UCLA Football 2026 Top 30 Players: No. 27

For the first three players on the list, I focused on the offensive side of the ball, including wide receivers Kenneth Moore and Mikey Matthews and backup running back Anthony Woods. Now we are moving to the other side of the ball along the defensive line.

Number 27 on the list of the top 30 players on the Bruins football roster is redshirt junior defensive tackle Amier Washington. Washington emerged last year with Texas Tech, but with UCLA, he could emerge as a quality player.

Amier Washington at Texas Tech

Coming out of Little Cypress-Mauriceville High School in Orange, Texas, Washington was a three-star recruit and the 964th-ranked prospect according to Rivals. Washington wasn't very sought after, as he had only a handful of offers from schools such as Texas Tech, Houston, and Baylor, and he ultimately committed to Texas Tech.

In his freshman season with the Red Raiders, he had only four tackles but also two sacks, four tackles for a loss, and one forced fumble. After playing in two games, he took a redshirt season to save an extra year of eligibility.

In his redshirt freshman season, Washington would see the field much more, finishing the season with 12 games. However, while he saw the field more, it wouldn't be as impactful. Washington would finish the year with five solo tackles and five assisted tackles, one tackle for a loss, and half a sack.

His redshirt sophomore year would see some regression, rather than improvement, statistically. He would finish the year with just two solo tackles and five assists in just 11 games, with just one tackle for a loss and zero sacks.

Bruins Defensive Line Last Year

UCLA did not have a good defense overall last year, and in large part because the defensive line was bad. The Bruins weren't able to generate any pressure on the quarterback, recording only the Big Ten's worst 10 sacks and another Big Ten worst 40 tackles for a loss.

Junior linebacker Jalen Woods, along with junior edge rusher Anthony Jones, led the Bruins in sacks with 1.5 apiece. The good news is that Woods is coming back for his senior season and is looking to remain a big part of the Bruins' defense. The bad news is that Jones is one of the 49 other players from last year's team to enter the transfer portal and is now with Nebraska.

May 2, 2026; Pasadena, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins coach Bob Chesney reacts during the spring game at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

However, a on-the-ball linebacker should not be the team's leader in sacks. That reflects poorly on the overall defensive line, as they had to constantly throw Blitzes to get any pressure on the QB.

Chesney needed to go into the portal and find help, and bringing in Washington was a big addition with his physicality and quickness. While he hasn't been able to generate sacks, he has been able to get after the quarterback and generate some pressure.

What Washington Brings to Westwood

UCLA lost former Bruin defensive lineman Gary Smith III to the NFL, and Siale Taupaki and Keanu Williams to the transfer portal this offseason. Chesney would go into the portal to address the defensive line, picking up Amier Washington to ensure depth and compete for the starting job.

After three seasons at Texas Tech, Washington entered the transfer portal and chose to come to UCLA to play under Bob Chesney.

While looking at the stat sheet, one might not think he made that much of an impact at Texas tech, he did make it difficult for opposing offenses, especially in the run game. Washington is listed at 6-2, but is 286 pounds and is very strong to go through opposing offensive lines to disrepute the opposing running game.

During the spring, Washington has also improved his overall physicality and speed. Washington has also taken some snaps on the edge, given his undersized frame, but he has proven throughout the spring to be a reliable player on the interior of the defensive line.

Defensive Line Outlook

Bob Chense — May 2, 2026; Pasadena, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins coach Bob Chesney reacts during the spring game at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Being put in the starting lineup as a defensive tackle will be very difficult for Washington this upcoming season. The defensive ends are already sorted with redshirt sophomore Sahir West and redshirt senior Aidan Gobaira, and the defensive tackles are also sorted with redshirt senior Tyson Ford and redshirt freshman Maxwell Roy.

Ford is projected to start for the Bruins at interior defensive line, and, like Washington, he has had a lack of production with both Notre Dame and Cal.

The redshirt junior spent two seasons at Notre Dame and one at Cal after coming out of John Burroughs School as the second-ranked recruit from Missouri. But three years later, Ford had little production to his name, yet was still a highly sought-after prospect, playing at three Power Four schools, due to his size and production at the high school level.

However, Roy being the starter is less of a guarantee, as he did not play a single snap in his true freshman season at Ohio State. While Roy is still extremely talented, as he was a highly sought-after recruit coming out of high school, if Washington wants to be the starter next season, it's going to be a battle in the offseason between both Roy and Washington to play alongside Ford.

The Impact Washington Can Have

Washington has not had the same level of production in his redshirt freshman and sophomore seasons that he had in his two games as a true freshman. However, that doesn't mean that he won't be able to produce with the Bruins this upcoming season.

Texas Tech has been one of the more active programs in the transfer portal and hasn't focused much on developing players from high school, which has caused Washington to slip in the depth chart.

Now, coming to a program that seems to want him to compete for a starting role while also being a quality player when not starting, it is a big opportunity for him that he hadn't had at Texas Tech.

If he can be an impactful player over the summer and during summer workouts, there is no reason he shouldn't be starting along the defensive line for the Bruins come the start of next season.

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