Phall
Master
Between 2005 and 2012, UCLA started 7, 7, 9, 10, 8, 4, 8, and 9 white players. No write-ups were done between 2013 and 2015. Between 2016-2019 they started 6, 8, 3, and 4. (2020 season was cancelled). Since 2021, they've started 7, 4, 9, 6, and 3. In 2026, they’ll start 3 again.
UCLA made a decent splash by hiring Bob Chesney from James Madison University as its new head coach. Chesney is a fast riser at age 49, having previously won at Holy Cross after having coached (and won) at D3 and D2 schools. He is bringing in a boatload of transfers to buoy a flaccid Bruins program, including a projected 15 starters. Despite his humble beginnings, Chesney hasn’t been caste-friendly in awhile (the last three JMU teams started 6, 5, and 6 white players).
Chesney inherited bust recruit Nico Iamaleava and his younger brother as QB1 and QB2 from Deshaun Foster’s failed roster. The NIL collective ponied up big (for UCLA) for Nico last year to the point where he’s a sunk cost as an automatic starter.
Two JMU defensive transfers, Aidan Gobaira and Drew Spinogatti, followed Chesney to Los Angeles. Gobaira is the lone white starter on that side of the ball.
There isn’t much to root for here and also not much on the back end of the roster. For perspective, Chip Kelly's squads look better in hindsight.
Starters:
OL: Hall Schmidt, Riley Rowell
TE: Josh Phifer
DE: Aidan Gobaira
Backups:
OL: Mac Indestad, Derek Osman, Jensen Somerville
TE: Brayden Loftin, Harry Lodge
Slot: Jackson Meehan
DT: Gavin Blum
LB: Drew Spinogatti
UCLA made a decent splash by hiring Bob Chesney from James Madison University as its new head coach. Chesney is a fast riser at age 49, having previously won at Holy Cross after having coached (and won) at D3 and D2 schools. He is bringing in a boatload of transfers to buoy a flaccid Bruins program, including a projected 15 starters. Despite his humble beginnings, Chesney hasn’t been caste-friendly in awhile (the last three JMU teams started 6, 5, and 6 white players).
Chesney inherited bust recruit Nico Iamaleava and his younger brother as QB1 and QB2 from Deshaun Foster’s failed roster. The NIL collective ponied up big (for UCLA) for Nico last year to the point where he’s a sunk cost as an automatic starter.
Two JMU defensive transfers, Aidan Gobaira and Drew Spinogatti, followed Chesney to Los Angeles. Gobaira is the lone white starter on that side of the ball.
There isn’t much to root for here and also not much on the back end of the roster. For perspective, Chip Kelly's squads look better in hindsight.
Starters:
OL: Hall Schmidt, Riley Rowell
TE: Josh Phifer
DE: Aidan Gobaira
Backups:
OL: Mac Indestad, Derek Osman, Jensen Somerville
TE: Brayden Loftin, Harry Lodge
Slot: Jackson Meehan
DT: Gavin Blum
LB: Drew Spinogatti