3 Defensive Players Under Most Pressure for UCLA Next Season

UCLA has undergone many changes throughout the defense for the upcoming season.

Last year, the Bruins' defense was ranked among the worst, not only in the Big Ten, but in all of college football. Sports Reference compiled every team defense from last year, and out of 136 teams, the Bruins were 127th in the country, ahead of teams such as Kent State, Arkansas, and Syracuse, just to name a few.

This year, Bob Chesney and his staff, including defensive coordinator Colin Hitschler, who came from James Madison, were tasked with rebuilding the entire defense. Out of the 45 players who came through the transfer portal, 21 were on the defensive side of the ball.

With the defense being such a point of emphasis for improvement, let's look at the three players who are under the most pressure to produce at a high level to keep the Bruins out of the bottom 10 in the country.

DL Sahir West

West is the only player on the list who followed Chesney from James Madison to UCLA. Bringing West from James Madison to Westwood was a huge win for Chesney as he led the Dukes in sacks with seven last year as a redshirt sophomore and established himself as one of the better pass rushers in the G5.

UCLA was the worst team in the Big Ten at getting after the quarterback, recording just 10 total sacks. Bringing in West was very much-needed, and they will need him to produce against tougher competition.

CB Scooter Jackson

Jackson is a Compton native and returned to California last year after transferring from Utah Tech, and was an immediate starter at the nickel corner spot. Jackson established himself as one of the better corners on the team last year with 31 solo tackles, three pass breakups, and led the team with two interceptions in eight games.

Jackson is projected to move to the outside and already impressed the new coaching staff with his versatility back in April.

"I think Scooter's done a great job," Chesney told the media at Tuesday's practice. "When you break down his technique, his fundamentals, his knowledge of the game, and his physicality, there's a lot in there that's impressive, watching him play."

LB Sammy Omosigho

Omosigho spent three years with Oklahoma, entered the portal this year, and is now with the Bruins. Omosigho last year with the OU was a big part of the Sooners' season, as they made it all the way to the College Football Playoff.

Omosigho brings leadership to the Bruins defense as he will most likely be the play caller on the field. Bob Chensey will need his experience to be on full display for the Bruins next year, as without a proven leader, the Bruins won't have much success.

This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/ucla as 3 Defensive Players Under Most Pressure for UCLA Next Season.

Copyright ABG-SI LLC. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. All Rights Reserved.

This story was originally published June 14, 2026 at 6:00 AM.