UCLA Football 2025 Depth Chart Roundup: Edge, Part 2

As UCLA's first practices loom ahead of the 2025 season, DeShaun Foster has cultivated a roster through recruiting and the transfer portal, ready to improve on last season.

Finishing their first season in the Big Ten with a 5-7 record, it's only up from here for the Bruins. With that being said, let's dive into UCLA's projected depth chart this upcoming season and how analysts view they'll impact UCLA. Up next, we round out the defensive line by tackling the Bruins' deep edge position.

Grant Buckey, Redshirt Sophomore

Edge is a very important position for UCLA after accumulating a ton of loss at the position over the course of the last two seasons. In 2024, his redshirt sophomore season, Buckey played mostly special teams in just 10 games.

Ahead of this season, though, he's projected to play in a bigger role. Not as a primary starter, but maybe as an important backup.

Nico Davillier, Redshirt Senior

Davillier is the Bruins' highest-rated defensive transfer this season and is coming off a disruptive season in Arkansas. He finished his junior season with 23 tackles, two tackles for loss and one sack. As UCLA searches for anything at the position, Davillier at least brings experience and disruption.

Anthony Jones, Redshirt Junior

Yet another transfer addition at edge, Jones is a well-traveled prospect. With stops at Washington, Oregon, Texas, Indiana, Oregon State and Michigan State, the hope is he finds a home in Westwood. In 12 games with the Spartans last season, Jones had 25 tackles (11 solo and 14 assisted) and 2.0 sacks.

Ikaika Malloe, defensive coordinator for UCLA, facilitated an overhaul at the position and is hoping to get anything out of every transfer, including Jones.

Jewelous Walls, Freshman

Walls is a three-star prospect in the class of 2025 and, like many freshmen on the defensive end, he is expected to redshirt his first season.

"Walls has been one of the state’s top defensive players since his sophomore year. He’s a natural pass rusher who has totaled 20 sacks to go with 213 tackles for one of the state’s top power programs. At 6-2.5, 210 pounds, he’s a hybrid outside linebacker/edge rusher and where he ultimately plays will likely be determined by how much weight he can put on over the next few years. He’s a twitchy athlete with a lightning first step and can blow by most opposing tackles. He uses his hands well and has multiple moves and counters to get to the quarterback.

"He’s a high motor player who can run and does a nice job running down plays from behind. He’s relentless in pursuit and has a nice physical edge in his game. He does a nice job disengaging and getting off blocks and tackles well in space. He’s able to break down, doesn’t over pursue and is a finisher. You love the passion and energy he plays with and how he gets up the field. He’s going to need to continue to get bigger and stronger and add some good weight to be a real difference maker at the next level but he definitely has the skill set, toughness and athleticism to develop in to a multi-year starter at the Power 4 level." -- Greg Biggins, 247Sports National Recruiting Analyst

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