UCLA Lands Elite Transfer Portal Linebacker

It’s hard to overstate what new UCLA head coach Bob Chesney has accomplished in the transfer portal. When Chesney took over the Bruins, he inherited a roster with several needs and had a lot of work to do to field a competitive Big Ten team in 2026.

Since the portal opened on Jan 2, Chesney has brought in nearly 40 new players to the team. On Monday evening, the Bruins landed arguably their best transfer yet, adding a former Oklahoma linebacker to an already stacked portal class.

Oklahoma Linebacker Transfer Commits to UCLA

On Jan. 12, Rivals’ Hayes Fawcett reported on X that Sam Omosigho, a transfer linebacker from Oklahoma, had committed to UCLA.

BREAKING: Oklahoma transfer LB Sammy Omosigho has Committed to UCLA, his agent tells @On3Sports

He totaled 97 tackles, 4 PD, 2 sacks and 1 FF in his time with the Soonershttps://t.co/RlUbB6EMhS pic.twitter.com/HfCvfH2Gru
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) January 13, 2026

Omosigho was one of the top remaining players available in the portal, with Rivals’ transfer portal rankings listing him as a four-star prospect, the No. 87 overall player in the portal, and the No. 6 linebacker. He becomes the third transfer linebacker UCLA has signed and the 14th defensive player.

He’s originally from Crandall, Texas, and was a four-star, top-100 prospect in the 2023 recruiting class. He held offers from some of the nation’s top programs, including Florida, Michigan, and USC, but ultimately committed to and signed with Oklahoma.

Oct 18, 2025; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; Oklahoma Sooners linebacker Sammy Omosigho (7) celebrates a play against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the second half at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images | Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

Omosigho has spent the last three seasons in Norman. After seeing limited playing time as a true freshman, he had a much larger role as a sophomore, recording 39 tackles, five tackles for loss, and one forced fumble in 13 games.

While his 2024 campaign was strong, he had an even better 2025 season, totaling 50 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and two sacks. Omosigho joins UCLA with one year of eligibility remaining and will be an immediate starter on a Bruins’ defense that desperately needed help at linebacker.

UCLA will be without its two most productive linebackers from 2025 next season, as JonJon Vaughns exhausted his eligibility and Isaiah Chisom transferred out. While Chesney addressed several of the Bruins' needs earlier in the portal window, the program still needed an upgrade at linebacker, and it now has that with the addition of Omosigho.

Chesney and his staff have done a fantastic job throughout the portal, bringing in both quality players who will directly contribute to UCLA’s 2026 success and younger depth pieces who can grow and develop with the Bruins.

Dec 9, 2025; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Bob Chesney is introduced as UCLA Bruins football coach at press conference at Renee Luskin Conference Center Centennial Ballroom. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

With the latest addition of Omosigho, UCLA’s 2026 transfer portal class now ranks 29th in the country and 7th in the Big Ten, according to 247Sports.

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