The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1545685
132 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2026 FOOTBALL PREVIEW BY CLAYTON SAYFIE The UCLA administration and fan base had enough of the DeShaun Foster era, which ended after just 15 games, three into last season. Tim Skipper took over as in- terim head coach for the final nine contests, and the Bruins went 3-6, beating then-No. 7 Penn State as part of a three-game win- ning streak in October. It was much bet- ter than what they'd seen from the program since Chip Kelly was in charge. There's an even higher level of legitimacy with 48-year-old Bob Chesney being the latest James Madison coach to jump to the Big Ten, joining In- diana national champion Curt Cignetti. Chesney went 21-6 in two seasons as Cignetti's successor. He's led college football programs to the playoffs at three different levels — at Division II with As- sumption in 2015, '16 and '17, Division I FCS at Holy Cross in 2019, '20, '21 and '22, and Division I FBS at James Madison in 2025. The Athletic graded the Chesney hire as an "A," citing his ability to win at every level he's coached. The roster has been upgraded, with 42 transfers, including 10 from James Madi- son. On3's transfer portal rankings, which weigh both additions and departures, have the Bruins at No. 11 in the country this off- season. No Big Ten schedule is easy, but UCLA avoids Ohio State, Indiana and Penn State this season, and two of its three road games away from the West Coast are to Minnesota and Maryland. It certainly could be worse. Redshirt junior quarterback Nico Ia- maleava is entering his third season as a Power Four starter. This is his second year at UCLA, where he completed 64.4 percent of his passes for 1,928 yards and 13 touch- downs with 7 interceptions and led the team with 505 rushing yards and 4 scores in 2025. There's more to his game that can be unlocked, evidenced by his much more efficient 2024 campaign at Tennessee, when he tossed 19 touchdowns and racked up 2,616 passing yards. Offensive coordi- nator Dean Kennedy, who's coached with Chesney at Holy Cross and James Madison, runs a system that's believed to fit Iamaleava's skill set, featuring a lot of quarter- back runs. The offensive line is a big question mark. UCLA wouldn't have brought in 10 transfers at the posi- tion group if it wasn't. Running the football is a potential strength of the offense, with a lot of options at running back. The most notable is red- shirt senior JMU transfer Wayne Knight, who was a second-team All-America selection by the Associated Press after rushing for 1,373 yards (6.6 per carry) and 9 touchdowns with 397 receiving yards in 2025. Sophomore wide receiver Brian Rowe Jr., a 6-foot, 170-pound South Carolina transfer, looks like he'll be the top target. He's primed for a breakout following a big spring. Rowe hauled in 19 catches for 149 yards and a touchdown with the Game- cocks last season. James Madison finished 13th nationally in scoring defense last season, and that side of the ball is Chesney's calling card, working closely with coordinator Colin Hitschler, who also followed him from JMU. Defensive tackle is perhaps the biggest concern on the team, but the defensive line will have some talent, led by 6-foot-4, 270-pound edge rusher Sahir West. The redshirt sophomore was named the Sun Belt Freshman of the Year in 2025, posting 7 sacks for JMU. The defensive backfield also has some juice. Utah transfer Tao Johnson joined the fold, following a 51-tackle, 2-interception campaign under new Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham in 2025. Cornerback Rodrick Pleasant, meanwhile, is working back from an injury; he was tabbed as All-Big Ten honorable mention last season, recording 36 tackles and 7 pass breakups. There's a lot of betting on Chesney and players from a lower level panning out at UCLA, which has underperformed for the majority of this century, with 12 sub-.500 campaigns in that timeframe. But there's much more excitement about the founda- tion that is being built than there was with Foster, who had no head-coaching experi- ence, at the helm. ❑ 2026 SCHEDULE Date Opponent 2025 Result Sept. 5 at California — Sept. 12 SAN DIEGO STATE — Sept. 19 PURDUE — Sept. 26 at Maryland W, 20-17 Oct. 10 at Oregon — Oct. 17 WISCONSIN — Oct. 24 MICHIGAN STATE W, 38-13 Oct. 31 NEVADA — Nov. 7 at Minnesota — Nov. 14 ILLINOIS — Nov. 21 at Michigan — Nov. 28 USC L, 29-10 REASONS FOR OPTIMISM • HC Bob Chesney's track record • QB Nico Iamaleava's experience • Reasonable schedule UCLA has new life with a fresh coaching staff and roster, headed by a leader in Chesney who's won everywhere he's coached. REASONS FOR CONCERN • Unproven at defensive tackle • O-line has been poor in recent years • Chesney is just getting started It's fair to question just how good UCLA can be right away, in large part because there's a lot to build on the lines of scrimmage. QUICK FACTS All-Time Series: Michigan leads 8-3 First Meeting: U-M 42, UCLA 13 (Sept. 29, 1956, in Ann Arbor) Last Meeting: UCLA 23, U-M 20 (Sept. 16, 2000, in Pasadena, Calif.) Head Coach: Bob Chesney, 0-0 at UCLA (first year), 65-27 overall (ninth year) 2025 In Review: 3-9 overall, 3-6 Big Ten Final 2025 Ranking: Unranked Returning Starters: 7 (3 offense, 3 de- fense, 1 specialist) Last Bowl Appearance: 2023 (Los Angeles Bowl vs. Boise State, W 35-22) RETURNING LEADERS Passing: Nico Iamaleava (1,928 yards, 13 TD) Rushing: Nico Iamaleava (505 yards, 4 TD) Receiving: Mikey Matthews (348 yards, 2 TD) Tackles: Cole Martin (65) Sacks: Jalen Woods (1.5) Interceptions: Scooter Jackson (2) UCLA Makes An 'A' Hire With Bob Chesney GAME 11 • UCLA BRUINS • NOV. 21 Redshirt sophomore quarterback Nico Iamaleava ranked second in the Big Ten among non-running backs with 664 rushing yards (excluding sacks) in 2025. PHOTO BY ROSS TURTELTAUB