UCLA Linebacker Emerges Victorious in Battle for No. 9 Jersey

Offseason camp is a time where players compete for their spot on the depth chart, but for UCLA linebackers Jalen Woods and Isaiah Chisom, it was about competing for the No. 9 jersey number.

Chisom, a transfer from Oregon State, wore the jersey number for the Beavers last season. Woods, on the other hand, hasn't worn the number at all in his three-year career in Westwood, despite going by his "J-9" nickname since middle school.

Woods wound up earning the number, while Chisom will don No. 32.

"I guess, yeah, it was like a competition," Woods said during Saturday's Costa Mesa camp media availability. "It was just, 'whoever comes out on top,' I guess."

Was Woods ecstatic about receiving his childhood number? How long has he worn No. 9?

"Yeah, I mean, because [a lot of] people call me 'J-9' already, so it would kind of be weird if I [wouldn't] be the same [number]," he said. "Since middle school. My Pop Warner team, we had a lot of 'Js' in the first name, so I wore No. 9 back then, and they just called me 'J-9.'"

UCL — Sep 14, 2024; Corvallis, Oregon, USA; Oregon State Beavers linebacker Isaiah Chisom (9) and defensive back Josiah Johnson (30) tackle Oregon Ducks wide receiver Tez Johnson (15) after a catch during the second half at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

Aside from the jersey competition, Woods and Chisom are also competing for playing time at the linebacker position. UCLA coach DeShaun Foster regarded the position group as the deepest on the team, stacked with returners like Woods and JonJon Vaughns and bolstered through the transfer portal with Chisom and Ben Perry.

Woods Embracing 'Intense' Camp Linebacker Battle

Woods is embracing the competition, because it's helping everyone grow.

"I feel like intense competition is needed for every position," Woods said. "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

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.

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Woods Embracing 'Intense' Camp Linebacker Battle

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