After a Week Two win against San Diego State, the Bruins have a lot to improve on, but also a lot to be excited about. Some players stepped up against the Aztecs and showed that they deserve more snaps as the season progresses.
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Brian Rowe Jr.
Through the first two weeks of the season, Brian Rowe has been a mainstay in the starting rotation at receiver and has done a phenomenal job of getting involved early in games. So far this season, he’s been involved in over half of UCLA’s total offensive snaps, with 82 snaps.
While he’s been active in the game early, he has seemed to disappear in the second half of both of UCLA’s games so far. Moving forward, I’d like to see a steady diet of Brian Rowe throughout the entire game, not just in the first two quarters.
Overall, Rowe ended the night with five catches for 63 yards, including one 45-yard burst that he ended up getting banged up on. While his injury on the play was seemingly minor, UCLA can’t afford for their starting receivers to continue to go down with injuries.
Hall Schmidt & Jordan Davis
Bob Chesney and the UCLA coaching staff have elected to cycle through the guard positions, but the tackles have essentially played 100% of the snaps on offense. As a unit, the offensive line has looked serviceable in pass protection but great in the run game, in my opinion.
UCLA’s rushing attack is the team’s strength, and it doesn’t work without the offensive line doing its job well. Schmidt has accounted for 93% of UCLA’s snaps so far, with 114 snaps, and Jordan Davis is just below with 95 snaps at 77%.
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Malik Hartford
So far this season, Hartford has been a crucial part of UCLA’s defense in the secondary. Against the Aztecs, quarterback Jayden Denegal tried many deep shots on UCLA, and Hartford was a key reason SDSU struggled to connect from deep.
Hartford has accounted for 144 defensive snaps, playing just about every one on the defensive side of the ball. With his starting running mate, Tao Johnson, down with an injury, Hartford has stepped up in his absence and delivered in both of UCLA’s contests so far this season. He’ll be a huge part of this secondary’s success moving forward.
As the UCLA season continues, it will be interesting to track who ends up seeing a larger role and whose time on the field begins to dwindle.
Today’s best reads
- Key Takeaways From UCLA’s Explosive Win Over SDSU
- Key Takeaways From UCLA’s Powerful Season Opener
- UCLA Football’s Perfect Start Is Hiding a Major Concern
- Bruin Breakdown: One-Dimensional Offense Could Be Worrisome
- 3 UCLA Players To Watch in Week One Against Cal
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/ucla as UCLA Snap Count Analysis: Biggest Winners So Far This Season.
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This story was originally published September 14, 2026 at 6:30 AM.
