UCLA football will be 0-0 for a while

No games can be won from now until Sept. 5 when UCLA faces California for the first game of the 2026 season.

But that does not mean wins and losses are obsolete until the first kickoff.

Positional battles still take place every time the Bruins step out onto the gridiron at Spaulding Field.

With a team full of 55 newcomers – 43 transfers and 12 freshmen – virtually nobody’s starting spot is a guarantee.

So let’s look at how the lineups are shaking up six practices into the spring schedule.

Offense:

Despite the “no position is a lock” statement, it can probably be said for certain that redshirt sophomore quarterback Nico Iamaleava will be the starting signal caller come September.

Iamaleava has emerged as a vocal leader on a team full of new faces and appears to be more comfortable heading into his second season at UCLA.

While he is on his fourth coordinator in four years, he heads into his redshirt junior year with a stable coaching staff heading and months of practice ahead of him.

Iamaleava has looked strong six practices into the season, but struggled Tuesday – throwing two picks, both of which were on balls that completely missed his intended target.

“I thought the defense took strides today. There are a couple of turnovers in there, so we’ll go back and review that stuff, check it all out,” said UCLA football head coach Bob Chesney. “Just keep making progress – but I told them before practice, six is usually when it dips a little bit, and I thought on defense, we did not on offense. We probably slowed down just a little bit.”

He has, however, continued to showcase his arm strength with his deep ball and the ability to maneuver outside the pocket on designed runs or scrambles.

Taking second team reps behind him is his younger brother freshman Madden Iamaleava, who should see an increased role with just his brother ahead of him on the depth chart.

On the flanks of the offense, former James Madison wide receiver Landon Ellis and former South Carolina wide receiver Brian Rowe Jr. have consistently taken practice reps with the ones, while the third wide receiver spot has rotated between former Michigan wideout Semaj Morgan and junior Mikey Matthews.

Ellis has familiarity with offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy’s offense and excelled in his scheme last season, hauling in 36 receptions for 624 yards and five touchdowns. Rowe showed potential during his true freshman season as a Gamecock – garnering 19 catches for 149 yards and a score – and has the speed to give Nico Iamaleava his vertical threat.

Both Matthews and Morgan have flashed at practice, and it could very well be a tightly contested contest for the starting slot receiver role.

Meanwhile, former JMU tight end Josh Phifer has mainly taken reps as the offense’s TE1, sometimes rotating with former Kansas State tight end Brayden Loftin. Given Phifer’s familiarity with Chesney and Kennedy, it is likely Phifer will keep the role to start the season.

In the backfield, the running back room looks to be one of the deepest and strongest position groups among the Bruin roster.

“They’re one of the stronger groups on this team – and it is necessary as a running back for that to be the case, because you’re not always dealing with like bodies,” Chesney said. “As a running back, you have to first go through these D linemen to get to these linebackers who might be bigger than you, before you get to a light body. You’ve got to be able to run behind your pads and keep your pad level low and keep your body healthy, because there’s probably not another position out there that takes as much of the kind of lopsided beating.”

The trio of junior running back Jaivian Thomas, redshirt junior Anthony Woods and former JMU tailback Wayne Knight have manned the three-headed monster that is the 2026 Bruin backfield.

Time will tell how Kennedy will deploy the trio, but the offensive coordinator has more than enough firepower in the backfield to be creative, versatile and explosive.

The offensive front has changed throughout the slate of spring practices – particularly with injuries to former South Alabama offensive tackle Jordan Davis and redshirt junior offensive lineman Sam Yoon.

But redshirt junior offensive lineman Julian Armella is a name that has stuck out to Chesney throughout the offseason.

“His passion for this game (stands out to me); he’s obviously got to harness that the right way,” Chesney said. “I’m sure there are moments where you play with that much emotion and passion. It could tip over. But I’ve really been impressed with that part of it. He uplifts a lot of people when he’s out there. There’s never a moment where he’s just out here, and it’s not important to him. It’s all important to him – and I think that’s infectious.”

Defense:

Chesney said it best.

The defense impressed Tuesday.

Leading the splash-play department is the secondary – arguably the best position group of the 2026 Bruin roster.

Redshirt sophomore defensive back Cole Martin and former Utah safety Tao Johnson have consistently manned the starting safety roles and look to be hard-hitting safeties with elite athleticism.

On the perimeter, junior defensive back Scooter Jackson, former JMU slot cornerback DJ Barksdale and former Virginia Tech cornerback Dante Lovett have taken first-team reps. Redshirt sophomore defensive back Rodrick Pleasant, however, has worn a do-not-contact jersey since the beginning of camp, keeping him out of 11v.11 action.

Below the secondary, the interior linebackers have also impressed – headlined by former Oklahoma linebacker Sammy Omosigho, who projects to be UCLA’s “green-dot linebacker”, commanding the defense.

The Bruins have been using three-linebacker looks, with freshman linebacker Scott Taylor consistently manning one spot, and redshirt freshman linebacker Donavyn Pellot rotating in at the third spot with former JMU linebacker Drew Spinogatti and redshirt junior linebacker Jalen Woods.

Pellot headlined practice Tuesday after picking Nico Iamaleava off on a pass over the middle of the field intended for Morgan.

Lastly, two of the three on the defensive line have consistently been former Texas Tech defensive lineman Amier Washington and former JMU defensive end Sahir West. The third spot rotates between a contingent of players – most impressive being former JMU defensive end Aiden Gobaira.

“AG (Aiden Gobaira) is doing a really nice job, just as far as schematically understanding things and really playing to a standard,” Chesney said. “Now he’s a little bit of an advantage, because he’s part of the system before – so I thought he’s done a nice job.”