UCLA Rebuilds Football Program With Chesney and Former Dukes

UCLA has opened the 2026 college football season with a 4-0 record under first-year coach Bob Chesney, combining a core of former James Madison players with increased financial investment and expanded staffing to accelerate its rebuilding effort in Los Angeles. The Bruins have climbed to No. 21 in the national rankings and face No. 13 Oregon in a matchup that could strengthen their College Football Playoff prospects.

According to CBS Sports and Yahoo Sports, Chesney has followed a model similar to the one Curt Cignetti used at Indiana, bringing familiar players to a new program after their time together at James Madison. Chesney brought 17 players and coaches to UCLA, while Cignetti took a combined 20 players and coaches to Indiana in 2024. Indiana subsequently reached the College Football Playoff in Cignetti's first season and won the national championship in his second.

UCLA's 2026 roster includes 12 former James Madison players, roughly half of whom have become significant contributors, according to CBS Sports. The Bruins also rank 24th in the 247Sports Talent Composite, compared with Indiana's 72nd-place ranking before last season, with quarterback Nico Iamaleava among the key players retained from the previous roster.

Iamaleava, a five-star transfer from Tennessee, chose to remain at UCLA after meeting Chesney. His retention was considered important to maintaining continuity through the program's difficult 2025 season.

Running back Wayne Knight has emerged as UCLA's leading offensive producer. After considering other schools, Knight followed Chesney from James Madison to Los Angeles and averaged 9.08 yards per carry through four games, according to CBS Sports. His rushing production has helped the Bruins establish one of the nation's most efficient ground attacks.

Knight described Chesney's approach to player development in comments published on the school's website.

"I know this guy wins," Knight said about Chesney. "He wants to talk to his players. He wants to get to know you and know your journey and just know what kind of person you are. So, you can not only be a better player for him, but a better man after it's all said and done."

UCLA's passing game has played a smaller role in its early success. Wide receiver Semaj Morgan, a transfer from Michigan, led the team with 14 receptions at the time of CBS Sports' report. The Bruins have also relied on tight ends Brayden Loftin and Harry Lodge as additional blockers, while former James Madison offensive linemen Riley Robell and Carter Sweazie have helped create running lanes.

On defense, former James Madison transfers Sahir West and Aiden Gobaira have contributed to a defensive line that rotates players frequently. CBS Sports noted that the unit would face a substantial test against Oregon's offensive line, which entered the matchup looking to overcome its early-season difficulties.

Yahoo Sports reported that UCLA's roster improvements have coincided with a substantial increase in football spending. In fiscal 2025, the program spent $55.2 million, ranking sixth among the Big Ten's 18 schools, but received just $13.5 million in donor contributions, the conference's 14th-highest figure.

The program received a $9.6 million donation from late alumnus Lawrence Layne in January 2026 and another $10 million from Angelo Mazzone III in April. Together, the contributions provided nearly $20 million in additional funding for the rebuilding effort.

Chesney earns an average of $6.75 million annually, compared with the combined $5.4 million paid to former head coach DeShaun Foster and coordinators Tino Sunseri and Ikaika Malloe the previous year. UCLA also increased its football support staff, bringing the total program workforce to 65 employees, more than 50% above the previous year, according to Yahoo Sports.

The Bruins' transfer recruiting effort produced the No. 11 transfer class according to On3, while their 2027 recruiting class ranked 17th nationally according to Rivals. That standing would represent UCLA's highest-ranked recruiting class since 2016 if maintained.

Quarterback Nico Iamaleava credited Chesney's approach to building the roster after UCLA defeated Maryland.

"I think after I met Coach Chesney, I knew what he was about and the winning programs he has been with," Iamaleava said. "I knew he was going to bring in some great character guys that want to win."

Oregon coach Dan Lanning also drew comparisons between UCLA and last season's national champion ahead of the teams' meeting.

"We're about to play a UCLA team that reminds me a lot of Indiana from last year," Lanning said of the Ducks' upcoming matchup this Saturday. "They have a lot of players that came with them [from James Madison], and again, why I draw some comparisons to Indiana, a lot of guys that traveled with their coach right to the next stop."

The game marks UCLA's first matchup against a ranked opponent since 2023 and offers Chesney a chance to secure a signature victory. The Bruins have not won a road game at Oregon since 2004. Chesney previously faced the Ducks while coaching James Madison, which lost 51-34 in a College Football Playoff game at Oregon last season.

According to Yahoo Sports, UCLA has only one other ranked opponent remaining after Oregon: No. 19 USC in the regular-season finale. Oregon, meanwhile, entered the matchup seeking consecutive victories over ranked teams after a 39-31 loss to Oklahoma State in Week 2. No. 5 Ohio State was the only other currently ranked opponent remaining on the Ducks' schedule.