Tenured Bruins LB Embracing 'Intense Competition' in Revamped Position Group

When a team overhauls its roster as much as DeShaun Foster and the UCLA Bruins did through the transfer portal this offseason, newfound competition at every position is inevitable.

That is two-fold when the team loses NFL-level production, like the Bruins did with Carson Schwesinger and Kain Medrano at the linebacker position.

Between two key returners and work in the transfer period, linebacker is UCLA's deepest position room, according to Foster. Returning redshirt junior Jalen Woods is embracing the competition, because it's helping everyone grow.

"I feel like intense competition is needed for every position," Woods said during Saturday's media availability. "It makes people better, honestly. It gets the most out of players. As a linebacker group, we want everybody to play as much as we can. We want linebackers on the field all the time. So, just being able to know what we're doing so we can have opportunities like that, where more of us can get on the field."

Nov 30, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins linebackers Carson Schwesinger (49) and Jalen Woods (17) tackle Fresno State Bulldogs running back Bryson Donelson (26) during the third quarter at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

UCLA's Linebacker Depth

With that being said, let's take a look at the notable figures at the position group.

JonJon Vaughns, #6, Redshirt Senior, 6'1", 225 lbs.

Vaughns has been one of the most consistent figures on UCLA's defense throughout his career in Westwood, and he's returning as one of the Bruins' top linebackers. The two-sport athlete has used up all his eligibility in baseball, which is where he'd usually be during the springtime, meaning he was with the Bruins for all of spring practices for the first time.

Redshirting the 2024 season after playing just four games, Vaughns enters his sixth season in Westwood and has quite a lengthy resume. Over 48 games with UCLA, he's started in 11 of them (all in the 2022 season) and has totaled 113 tackles (64 solo and 49 assisted), 6.5 tackles for loss, 1.0 sacks and two interceptions.

His best season was that 2022 season as a true junior, where he started in 11 games and put up 53 tackles and two interceptions.

Jalen Woods, #9, Redshirt Junior, 6'1", 225 lbs.

Woods is one of the more tenured figures in UCLA's defense and is projected to have chances at an increased role compared to prior years this season. He is entering his fourth year with the Bruins and has played 27 games in his collegiate career in Westwood.

In his first season, which would eventually be redshirted, Woods played in just two games as a backup linebacker, accruing five solo tackles and one tackle for loss. The next season, 2023, he played in all 13 games and finished with 11 tackles and two tackles for loss.

In his redshirt sophomore year last season, he played in all 12 games and improved considerably, tallying 22 total tackles (15 solo and seven assisted), two tackles for loss and a pass deflection.

Ben Perry, #10, Redshirt Senior, 6'3", 210 lbs.

Previously a safety, Perry comes to Westwood by way of the Louisville Cardinals with the hopes to be UCLA's starting linebacker with the departures of Kain Medrano and Carson Schwesinger to the NFL Draft. He had 29 tackles, three tackles for loss and a sack with Louisville last season.

Perry, if anything, can tap into his skills as a safety to navigate coverage in the middle of the field. He is projected to start as UCLA's Sam linebacker. The only flaws he might run into is that, as a former defensive back, he doesn't typically have the frame and stature of a linebacker like Medrano or Schwesinger.

Isaiah Chisom, #32, Redshirt Sophomore, 6'1", 235 lbs.

Chisom comes in as a transfer from Oregon State and was a prominent figure in the Beavers' defense last season. He finished the season with 75 tackles and a forced fumble in 12 games of action. He is one of the few prime candidates to replace Carson Schwesinger's production from last season.

Whether he is a starter or not ahead of the season, as a redshirt sophomore, Chisom should have a promising future with the program.

Mone Malafu, #40, Redshirt Sophomore, 6'2", 240 lbs.

Malafu has mostly been buried on the depth chart in his two seasons with the Bruins, playing in only one game against North Carolina Central in 2023. However, according to Bruin Report Online's David Woods, he showed promise in spring practices with the backup linebackers.

Donavyn Pellot, #0, Redshirt Sophomore, 6'2", 215 lbs.

Pellot is coming off an ACL injury that kept him out all of last season. In his true freshman season in 2023, he appeared in five games, seeing action against North Carolina Central, Arizona State, USC, Cal and Boise State in the LA Bowl. He finished the season with three solo tackles and an eight-yard sack.

Pellot is currently slotted behind Perry, among others, on the depth chart, but is sure to have a promising outlook on the rest of his future with the Bruins.

Jewelous "JuJu" Walls, #41, Freshman, 6'2", 215 lbs.

Walls is a three-star freshman out of the class of 2025 and came to Westwood as the No. 53-ranked edge in the nation. Much like the other freshmen at the position, Walls is expected to redshirt this season.

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