Why UCLA's Transfer Portal Approach Could Pay Off Big

UCLA underwent a massive roster overhaul under new head football coach Bob Chesney and his staff this offseason, welcoming in 41 transfers and 18 freshmen from the high school recruiting ranks in its 2026 class.

After back-to-back 3-9 seasons for a program that has a much prouder history, it's easy to see why such aggressive moves were made. The Bruins simply weren't built to compete in the Big Ten or on the national stage.

ucla footbal — May 2, 2026; Pasadena, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins running back Karson Cox (33) is tackled by defensive back Logan Hirou (35)during the spring game at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

But just how successful can they be after all this roster turnover? We've seen other programs attempt the same type of rebuild since the transfer portal became a regular aspect of the recruiting process and the offseason. Maybe looking at some of those notable portal classes will help paint a picture of what we can expect from UCLA on the gridiron in 2026.

2023 Colorado (52 Transfers)

When NFL legend Deion Sanders took the reins at Colorado prior to the 2023 season, he quickly and infamously sent a culture shock through the program by stripping incumbent players of scholarships, letting them know they needed to look elsewhere to continue playing college football, and turning to the transfer portal to make up the majority of his roster and its top contributors.

The immediate result was a 4-8 season, highlighted by a 3-0 start that included upsets of TCU and Nebraska and saw the return of ESPN's College Gameday in Boulder. But the effects of the transfer class were still felt, and the Buffaloes turned around to produce a 9-4 season in 2024. However, once big-time playmakers like Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders left, Colorado slipped back to 3-9.

2025 West Virginia (53 Transfers)

Rich Rodriguez's return to Morgantown last season also involved a heavy influx of transfers. In this case, the wider impact is still unknown, but the immediate result was a 4-8 campaign with just two wins in Big 12 Conference play. Most of the team's top performers were actually returning players for the Mountaineers.

The 2026 season will let us know more about how well this approach will work for Rich Rod and company, as they've added another 34 transfers this offseason.

2024 Indiana (31 Transfers)

This is another of the most memorable transfer classes of the portal era. Indiana's Curt Cignetti has been making waves and headlines since he took the Hoosiers job, and it's resulted in one of the most unlikely turnarounds and a National Championship juggernaut. It wasn't done by landing a bunch of Power Four transfers who needed a change of scenery, but rather a group of players who believed in a coach so much that they followed him from James Madison.

Sound familiar?

That's not to say UCLA will see the same immediate success by following the same path. It's absolutely on everyone's mind, whether they'll admit it or not.

Indiana went 11-2 and reached the first 12-team College Football Playoff with a first-round exit in 2024, but Year 2 was once again the year for tangible progress. The Hoosiers went undefeated and won a national title.

2025 Arkansas (31 Transfers)

The transfer portal can also send things the other direction. Last year's Arkansas team, which was coming off a 7-6 season amid swirling rumors of head coach Sam Pittman's dwindling job security, completely fell apart. The Razorbacks went 2-10, and Pittman was relieved of his head coaching duties after five games.

There were many additional factors in the downfall, but this just goes to show that using the transfer portal to engineer a sizable roster overhaul is not always the best choice.

UCLA's Outlook

Overhauling a roster through the transfer portal has clearly had mixed results, so Bruins fans should temper their expectations. Positivity is rightfully brimming in Westwood as everyone anticipates the upcoming season, but the desired results still take time to materialize. Even in an era where it seems rebuilds can be almost instant, the majority of these programs don't hit their stride until Year 2.

Therefore, 2027 should be considered the first season to accurately benchmark the progress of the new coaching staff and the UCLA program.

Add us as a preferred source on Google