UCLA’s New Faces Turn the Tide | UCLA Bruins Football News

UCLA’s football roster is undergoing a major overhaul, with explosive new talent shaking up both offense and defense. Quarterback Nico Iamaleava remains locked in, but the real story is Wayne Knight, the bruising running back who transferred from James Madison and shattered rushing records in 2025—expected to be the first UCLA rusher to hit 1,000 yards since 2022. Knight’s dual-threat ability could revive UCLA’s struggling ground game, which ranked 85th nationally last year. On the receiving end, Landon Ellis—also from James Madison—is poised to become Iamaleava’s top target, adding much-needed deep speed. And on defense, Jalen West, a Freshman All-American who dominated at James Madison, is set to fix UCLA’s sack-starved front, which ranked dead last nationally. With nearly every position wide open, this team is primed for a breakout season. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/a8f35d0b0de30180