LOS ANGELES — Nico Iamaleava demanded attention at UCLA football’s practice Wednesday.
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Knowing the moment he can start to prove everybody wrong looms only three days away when UCLA travels north to play Cal at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, he carried “a juice and aura about him that’s like, ‘I’ve put in a lot of work up into this point,’” offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy said.
“He’s beyond confident and everybody is too,” Kennedy added.
That’s crucial because every aspect of Kennedy’s offensive scheme starts with the quarterback. That’s a given with most college football teams, but especially with Kennedy and the Bruins, as they rely heavily on optionality. Therefore, for everyone to succeed, Iamaleava’s decisions must be deliberate.
He can’t just be a renowned leader. He must be firing on all cylinders. While UCLA will sift through multiple personnel looks, altering personnel throughout its skill positions, Iamaleava will remain the constant.
UCLA is opting to delay releasing a depth chart as long as possible, but other than Iamaleava, a few Bruins have established themselves as every-down players – primarily on the offensive line. But as fall camp turned into prep week for Cal, there are still positional battles and situations that could call for alternative personnel.
“We have a good idea of what’s going to happen in terms of how the reps are going to work,” Kennedy said. “But you also don’t know the type of game you’re going to be in.”
There won’t be much interchange when it comes to the offensive tackles. Once Jordan Davis returned to practice after dehydration briefly kept him out, he locked in at left tackle. Hall Schmidt mirrors him on the right and has received praise from Chesney for being “solid” and “playing with an edge.” Carter Sweazie and Eugene Brooks will line up inside them at the guard positions. At center, Riley Robell will keep the line on the “same page,” as running back Wayne Knight said. His return to practice from a knee injury was timely ahead of Saturday’s opener
“That guy plays with a lot of tenacity, but poise at the same time,” Knight said of Robell.
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For many of the skill positions, its dealer’s – or in UCLA’s case, Kennedy’s – choice. This is by design to allow for two-tight end-sets, three-wide-receiver sets and additional personnel looks.
“You don’t want the same body type. You don’t want the same person. You want things to be able to do different things. We have a multitude of tight ends and running backs that offer a lot of different things, and offer a lot of different strengths,” Kennedy said.
“It leads to creativity,” Kennedy added.
In 12-personnel, Kennedy can line up tight ends Josh Phifer, Harry Lodge or Braydon Loftin on the line and put the other in the slot. Knight, Jaivian Thomas and Anthony Woods can each be in on running or passing downs, therefore disguising the Bruins’ plan.
Knight caught 40 passes at James Madison in 2025, so he’ll catch passes out of the backfield. Thomas and Woods have excelled running through the tackles.
In 11-personnel, Brian Rowe Jr., Aidan Mizell and Landon Ellis can line up on the outside. Ellis can also be featured in the slot as will Mikey Matthews. Rowe surprised in spring camp with his ball-tracking ability, and earned praise from cornerback Rodrick Pleasant on Monday, which proves he’s causing UCLA’s defense problems in practice. Mizell has also broken free on multiple deep routes, and if he and Iamaleava can tighten up their timing, he could make big plays like Rowe.
UCLA’s ceiling on offense will be determined by Kennedy’s ability to dial up timely play calls that confound the defense, utilize the right personnel package at the right time, and Iamaleava’s capability to navigate the complexities and execute at a high level.
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