What UCLA Football Camp Told Us About Coach Chesney's Vision

This UCLA football team has many unanswered questions. Luckily, Week One is nearly upon us, and it should be the source of answers to many mysteries the Bruins have.

When you bring in as many transfers as Bob Chesney did, you must have a clear vision of the role they will all play. I like to think Chesney would not have gone out of his way to bring in as many players if he didn’t intend to use them all in one way or another to add value to this UCLA team.

While 43 transfers can’t see the field at the same time, there are meaningful roles all of them can play. Both offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy and Bob Chesney have mentioned the fact that there will be rotation in this roster, and we’ll likely see far more than 22 players playing meaningful snaps for the Bruins.

OC Dean Kennedy's Thoughts

“I think the whole part of camp is figuring out what we're going to be good at. But I think the cool part about really the offensive line, there's a lot of competition across the board, not just tackle, interior pieces. But you're seeing a lot of, really people buy in, and just trust that, we're going to have multiple people play.” Dean Kennedy said at the UCLA Media Day.

Kennedy understands that there’s far more value on this UCLA depth chart than there are starting positions. I would expect to see plenty of rotation along the offensive line as well as at other positions.

When reporters questioned Bob Chesney about the depth chart along that defensive line, Chesney echoed the same sentiment that Kennedy spoke about:

May 2, 2026; Pasadena, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins coach Bob Chesney reacts during the spring game at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“There's a lot of guys in here that I think that we'll be able to move through and rotate through. And again, just like every position, you're going to need them all."

You Can Expect Plenty of Rotating

While an official depth chart may be released prior to Week One at Cal, you can expect plenty more players to see the field throughout the course of the season. With that lies the potential for movement throughout the depth chart, even deep into the season.

May 2, 2026; Pasadena, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins coach Bob Chesney reacts during the spring game at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

If players take advantage of that rotating lineup, they can prove themselves in big games, and minutes on the field could increase as the season progresses. Overall, I think Chesney has a vision for what each and every one of these players can do for UCLA.

Whether this season or in the future, bringing in 43 transfers would not have been done without some foresight into how they could be utilized.

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