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UCLA football is entering a new era as Bob Chesney has brought new life to the Bruins program.
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Since becoming the head coach, he has been working to rebuild the roster, not only for next season but for the future. Through the transfer portal, Chesney has brought in the 11th-ranked class according to Rivals and the 13th-ranked high school class for 2027.
Chesney also retained key players, including Nico Iamaleava and offensive guard Eugene Brooks. Keeping those two players is a big deal for Chesney, especially Iamaleava, as it shows he believes in their skill sets and wants to keep them in a Bruins uniform.
Heading into next year, the Bruins are seen as a team in the middle of the conference but building for the future.
On his YouTube show, top college football analyst Joel Klatt listed off the five teams that he would buy stock in and sell stock, and UCLA is one of those teams.
Klatt Buys Stock in UCLA
One of the biggest reasons for Klatt’s optimism with UCLA is the hire of Bob Chesney. Klatt made the same points I did, noting that he both loves the hire of Bob Chesney and the ability to retain Nico Iamaleava.
“UCLA is going to be a buy for me,” Klatt said. “They were 3-9, remember, and fired their head coach, DeShaun Foster, right before that game against Penn State. Now, the hire they made is why I’m so excited about this program moving forward: Bob Chesney is a really good coach. They’ve got a returning quarterback, Nico Iamaleava, and they’ve got over 40 incoming transfers, so they’ve got the experience of the quarterback position, and you’re going to have an infusion of talent.”
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UCLA’s Outlook for Next Season
Next year for the Bruins should be seen as a pivotal year, not only for the program but also for Bob Chesney. UCLA has been a program in a state of flux in recent memory, and in this new era of NIL, schools need to see results on the field to justify keeping the head coach.
Bob Chesney has brought in so much talent through the transfer portal, and the expectations for the Bruins next season should be to be competitive in the Big Ten and make a bowl game.
Bringing back Nico Iamaleava guaranteed the quarterback position for next year, and surrounding him with a better offensive line and weapons should give him the tools to be one of the better quarterbacks in the Big Ten. If he has a better season than last year, then UCLA will make a bowl game next season.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/ucla as UCLA Football Garnering National Attention as Season Nears.
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This story was originally published June 10, 2026 at 3:00 AM.