CHICAGO — For the Bruins, who ranked near last in the Big Ten in sacks, forced fumbles and tackles for loss last season, it might be hard to find optimism in defense entering the new campaign.

But after Wednesday’s Big Ten Media Day in Chicago, for which coach Bob Chesney brought two key defensive starters – rising redshirt junior Cole Martin and rising senior Sammy Omosigho – alongside rising redshirt junior signal caller Nico Iamaleava, the Westwood faithful may have seen some glimmers of hope.

Omosigho, who comes to UCLA after three seasons with Oklahoma and is projected to be the starting Mike linebacker, said the defense is known as the “Bruin Bullies,” adding that the defensive unit’s goal is to play with toughness and bully their opponents.

“We want to be known as a tough defense that can, by any means possible, defend and stop the team and put us in a position where we’re one point above the other team,” Omosigho said. “No matter how it looks. No matter how dirty, how grimy it gets. … Our main focus on defense is being able to stop the run. When you stop the run, it helps you be able to play the passes well.”

But for a squad that allowed the second most rushing yards per game in the Big Ten last year, that may be a tall task.

Thankfully for the Bruins, though, Chesney brought with him a flurry of support from James Madison, including defensive coordinator Colin Hitschler, who helped captain the Dukes to the eighth-fewest total yards allowed in 2025.

[Related: UCLA rounds out coaching staff, hires Colin Hitschler as defensive coordinator]

“I do like the ability for these guys to come together and handle this playbook the way that they’re doing it,” Chesney said. “They get better every iteration of this. We went from the winter into the spring, some of the summer, here comes preseason, and they fully understand not only the scheme, but the big picture. Also (they’re) starting to have a higher football IQ of what the offense is doing and how they’re hiding things.”

Entering UCLA’s first campaign with revamped leadership, Chesney has emphasized aggression and being able to attack from multiple looks. The new head honcho added that he hopes to mix up different coverages and capitalize on the blitz, an area that will receive major reinforcements with the addition of defensive lineman Sahir West.

The rising redshirt sophomore won Sun Belt Freshman of the Year with James Madison last season after ranking second in the entire country in sacks with seven, alongside 45 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and four pass breakups.

[Related: Film Breakdown: UCLA football fortifies its defensive line through transfer portal]

Chesney also said that he aims to clean up last year’s alignment issues and coverage miscommunications that were apparent in the team’s four-down front.

In the secondary, UCLA returns three key starters, including Martin, while also adding pivotal transfers in rising seniors former Duke DJ Barksdale and former Ute Tao Johnson.

While Chesney said there was no update on rising senior Scooter Jackson, who is currently out due to academic ineligibility, the Bruins project to be a strong team in the air game, having been fourth in the Big Ten in total passing yards allowed last season.

“We’re allowed to fly around this year,” Martin said. “It’s a defense that allows us to match up and just play ball. I’m excited to see how it goes. Coach Hitsch is doing a great job of allowing us to be us and go make plays happen.”

No matter the scheme, improving UCLA’s defense has simply come down to committing to a competitive program that exudes excellence and sets high standards. Players have been bonding all summer, regardless of what side of the ball they play.

Iamaleava said that practices have been competitive, noting how Martin often talks trash and banters when teammates face off against each other. The quarterback also added that it has not been easy to go against Hitschler’s high-level defense.

“The main thing is, first, not to look too far ahead,” Iamaleava said. “It’s taking it day by day, and we’ll live with the results, the work we put in. … We have an expectation, and that’s to win. Coach Ches set that standard, and we realized that, and we’re buying into that.”