This post was updated Jan. 21 at 10:44 p.m.

The transfer portal officially closed Jan. 16 and 41 players have committed to UCLA football, while 24 have officially departed the program after a 3-9 season riddled with coaching departures. Now that the portal is officially closed, Daily Bruin Sports editor Connor Dullinger will review the new offensive faces that entered Westwood for the 2026 campaign.

[Related: UCLA football faces come and go in transfer portal trade-off]

[Related: UCLA football’s transfer picks look to strengthen offense]

[Related: UCLA football strengthens defense in third transfer portal update]

[Related: UCLA football’s new roster continues to take shape in 4th transfer portal update]

Offense:

Wayne Knight, RB, 5’7”, 190 lbs., James Madison
2025 stats: 1,373 rushing yards, nine rushing touchdowns, 6.6 yards per carry

Knight’s addition to the running back room – joining junior Jaivian Thomas and redshirt junior Anthony Woods – immediately makes it one of the team’s strongest position groups. Knight was an Associated Press Second Team All-American last season and gives the Bruins an explosive back who can lead a rushing department that struggled across the past two seasons.

Dylan Lee, RB, 6’1”, 215 lbs., Iowa State
2025 stats: 25 attempts, 117 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown

Lee will most likely see limited action given the addition of Knight and the retention of Woods and Thomas. However, he is a redshirt freshman and could be the lead back alongside freshman Karson Cox after the trio of tailbacks exhausts its eligibility after the 2026 campaign. Lee registered 81 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries in the one game he started against South Dakota.

Aidan Mizell, WR, 6’2”, 185 lbs., Florida
2025 stats: 19 catches, 177 receiving yards, one touchdown reception

Mizell has struggled to reach his full potential, failing to eclipse 20 catches, 250 receiving yards or three touchdowns in a year across his three seasons at Florida. But his blazing speed and ability to create separation may be the perfect weapon for redshirt sophomore Nico Iamaleava’s strong arm in 2026. Mizell will most likely serve as the Bruins’ No. 2 receiving option and a consistent deep threat.

Landon Ellis, WR, 6’2”, 213 lbs., James Madison
2025 stats: 36 receptions, 624 receiving yards, five receiving touchdowns

Considering his production across his last two seasons in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy’s move to Westwood, Ellis looks to be the Bruins’ No. 1 option in an almost entirely new receiver room. His bigger size and frame will allow him to make tough catches over the middle of the field and earn yards after the catch.

Leland Smith, WR, 6’4”, 215 lbs., San Jose State
2025 stats: 43 receptions, 688 receiving yards, three receiving touchdowns

Smith will be Iamaleava’s best friend as a contested-catch specialist on the outside. While Smith struggled to produce at Purdue a season ago, he showed his ability to produce with his steady hands, jump ball ability and catch radius in his sole season at San Jose State. Expect to see Smith in the starting rotation with Ellis and Mizell.

Semaj Morgan, WR, 5’10”, 174 lbs., Michigan
2025 stats: 20 receptions, 223 receiving yards, one receiving touchdown

Morgan saw similar production across three seasons in Ann Arbor, Michigan, registering 566 receiving yards and four touchdown receptions throughout his Michigan tenure. While his stats don’t jump off the page, he will immediately compete for the starting slot receiver role with junior Mikey Matthews and could be a trustworthy target in the Bruins’ renewed 2026 offensive arsenal.

Brian Rowe Jr., WR, 6’0”, 170 lbs, South Carolina
2025 stats: 19 receptions, 149 receiving yards, one receiving touchdown

Rowe – a four-star prospect out of high school – was productive in his lone Gamecock season. His athleticism and speed, paired with his production as a true freshman in the SEC, could lead to a starting slot receiver role as the season progresses, but he must first beat out a more-proven Morgan and a well-established Matthews. Regardless, the acquisition of Rowe bolsters the Bruins in both the short and long run.

Marcus Harris, WR, 6’1”, 190 lbs., Washington
2025 stats: N/A

Harris – a three-star prospect out of Mater Dei with offers from Georgia, Alabama and Oklahoma – failed to record any pass-catching stats in his true freshman season at Washington. But he was quite the wide receiver prospect in high school. Harris is touted for his strong hands, his ability to make guys miss after the catch and his speed to take the top off opposing defenses. He could be a serious weapon in the future, even if he does not contribute much in 2026.

Riley Robell, IOL, 6’3”, 291 lbs., James Madison
2025 stats: 13 games played, 11 starts at right guard, Second Team All-Sun Belt

Chesney wasted no time fortifying the Bruins’ offensive line, and one of his premier pickups was Robell. The former JMU right guard will slide into the starting spot to replace former Bruin Garrett DiGiorgio and could even move to center to replace redshirt junior Sam Yoon. Robell provides UCLA with a veteran, trusty interior offensive lineman who can help spur the run game.

Hall Schmidt, OT, 6’7”, 310 lbs., Boise State
2025 stats: Two games played

Schmidt played just two games in the 2025 campaign after an injury sidelined him for the rest of the season. However, he started 12 games at right tackle in 2024, anchoring one of the best rushing attacks in college football history – one led by running back and Heisman runner-up Ashton Jeanty. Outside of his run blocking, he allowed just one sack through 329 opportunities during the 2024 campaign. Schmidt should slide in as the starting right tackle, shoring up the outside of a line that struggled immensely last season.

Jordan Davis, OT, 6’5”, 305 lbs., South Alabama
2025 stats: Eight games played, eight starts at left tackle

Davis was the Bruins’ last portal addition. The South Alabama lineman signed with UCLA on Monday. And his Westwood entrance may have been one of the most important offensive pick-ups, giving the Bruins an experienced starting left tackle, which they lacked before Davis’s acquisition. Davis played two seasons at South Carolina and the last three at South Alabama, accumulating more than 2,000 career snaps.

Carter Sweazie, IOL, 6’2”, 328 lbs., James Madison
2025 stats: 14 games played, 14 starts at left guard

Sweazie’s addition to Westwood is an interesting one. He was a Third Team All-Sun Belt selection and was integral to an offensive front that led to Knight’s historic season. Given Sweazie’s resume and performance, it seems that he would be a shoo-in for the starting left guard spot. But the retention of redshirt freshman Eugene Brooks – who was UCLA’s starting left guard all season – muddies his starting path. I expect Sweazie to be an integral part of the 2026 offensive line, but I also expect UCLA to develop Brooks.

Derek Osman, OL, 6’4”, 305 lbs., Harvard
2025 stats: All-Ivy League honorable mention

Osman gives the Bruins versatility along the offensive front and could play tackle, guard or center in 2026. The veteran offensive lineman could start at center in place of Yoon. If he doesn’t, Osman will most likely be the first reserve if a starting offensive lineman goes down with an injury. While he may lack the athleticism to be the team’s starting tackle – like he was last season at Harvard – he boasts the size and intelligence to play a backup role.

Sean Na’a, IOL, 6’3”, 305 lbs., Arizona State
2025 stats: 10 games played

Na’a played 10 games for the Sun Devils last season, the majority of which came at left guard. Given the congestion of players and talent along the offensive front, Na’a will likely see limited playing time in 2026, but if Sweazie and Brooks sustain injuries, then Na’a will give the Bruins Power Four experience.

Mack Indestad, OL, 6’8”, 308 lbs., Eastern Michigan
2025 stats: Five games played, four starts

Indestad primarily played left tackle at Eastern Michigan, and while he lacks the experience and prowess that Davis has, he could be serviceable if Davis were to go down with an injury. However, Indestad could be a long-term reserve piece that could blossom given the right development.

JD Rayner, OL, 6’4”, 277 lbs., James Madison
2025 stats: Redshirted his freshman season, played one game

Rayner boasts little experience, having redshirted his lone collegiate season at JMU. However, considering his three-star transfer ranking, Rayner should be a solid addition for the future but will most likely see little game action in a crowded offensive line department.

Brayden Loftin, TE, 6’5”, 230 lbs., Kansas State
2025 stats: Six receptions, 55 receiving yards

Chesney filled the tight end room with not just one juggernaut, but a committee of high-upside additions. The first of whom is Loftin, who had a disappointing 2025 campaign, but caught 11 passes for 125 yards and two scores as a true freshman. The Bruins struggled in the tight end department last season; the three additions are expected to spearhead a leap.

Josh Phifer, TE, 6’6”, 259 lbs., James Madison
2025 stats: Four catches, 40 yards, one touchdown

Phifer served as Chesney’s reserve tight end last season, but could see an increased role at UCLA. While Loftin boasts better stats than Phifer, the latter has experience in Kennedy’s offense, which could give the former JMU product a depth chart advantage.

Stevie Amar Jr., TE, 6’2”, 228 lbs., Boston College
2025 stats: N/A

Amar played just three games in his true freshman season – retaining his redshirt – primarily as a special teamer and reserve tight end. While it is yet to be seen if Amar’s production and skillset can translate to college football, he was a top-65 recruit at his position, despite making the move from quarterback to tight end in high school.

Harry Lodge, TE, 6’6”, 240 lbs., Wake Forest
2025 stats: N/A

Lodge missed the entirety of the 2025 campaign due to injury, but garnered 110 receiving yards on 12 catches during the 2024 season. Lodge will compete with Amar, Loftin and Phifer for minutes as the starting tight end. As of now, no clear pass catcher leads the way, but a lot of untapped talent could exist within the position group.

Ty Dieffenbach, QB, 6’6”, 220 lbs., Cal Poly
2025 stats: 1,305 passing yards, nine passing touchdowns, 56.8% completion percentage

Dieffenbach will likely never see the field next season with Nico Iamaleava returning to Westwood and his younger brother, former four-star recruit Madden Iamaleava, sitting behind him on the depth chart. However, Dieffenbach’s addition was necessary after the departure of quarterbacks Henry Hasselbeck and Luke Duncan to Appalachian State and Nevada, respectively.

A defensive and special teams transfer portal recap will be published later this week.