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UCLA Football Stock Report: Four Players Rising After Week 6

Here are four players who stood out in the Week 6 win at Oregon.
Oct 10, 2026; Eugene, Oregon, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Bob Chesney watches a replay during the second half in a game against the Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images
Oct 10, 2026; Eugene, Oregon, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Bob Chesney watches a replay during the second half in a game against the Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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There’s a lot to learn from UCLA’s 17-15 win over Oregon, and a lot of credit to be distributed. It was not an easy game by any means, but the Bruins battled until the end and escaped with their first win against Oregon in Eugene since 2004.

In the contest, here are four players who had the most positive impact on their stock moving forward.

Ty Dieffenbach

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Oct 10, 2026; Eugene, Oregon, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Ty Dieffenbach (14) celebrates with linebacker Scott Taylor (20) after a game against the Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The most obvious name is Ty Dieffenbach. If you didn’t watch this game and just checked the box score, you may be confused as to why his stock would be rising. After all, he only completed three passes for 43 yards on the day.

Dieffenbach was put in a very tough situation. He revealed in a postgame press conference that he had no prior knowledge that he would be the first quarterback to enter the game if Iamaleava were to get injured. When that came to reality, Dieffenbach had to spring into action in a loud road environment against a top-15 team in the country. Given the circumstances, I thought he looked solid in managing the second half of the game.

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Oct 10, 2026; Eugene, Oregon, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Ty Dieffenbach (14) signals a first down during the second half in a game against the Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With uncertainty surrounding Iamaleava and the injury he sustained against Oregon, it’s unclear whether this team will be relying on Dieffenbach even more moving forward.

Scooter Jackson

One player I was continually impressed with was cornerback Scooter Jackson. While it may not show up a ton in the box score, he was continually involved in incompletions. I made several notes while watching Jackson, and he was a major part of the defense's ability to continually get off the field.

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Sep 26, 2026; College Park, Maryland, USA; UCLA Bruins defensive back Ta'Shawn James (27) celebrates in the end zone after returning an interception for a touchdown in the second half against the Maryland Terrapins at SECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Ta’Shawn James

Another player in the secondary who continues to impress is Ta’Shawn James. For a player who didn’t initially have a starting role to begin the season, he has quickly become a crucial piece of this defense. His ability to take the ball away this season has been matched only by Sammy Omosigho’s ability to punch balls loose. James is second in the country in interceptions and grabbed another one against the Ducks on Saturday.

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Sep 19, 2026; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins wide receiver Semaj Morgan (4) celebrates after scoring on a 27-yard touchdown pass against the Purdue Boilermakers in the first half at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Semaj Morgan

We’ve been waiting to see whether any member of this wide receiver unit would reveal themselves as the clear-cut number one target. While it’s not exactly clear by any means, it seems like Morgan has the best chance moving forward.

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Sep 19, 2026; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins wide receiver Semaj Morgan (4) scores on a 27-yard touchdown pass against the Purdue Boilermakers in the first half at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

UCLA's passing game was abysmal against the Ducks, but Morgan seemed to be the most reliable receiver on the field. With uncertainties at quarterback, it could shake things up, but I project Morgan to be WR1 moving forward.

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Kade Nix
KADE NIX

Kade Nix is the UCLA Beat Writer On SI and a member of the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA). He specializes in college basketball coverage, with a statistical, analytics-driven approach to reporting, providing readers with in-depth analysis of recruiting, roster construction, player development, and the evolving college sports landscape.