Why Brian Rowe Jr. Can Be UCLA's Breakout Star in 2026

Bob Chesney has completely rebuilt the wide receiver room to help starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava succeed next season.

Last year's wide receiver group was not the best in the Big Ten. The leading receiver last year for the Bruins was sophomore Kwazi Gilmer with 535 yards receiving, 50 receptions, and four touchdowns. Gilmer was followed by Mikey Matthews and Titus Mokiao-Atimalala, who tallied 670 yards on 58 receptions and five touchdowns.

Brian Chesne — 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

With Matthews the only returning member, Chesney needed to go into the transfer portal and bring in many receivers to fill out the room. Players like Marcus Harris, Semaj Morgan, and Aidan Mizell were all brought in to fill out the depth. Meanwhile, players like Leland Smith and Landon Ellis were brought in to compete for starting roles.

A little over a month ago, I spoke about how both Leland Smith and Landon Ellis could compete for the number one wide receiver position. There is one player I did not mention who I think should also be in that conversation and could be ranked higher than both: Brian Rowe Jr., who transferred after his freshman year at South Carolina.

Brian Rowe Jr. at South Carolina

Rowe just finished his freshman season with the Gamecocks, and as a 4-star prospect out of high school, he had some ups and downs, much like the team as a whole.

South Carolina as a whole had an underwhelming season, finishing 4-8 overall and 1-7 in the SEC. Even with a very good quarterback in LeNorris Sellers, Rowe Jr. finished the season with 19 receptions for 149 yards and one touchdown.

It was a decent season for his true freshman year, as he had two games with over 40 yards receiving, while in most games he had less than 20 yards. His two best games were easily against No. 7 Ole Miss, with four receptions for 45 yards, and against No. 23 Missouri, with three receptions for 50 yards and a touchdown.

Even with the low production at South Carolina, he still showed the potential of being a great wide receiver in the Big Ten and could be the top receiver on the Bruins roster.

What Rowe Jr. Brings to UCLA

Since coming to UCLA, Rowe has done nothing but impress the coaches, especially offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy. Before the Bruins' spring game, Kennedy spoke about how Rowe can beat you on the outside in a multitude of ways.

“Today, he had an unbelievable catch...” Kennedy said. “...His quickness that you can see, the way he kind of can push and have certain break points. He's done a great job with that. We’ve moved him around. That's what we do with all of our receivers to see who can handle certain things. He still needs to grow in that aspect, but, as I said, it's still early on for him."

Rowe is a perfect fit for quarterback Nico Iamaleava, as he can go down the field with his speed, run routes, and be a 50-50 lob threat in the red zone. While both Leland Smith and Landon Ellis possess some of those attributes, Rowe possesses all, and with that in mind, he is a player who can have a breakout year for the Bruins.

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