UCLA Football Top 30 Players: No. 23

Last year, UCLA was one of the worst teams in the Big Ten in getting after the quarterback and stopping the run.

Now with Bob Chesney as the new head coach, he has done a great job building through the transfer portal, as they had the 11th-ranked portal class. One of the players who can help the Bruins be a better up-front along the defensive line is defensive tackle Darold DeNgohe, who will join back with Bob Chesney after spending a season at Rutgers.

Darold DeNgohe Out of High School

With number 23 of my ranking of the top 30 players on the Bruins squad, I spoke about Nickel Corner DJ Barksdale and how he was an underappreciated player coming out of high school. DeNgohe is the same way, as he too was also an unranked player in the 2023 high school class, coming out of LaSalle College High School in Glenside, Pennsylvania.

In his senior year at LaSalle, he was selected to the first-team all-state team, finishing the season with 52 total tackles, 14 tackles for a loss, 8 sacks, and an impact on special teams with 5 blocked kicks. He would also be selected for first-team All-Area and first-team All-League honors in both his junior and senior years.

Unlike Barksdale, DeNgohe would be scouted by Division I schools, as he had 14 offers from mid-major programs. East coast schools such as Temple, Villanova, and Rhode Island, as well as teams based in Ohio like Kent State, Cincinnati, Akron, and Bowling Green, were all recruiting him heavily.

DeNgohe would decide to commit to James Madison and join one of the top FCS programs in the country.

DeNgohe at James Madison

In his true freshman season with the Dukes, he appeared in only two games and recorded a single statistic. DeNgohe would decide to use that season as a redshirt season, learning from one of the best coaches in the FCS, Curt Cignetti.

After his first year with the Dukes, head coach Curt Cignetti would take the head coaching job at the University of Indiana. James Madison would hire Bob Chesney, and rather than enter the transfer portal, DeNgohe decided to stay at James Madison, where he would have a pretty good season.

While not a starter for the Dukes, he played in 12 games as a defensive tackle and had a good year with 28 total tackles (11 solo), 6 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and 1 blocked field goal.

DeNgohe Transfers Close to Home

After a good second year, DeNgohe would decide to hit the transfer portal and play in a much better conference than the Sun Belt, as he would move to the Big Ten and play closer to home at Rutgers.

While being closer to home is always nice, it unfortunately didn't turn out the way he would have wanted. DeNgohe would play in just four games last season for the Scarlet Knights as he was sidelined due to a season-ending injury. In his four games, he would log just eight tackles and two solo tackles.

After suffering a season-ending injury, DeNgohe would decide to enter the transfer portal and would follow Bob Chesney to UCLA, as he was the coach who got the best out of him. Bob Chensey had a very good year with the Dukes last year as they were able to win the Sun Belt conference championship and also play in the college football playoff.

UCLA’s Rush Last Year

One of the big reasons why the Bruins finished last season with a 3-9 record was due to the fact that they were unsuccessful at rushing the passer and stopping the run. Former head coach Deshaun Foster would bring in decent players through the transfer portal, including players like Anthony Jones, Kechaun Bennett, and others.

However, they were all disappointed with the Bruins as Anthony Jones would tie Jalen Woods for the team's high in sacks with just 1.5. The lack of pass rush caused Deshaun Foster to be let go after just three games into the year.

Against the run, the Bruins were not effective either, as they were second to last in rushing yards, as opposing teams had an average of 190 rushing yards, 5.2 yards per carry, and at least two touchdowns.

UCLA’s Rush This Year

Bob Cheney made it a point of emphasis to rebuild the entire defense and did a great job through the transfer portal. One of the biggest points of need was rebuilding the defensive line.

Chesney brought in players from James Madison who helped the Dukes reach the Sun Belt championship and the college football playoff. Players such as edge rushers Ryan McCulloch, Dallin Havea, and Amier Washington, as well as defensive tackles Maxwell Roy and Sahir West.

This should be a much better unit for the Bruins defense as they are much more talented and have a proven track record of rushing the passer and stopping the run. Sahir West led the Dukes last season in sacks with seven, and is expected to be a rising player in the Big Ten who could potentially be one of the best in the conference.

What to Expect From DeNgohe

Overall, DeNgohe is a very good player when stopping the run, which is evident from his one full season with James Madison when he had six tackles for a loss. DeNgohe is also a player who can make an impact rushing the passer, as while he only has one sack in his three-year college career, he is able to disrupt the opposing offensive line and create holes for the pass rushers.

DeNgohe is coming off a season-ending injury with the Scarlet Knights, and there might be a bit of rust that he will need to play off. However, if he is able to get back to full strength, he will be an immediate impact player for the Bruins next season and could potentially start along the defensive line not only for this upcoming year, but for multiple years.

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