Mid-season coaching change, again
UCLA fired Foster after just 3 games in 2025, its second coaching change in three years — real programmatic instability that a first-year staff now must stabilize.
BIG TEN FOOTBALL COMPANION GUIDE • ALPHABETICAL 15 OF 18
UCLA BRUINS
2026 Season Snapshot • Los Angeles, California
3-9 (3-6 Big Ten)
B1G
2026 Schedule
Live schedule, lines and results for UCLA.
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HEAD COACH
HANDICAPPING PROFILEHEAD COACH
Bob Chesney — 1st season at UCLA
LIFETIME COACHING RECORD
First Power 4 head-coaching job
Built James Madison into a consistent winner, capped by the program's first- ever bowl championship (2024 Boca Raton Bowl). Hired after UCLA fired DeShaun Foster three games into 2025; interim Tim Skipper went 3-9 the rest of the way. Brought his full JMU coordinator staff (Colin Hitschler, Dean Kennedy) to Westwood.
UCLA ATS RECORD
No single published career ATS figure
2025 finished 3-9 (3-6 Big Ten) across the Foster/Skipper split season. The Bruins' signature win came under Skipper: a 42-37 upset of then-No. 7 Penn State, powered by a career game from QB Nico Iamaleava — a real signal of the roster's ceiling even in a lost season.
HEAD COACH SALARY (2026)
$6.75M (avg.)
TEAM NIL VALUATION (EST.)
Not disclosed
PRIMARY NIL COLLECTIVE
Not publicly named
Coach salary per Yahoo Sports (5-yr, $33.75M contract, below the top-35 nationally). Separately, UCLA paid $875K to interim Tim Skipper and is still on the hook for remaining money owed to fired coach DeShaun Foster. UCLA has not disclosed a team NIL figure.
HANDICAPPING NOTES
- Mid-season coaching change, again: UCLA fired Foster after just 3 games in 2025, its second coaching change in three years — real programmatic instability that a first-year staff now must stabilize.
- Nico Iamaleava is a proven difference-maker when things click: His 42-37 upset of then-No. 7 Penn State (Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week) shows what this roster is capable of — the question is scheme fit and consistency under a brand-new staff.
- Extreme roster turnover under the new regime: Just 33% offensive and 38% defensive snap continuity returning per roster metrics — among the most rebuilt rosters in the conference heading into a new coach's first season.
COORDINATORS & SCHEME
OFFENSE / DEFENSEOFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Colin Hitschler — 1st season • Multiple
Followed Chesney from James Madison on a 3-year, $1.6M deal. Inherits Nico Iamaleava (former Tennessee 5-star, CFP starter, No. 1 overall transfer last cycle) at full command of the QB room (100% returning production) after a strong 2025 finish.
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Dean Kennedy • 1st season • Multiple
Also followed from James Madison ($1.34M deal), where his 2024 defense helped deliver JMU's first bowl championship. Inherits a defensive front that returns just 42-46% of its experience — a real installation challenge on top of the natural scheme change.
2025 SEASON RECAP
RECORD & VENUE NOTES2025 RECORD
3–9 (3–6 Big Ten)
Highlighted by a stunning 42-37 upset of then-No. 7 Penn State under interim Tim Skipper, with Nico Iamaleava earning Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week. A lost season overall, but one with a real signature win.
HOME FIELD
Rose Bowl
Natural grass, Pasadena. One of the most historic venues in the sport, though UCLA's attendance and home-field intensity have lagged the stadium's history and size in recent seasons — a rebuild opportunity for the new staff.
PRIMARY SKILL PLAYERS
2026 PROJECTED STARTERS| SLOT | PLAYER | YEAR | HS Stars | NOTES / NFL OUTLOOK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB1 | Nico Iamaleava | Jr | ★★★★★ | 5-STAR Former Tennessee five-star who led the Vols to the 2024 CFP as a redshirt freshman (2,616 yds, 19 TD); was the No. 1 overall transfer last cycle. Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week after upsetting then-No. 7 Penn State in 2025. |
| RB1 | Wayne Knight | RS-Sr | ★★★★★ | AP All-American rusher and UCLA's unquestioned starter; the clear engine of the backfield with a genuine three-way battle (Anthony Woods, Jaivian Thomas, Karson Cox) for RB2 reps behind him. |
| WR1 | Mikey Matthews | Sr | ★★★★★ | Cal transfer who followed his college teammate Jaivian Thomas to Westwood; ranked 2nd on the team with 348 yards and 33 catches in 2025, one of the few proven returning pieces on offense. |
| WR2 | Landon Ellis | Sr | ★★★★★ | TOP TRANSFER James Madison transfer who followed Chesney; gives the new staff a familiar, proven target from their previous stop. |
QB1Nico IamaleavaJr★★★★★
5-STAR
Former Tennessee five-star who led the Vols to the 2024 CFP as a redshirt freshman (2,616 yds, 19 TD); was the No. 1 overall transfer last cycle. Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week after upsetting then-No. 7 Penn State in 2025.
RB1Wayne KnightRS-Sr★★★★★
AP All-American rusher and UCLA's unquestioned starter; the clear engine of the backfield with a genuine three-way battle (Anthony Woods, Jaivian Thomas, Karson Cox) for RB2 reps behind him.
WR1Mikey MatthewsSr★★★★★
Cal transfer who followed his college teammate Jaivian Thomas to Westwood; ranked 2nd on the team with 348 yards and 33 catches in 2025, one of the few proven returning pieces on offense.
WR2Landon EllisSr★★★★★
TOP TRANSFER
James Madison transfer who followed Chesney; gives the new staff a familiar, proven target from their previous stop.
OFFENSIVE LINE
2026 PROJECTED| PLAYER | POS | YEAR | HS Stars | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Line largely rebuilt | OL | — | ★★★★★ | Just 2 returning starters (70% tackle / 100% guard / 72% center continuity per roster metrics), with 4 potential portal starters mixed in — real turnover for a new staff to manage. |
Line largely rebuiltOL—★★★★★
Just 2 returning starters (70% tackle / 100% guard / 72% center continuity per roster metrics), with 4 potential portal starters mixed in — real turnover for a new staff to manage.
HANDICAPPING NOTE — O-LINE
- A new staff installing a new scheme behind a mostly-rebuilt line is real compounding variance — worth tracking Iamaleava's pressure rate early as a leading indicator.
DEFENSIVE LINE
2026 PROJECTED| PLAYER | POS | NOTES |
|---|---|---|
| Front largely rebuilt | DL | Just 42-46% returning experience at end/tackle — one of the least experienced lines in the conference, a genuine question mark for new DC Dean Kennedy's first season. |
Front largely rebuiltDL
Just 42-46% returning experience at end/tackle — one of the least experienced lines in the conference, a genuine question mark for new DC Dean Kennedy's first season.
LINEBACKERS
2026 PROJECTED- Linebacker is a real bright spot: 93% returning experience, by far the most continuity of any position group on defense — a stable foundation for Dean Kennedy to build his new scheme around.
DEFENSIVE BACKS
2026 PROJECTED| PLAYER | POS | HS Stars | NOTES / NFL OUTLOOK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malik Hartford | S | ★★★★★ | Working as UCLA's first-string safety entering fall camp; part of a secondary reshuffle that also moves Cole Martin to nickel. |
| Key Lawrence | S | ★★★★★ | Oklahoma transfer specifically praised by DC Ikaika Malloe for his leadership through fall camp; 99% returning cornerback experience per roster metrics gives UCLA genuine continuity in the back end. |
| Derrick Barksdale | CB | ★★★★★ | Manning a starting cornerback spot as UCLA's secondary comes together under new DC Dean Kennedy. |
Malik HartfordS★★★★★
Working as UCLA's first-string safety entering fall camp; part of a secondary reshuffle that also moves Cole Martin to nickel.
Key LawrenceS★★★★★
Oklahoma transfer specifically praised by DC Ikaika Malloe for his leadership through fall camp; 99% returning cornerback experience per roster metrics gives UCLA genuine continuity in the back end.
Derrick BarksdaleCB★★★★★
Manning a starting cornerback spot as UCLA's secondary comes together under new DC Dean Kennedy.
SPECIAL TEAMS
KICKING, PUNTING & RETURN GAME- Overall: No major specialist storylines flagged for 2026. With linebacker and cornerback as rare continuity anchors, UCLA's defensive identity may end up built around those two groups while the rest of the roster is broken in under the new staff.
Betting profile — vs. the number
2025 ATS
4-8
33.3% cover rate — 73rd of 82
2025 Straight up
3-9
Point differential -183
Scoring environment
51.6
Combined points per game — 42nd highest of 82
Home / road ATS
1-5 · 3-3
Totals 6-6 O/U (4-2 home, 2-4 road)
Points scored / allowed
18.2 per game scored (78th) · 33.4 allowed (79th)
Margin & schedule
Margin of victory -15.2 (79th) · Strength of schedule +7.8
- Home / road: Home 1-5 ATS, road 3-3 ATS (neutral-site games excluded).
- Home / road: Totals 6-6 O/U — 4-2 at home, 2-4 on the road.
- Trend: 2025 ATS 4-8 (33.3% cover rate) across 12 games.
- Trend: Averaged 18.2 points and allowed 33.4, a 51.6 combined per-game scoring environment.
Power ratings — strength against the field
SRS power rating
-3.8
59th of 82 — projected points vs. a league-average team on a neutral field
Offensive SRS
-2
53rd of 82
Defensive SRS
-1.8
55th of 82
Points (margin of victory)
-15.2 · 79th of 82
Against the spread
4-8 (33.3%) · 73rd of 82
Totals (combined PPG)
51.6 · 42nd of 82
Computed from CollegeFootballData 2025 results and closing consensus lines.
Notes
Saved Just J research for UCLA.
Scheme
Nico Iamaleava is a proven difference-maker when things click
His 42-37 upset of then-No. 7 Penn State (Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week) shows what this roster is capable of — the question is scheme fit and consistency under a brand-new staff.
Personnel
Extreme roster turnover under the new regime
Just 33% offensive and 38% defensive snap continuity returning per roster metrics — among the most rebuilt rosters in the conference heading into a new coach's first season.
Offensive Line
Offensive line outlook
A new staff installing a new scheme behind a mostly-rebuilt line is real compounding variance — worth tracking Iamaleava's pressure rate early as a leading indicator.
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