So what’s the read on the UCLA Bruins as they head into Bob Chesney’s first season with the Bruins? Athlon Sports released anonymous analysis from fellow Big Ten Conference coaches airing their opinions on their conference foes this season.
UCLA is entering a new era, with Chesney coming in to help erase the memory of the DeShaun Foster misstep from the minds of Bruin fans. UCLA brought in over three dozen transfers, completely reshaping the roster around quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who’s entering his second season in Westwood.
Here’s what the Big Ten coaches who spoke with Athlon Sports had to say about this year’s UCLA squad.
“If I was going to defend (QB Nico Iamaleava), I would do some things to stop him from running and make him throw the ball — particularly downfield. He’s a playmaker. But without his feet and without his ability to scramble, I’m not sure he can sit in the pocket and carve you up. It’ll be interesting to see what the NFL guys think of him. He’s a good player and can take a hit, but he just didn’t seem like he could kill you with his arm.”
Iamaleava impressed with his legs in 2025, it’ll be interesting to see how opposing defenses try to stop the dual-threat quarterback with a better (in theory) offensive line in front of him.
“I was blown away with what their NIL budget was a few years ago. It was unfathomably low. I don’t know if they’ve gotten that ramped up.”
Based on how UCLA has fared in their 2027 recruiting efforts, it seems that Bob Chesney has gotten a bigger NIL budget. NIL is still an up-hill battle for the Bruins, as they look to climb the Big Ten Conference standings.
“I’ve heard they’ve been kind of arrogant on the road with following the (Curt) Cignetti model. Like, ‘Look who we are,’ instead of saying, ‘We’re gonna do this the right way.’ I’m interested to see how (new head coach Bob Chesney) does, though.”
We’ll see this season if the arrogance notion sticks for Chesney and the Bruins. UCLA has gone just 8-18 since joining the Big Ten Conference ahead of the 2024 season.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: What anonymous Big Ten football coaches have to say about UCLA
Reporting by Dylan McNeill, UCLA Wire / UCLA Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
