December 1, 2025). "In a bold move, UCLA is set to hire Bob Chesney as its next head football coach". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 26, 2026.

[3] "UCLA to play 2026 football season at Rose Bowl as lawsuit continues". latimes.com. Los Angeles Times. February 21, 2026.

[BruinsForLife-4] "Bruins for Life". UCLA Alumni Association. October 9, 2023. Retrieved January 26, 2026.

[11] "2026 UCLA Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved January 21, 2026.

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UCLA Bruins football
Venues	Moore Field (1919–1928) Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (1926–1981) Rose Bowl (1982–present)
Bowls and rivalries	Bowl games California Stanford USC: Victory Bell
Culture and lore	Joe Bruin "Sons of Westwood" "Mighty Bruins" Marching band 1967 "Game of the Century" 1998 Miami game
People	Head coaches NFL draftees Statistical leaders
Seasons	1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
National championship seasons in bold