With a reconstructed roster and a new identity under head coach DeShaun Foster, UCLA will look to contend and become bowl eligible as they enter their second year in the Big Ten.
The team on the West Coast has a new quarterback in Nico Iamaleava, who came over from Tennessee. That was a headline story during the transfer portal, to say the least.
In nine years, the Bruins have only finished with three winning seasons 2005, 2013, and 2014, and have never in the school’s history reached 11 or more wins.
UCLA had to make a bold signing and took a chance this year on Iamaleava as they are in a tough rugged conference compared to a PAC 12 conference that featured a finesse style of play.
We break down what to expect for UCLA in year two of the Big Ten.
UCLA’s 2025 Outlook in Year 2 of the Big Ten
UCLA’s Identity Search
Offense
The new look offense with Iamaleava behind center will bring an instant upgrade to a passing game last season that frankly was below average. Iamaleava has already proven himself to be an above-average quarterback during his freshman season with Tennessee.
Additionally, he may be the best quarterback in the Big Ten, except for Penn State quarterback Drew Allar, who returned for another season. However, Iamaleava will need to continue to improve his deep ball accuracy. He consistently missed open receivers downfield in several games, but going into his sophomore season you can see the talent is there.
Still, there isn’t much depth in the receiving core. The Bruins signed transfer Mikey Williams from Cal to pair up with Kwazi Gilmer, which will open up the passing attack.
The run game must improve this season if the Bruins are going to make some noise in the Big Ten. Last season, UCLA was only able to rush for over 100 yards in just three games. The rushing attack was also limited due to poor offensive line play, leading to several quarterback hits per game.
UCLA will have a talented backfield after signing another Cal transfer Jaivian Thomas, who rushed for six yards per carry and found the endzone seven times. Thomas will be paired with Jalen Berger, a former highly touted recruit for Wisconsin, to help deliver a dynamic rushing attack.
Defense
In 2024, the defense for the Bruins showed promise as they held opponents to 21 points per game or fewer in five of their last seven games. The defense took on the identity of their head coach and will now have a tall task of replacing players on that side of the ball from last season.
The Bruins will have to replace linebackers Carson Schwesinger and Kain Medrano, who made up a majority of the tackles on the team. They didn’t do much at the position in the transfer portal and will instead rely on players who didn’t see the field as much with Jalen Woods and JonJon Vaughns.
Another area of concern on that side of the ball is the pass rush. It was poor, to say the least, and most of the sacks came from the linebacking core. The Bruins will be relying on upperclassmen to be able to get after the quarterback and establish the trenches.
The former PAC 12 program will also feature a complete overhaul in the secondary. New transfer corners Jamier Johnson from Indiana and Andre Jordan from Oregon State will be key in coverage. At safety, Louisville transfer Ben Perry will be relied on heavily along with Croix Stewart.
Prediction
Currently, UCLA’s win total is set at 5.5, according to oddsmakers. The schedule is also more difficult than last season, with no FCS schools scheduled. They finished 5-7 last season and missed out on being bowl-eligible.
Wins: New Mexico, at UNLV, at Michigan State, Maryland, Nebraska, at Northwestern, Washington
Losses: at Indiana, Penn State, at USC, Utah, Ohio State
Record: 7-5
The Bruins will be bowl eligible this year reaching the 7-5 mark. Expect Iamaleava to make UCLA’s gamble on him pay off and add an instant spark to an offense that was a weakness last season.
Head Coach Deshaun Foster will be able to implement his brand of football. This was a team that won four of its last six games last season.
Overall, fantastic transfer portal signings with an average recruiting class should put the Bruins over their win total in just their second year in the conference.
Main Image: © Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images
