UCLA Football Top 30 Players: No. 26

UCLA and Bob Chesney have seen so much turnover through this offseason.

Whether it's bringing in players who are younger, older, on the offensive side, or the defensive side, UCLA brought in one of the nation's top portal classes.

One of the big priorities for Bob Chesney and his staff to rebuild was the offensive line, and one of the better players they were able to bring in through the transfer portal was Julian Armella.

Who Is Julian Armella?

Coming out of St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Armella was a 4-star recruit out of the 2022 high school class. Armella was a highly sought-after recruit in the 2022 class, ranked 152nd in the country, the eighth-ranked offensive guard, and the 18th-ranked player in the state of Florida, according to the 247Sports Composite.

Armella would decide to stay in Florida and commit to Florida State. In his true freshman season, he redshirted and appeared in four games against Duquesne, Boston College, Georgia Tech, and Miami as the Seminoles were in contention for the ACC title.

In his redshirt freshman year with the Seminoles, he saw more game action, appearing in six, but Florida State was trying to reach the College Football Playoff, which kept him out of consistent time on the field.

It wasn't until his redshirt sophomore season at Florida State that he would see more playing time. However, it would primarily be on the field goal unit. Armella would particularly block for one of the top kickers in the country, Ryan Fitzgerald.

Fitzgerald was a finalist for the Lou Groza Award, which is given to the top kicker in the country, and was also selected as a First Team All-American after his perfect season. Fitzgerald was 13-13 on field goal attempts, which was the most in the nation without a miss, and connected on all 14 extra-point opportunities.

After not seeing time along the offensive line, Armella elected to enter the transfer portal and would come to UCLA as a 3-star transfer to block for the Bruins' next starting QB, Nico Iamaleava.

Last year for the Bruins, Armella would finally see the field, not as a blocker on the special teams, but on the offensive line at right guard. Armella would play in all 12 games for the Bruins and would even make four starts against UNLV with a season-high 78 snaps, as well as starts against Penn State and Michigan State, and a start at left guard against Indiana.

Armella as a Guard Last Year

Armella played in every game for the Bruins last year and even started in four games as a redshirt junior. Armella would have an up-and-down first year with the Bruins. In eight of the 12 games, he would go without a penalty. While going eight games without a penalty, he did struggle late in the season with penalties as he fell into the backup guard role.

The Bruins are hoping for more from Armella this season, and he has already impressed the coaches with his offseason work ethic and leadership, with Bob Chesney praising him several times to the media. He worked in with the first-string unit at guard fairly frequently, and the expectation for Armella is that he’s going to be, at worst, the first guard off the bench, with the potential to end up with a starting role this year.

UCLA’s Offensive Line Last Year

The Bruins' offensive line was in a bad place last year under DeShaun Foster, as they couldn't run block or pass block.

New quarterback Nico Iamaleava had a year he would like to forget, finishing with 1,928 yards passing, 13 touchdowns, and seven interceptions, while also being sacked 27 times.

A big reason why Nico’s first year with the Bruins was a disappointment was the poor play of the offensive line. Nico would take snaps, and the offensive line would collapse as soon as the ball was snapped, forcing him to run outside the pocket or try to force a quick throw, resulting in drops or interceptions.

The offensive line also struggled in run blocking, as the leading rusher was Iamaleava with 505 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns. Meanwhile, the leading running back for the Bruins was redshirt senior Jalen Berger with 364 yards with just two touchdowns on 81 carries and 4.5 yards per carry.

UCLA’s Offensive Line Outlook

May 2, 2026; Pasadena, CA, USA; A general overall view of helmets at the line of scrimmage as UCLA Bruins center Riley Robell (50) snaps the ball during the spring game at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Bob Chesney has completely rebuilt the offensive line through the transfer portal. Bringing in guys like Jordan Davis from Southern Alabama, Mack Indestad from Eastern Michigan, as well as Riley Robell, JD Rayner, and Carter Sweazie, who followed Bob Chesney from James Madison.

Add to that class Eugen Brooks and Julian Armella, whom Bob Chesney was able to retain from last year's team. This new-look offensive line looks more like a cohesive unit compared to last season. Eugene Brooks will be the only player from last year's team who is projected to start for the Bruins at left guard, with Jordan Davis projected to be the starting left tackle.

Dec 20, 2025; Eugene, OR, USA; James Madison Dukes running back Wayne Knight (3) rushes as Oregon Ducks defensive back Aaron Flowers (21) defends during the second quarter at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Armella’s Projected Role With the Bruins

Armella has impressed early on with Bob Chesney and the new coaching staff, but he also impressed with the old coaching staff and didn't live up to those expectations. With so many new pieces that have been added to the roster, it might be difficult for him to be part of the starting rotation.

The best chance for Armella to be a starter for the Bruins is at right guard. Right guard was a revolving door last year, but he already played the position for the Bruins last year and has the experience. If he is able to have a good offseason during camp, he will absolutely challenge for the starting spot at the right guard position.

However, with Riley Robell following Chesney to UCLA, Armella will most likely have another season as the backup but will be the “sixth man” on the offensive line, a spot that has value on a football roster. There is upside for Armella in 2026.

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