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We saw a healthy dose of various players across many of the UCLA units see the field in Saturday’s 45-24 road win over Cal.
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Five players contributed to the rushing total, and seven players got involved in the passing game by tallying a reception. Head coach Bob Chesney did a great job keeping Cal on their heels by continually cycling through talent, bringing fresh legs onto the field throughout the game.
However, several people were noticeably absent from the action on the field. The most noticeable absence was the Bruins’ entire freshman class.
Very Little Snaps for the UCLA Freshmen
In the secondary, we’ve been talking a lot about CJ Lavender, the Bruins’ 3-star recruit in the 2026 class who has supposedly been playing well in practice. He saw the field for just two snaps Saturday night, which was even lower than anticipated.
We didn’t initially think we’d see freshmen on the field this season very often, but this Week One game surprised even me. Lavender was the only freshman who saw any action, with many veterans and experienced players accounting for all of the Bruins’ snaps.
One player who could see an expanded role at some point during the season is freshman wide receiver Kenneth Moore. Florida transfer Aidan Mizell has been consistently dealing with injuries, and Landon Ellis exited the game against Cal after a head injury that sent Bruins fans into a scare.
If the depth at wide receiver becomes thin, it could prompt Chesney to test the waters with Moore in the lineup and provide the wide receiver room with some relief talent.
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Could Little Playing Time Promote Transfers?
Of course, in today’s landscape of college sports, you always have to be on the lookout for players who may decide to enter the transfer portal. Playing time is always going to be a major factor in that decision, and limited snaps for the freshman could prompt them to look for extended opportunities elsewhere.
While it would be fantastic to have some of these talented players return, convincing them to keep developing in a backup role is a hard ask in college sports, for better or for worse.
We’re only one game into the new era under Bob Chesney, but the future for UCLA football looks bright. The Bruins will turn their attention to their home opener in Pasadena, as they host San Diego State in Week 2.
Today’s best reads
- Nico Iamaleava Speaks Out On Fourth Quarter UCLA Injury
- How High UCLA Can Climb After Week 1 Under Chesney
- How UCLA Football HC Chesney Setting Tone This August
- Where To Watch UCLA vs. Cal: TV, Radio and Announcers
- UCLA Faces Major Challenge Ahead of Week 1 Opener Against Cal
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/ucla as Which Bruins Need Bigger Roles To Avoid Future Transfer Questions.
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This story was originally published September 9, 2026 at 5:00 AM.