UCLA Football 2025 Depth Chart Roundup: Defensive Tackle, Part 1

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 move on to the defense and start with a few of UCLA's defensive tackles.

Keanu Williams, Redshirt Senior

Williams returns to UCLA after missing most of the 2024 season with an injury. He started the first two games of last season and was primed for an impactful year following his first season in Westwood in 2023.

In 2023, his redshirt sophomore season and first season after transferring from Oregon, he played in all 13 games and started 10 of them, finishing with 14 tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks. This season, his final year of eligibility, he's slated to start alongside Siale Taupaki in the trenches.

Ashton Sanders, Redshirt Sophomore

Sanders transferred to UCLA from Oklahoma along with offensive lineman Eugene Brooks, another massive addition for the Bruins in the portal. Sanders is currently slated behind Taupaki and Williams on the defensive line, but with three years of eligibility remaining, he could find himself a starting spot a lot easier than he would have with the Sooners.

A.J. Fuimaono, Redshirt Sophomore

Fuimaono is entering his third season with the Bruins as a redshirt sophomore. Last season, he appeared in all 12 games as a backup on the defensive line and mostly on the special teams. In 2023, he played in one game against North Carolina Central and utilized his redshirt. He saw action in the first string early in spring camp, but is still projected to be a backup.

Robert James III, Freshman

James made headlines by committing to UCLA at seemingly the very last second. The class of 2025 product pledged to the Bruins on June 10 and will be joining the squad this season, though he isn't projected to play and will likely be redshirted.

"James is a prototype defensive tackle with a rock solid 6-3, 265 pound frame. He’s a big weight room guy and one of the strongest players out West. He can handle double teams, stand his ground and still get a push up the field. He’s strong at the point of attack and can rag doll opposing offensive linemen. He’s a finisher and shows knock back ability at the point of attack. For a big man, he shows good lateral mobility and athleticism and can make plays outside the tackle box. He’s an easy high Power 4 prospect and should be an impact player at the college level." -- Greg Biggins, 247Sports National Recruiting Analyst

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