This post was updated Aug. 11 at 9:08 a.m.

The sun did not relent in Costa Mesa, but neither did the Bruins’ defense.

As UCLA football’s fall training camp pushes into its second week, defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe’s unit is leaning into experience, depth and renewed physicality to establish its identity.

While the defensive unit continues to experiment with the defenses’ core – especially at its interior – the majority of the Bruins’ base is healthy and beginning to look the part.

Redshirt senior defensive linemen duo Gary Smith III and redshirt senior Keanu Williams missed time in the spring due to injury. Now, the tandem is back and bringing stability to a defensive line that lost several key contributors to the NFL – including former defensive lineman Jay Toia and outside linebacker Oluwafemi Oladejo.

“I’m back healthy, and I’m just excited to be out here,” Smith said. “I feel lighter on my feet, explosive again.”

Smith’s physical transformation over the offseason included cleaning up his diet by cutting fast food and hitting a personal best 700-pound squat in the gym. That weight-room dominance will have to translate to performance on Saturdays if the defense is going to improve – something Smith said he feels confident about, especially alongside a deeper rotation.

“All of us are just going to pitch in and get the job done,” Smith said. “Our whole interior is ready. Anybody you put out there, we can mix and match it, and we’re gonna be able to go.”

But the challenge is not just returning production, its about leadership and consistency. During a recent padded practice, Malloe made it clear the interior defensive line sets the tone – and the tone was not right after the opening whistle.

“They just didn’t show up,” Malloe said. “They were still in warmup mode. If you’re going to call yourself leaders of this defense, there’s a responsibility to it.”

And it is a responsibility the coaching staff is not leaving to chance. Malloe is gradually building his ideal snap counts through camp by relying on conditioning, not just reps, to gauge player readiness. Veterans like Smith and Williams are being monitored to ensure they will be at full speed for UCLA’s Aug. 30 season opener against Utah.

“Those guys are doing extra cardio before and after because I want to take the pounding off their legs,” Malloe said. “The goal is to get them to Week 1 as close to 100% as possible.”

Meanwhile, the linebacker corps – which must replace the production of NFL second-round pick Carson Schwesinger and undrafted free agent Kain Medrano – is showing flashes of potential, and redshirt senior JonJon Vaughns, freshman Jewelous “JuJu” Wallace and sophomore Isaiah Chisom are leading the charge. Malloe pointed to Chisom’s improved understanding of the scheme and said Vaughns is poised to take over Schwesinger’s high-usage role.

“JonJon is already set up to do what Carson did,” Malloe said. “For him, it’s about belief and confidence, just going and making plays.”

Redshirt freshman linebacker Donavyn Pellot is also working his way into the mix after returning from injury, and Malloe acknowledged the challenge of finding ways to get him on the field.

“Donnie’s made a case for himself,” Malloe said. “Somehow, some way, he needs to be out there.”

And with new transfer talent deepening the secondary, the Bruins now have more flexibility to stay in base formations without manufacturing coverages like last year.

That increased depth across the defense has pushed the unit into new territory. Malloe said the linebacker and secondary groups are giving him “a good problem,” forcing him to constantly weigh combinations, packages and personnel groupings.

A key voice in the middle of all that traffic is redshirt senior defensive back Key Lawrence. An Ole Miss transfer and longtime friend of Smith, Lawrence has emerged as a vocal leader in a secondary reloaded with portal additions.

“I just feel like, if I have some juice and some guys may not – especially in camp – why not pour it into somebody else?” Lawrence said. “We’re all out here grinding.”

Malloe praised Lawrence’s energy and leadership, noting how the veteran has helped organize player-led meetings and bring cohesion to a group that includes nine newcomers.

“It’s like Floyd Mayweather,” Lawrence said. “He takes a lot from different people and makes it one masterpiece. That’s what we’re trying to do right now.”

But the energy is not just in the huddle. Malloe credited the revamped staff – including secondary coach Demetrice Martin – for creating what he called a “knife set” level of competition. These assistant coaches have brought a new edge and touch to each position group, and Malloe said that competition is trickling down to the players.

The result: spirited practices and personnel battles everywhere.

“Coach Foster’s testing the discipline,” Malloe said. “We’re switching practice times. Morning, afternoon, doesn’t matter. He wants to see how we respond.”

So far, the response is promising. After a rocky start to one recent practice, the defense settled in, adjusted and played fast. Malloe said the early lapses were exactly the kind of moment when leaders like Smith and Lawrence needed to rise, and ultimately, they did.

“This is still fluid,” Malloe said. “I came into camp thinking I had a decent idea of who would start, but guys are competing – and that’s a great problem to have.”