Specialization is a natural byproduct of football.
Most players play on one side of the ball – offense or defense.
Most players focus on one archetype – skill players, defensive backs or on the line of scrimmage.
And most players are confined to their position group.
But UCLA football is branding itself as versatile in a world that lacks variety.
Wide receiver Landon Ellis compared the Bruins to Amazon, saying the offense has whatever you need.
“We got everything,” the former JMU receiver said. “If you look in the receiver room again, every skill set you could ask for. Same with the running backs. We’re deep at the line, deep at tight ends. The tight ends can do everything. We got receivers. We got physical guys.”
And Ellis may be right – the 2026 Bruins could have the deepest roster of recent memory.
At wideout, Ellis figures to be the reliable pass catcher, working on the outside and over the middle. Former Michigan wide receiver Semaj Morgan and junior pass catcher Mikey Matthews are predicted to fight for the starting slot position, using their smaller frames to turn short catches into long gains.
Former San Jose State wide receiver Leland Smith gives the Bruins a tall, contested catch receiver on the boundary, and Aiden Mizell could give UCLA trackstar speed on the outside, allowing redshirt sophomore Nico Iamaleava’s strong arm to shine.
But Brian Rowe Jr. may be the difference-maker.
The former South Carolina wideout has made headlines early in Spring practice, using his athleticism to cut up the turf in the open field and illustrating his yard-after-catch ability.
And Ellis has seen it firsthand.
“First of all, Brian is a freak athlete,” Ellis said. “I’ve never seen somebody (like him). He’s one of those guys who can just run all day long, can jump for however high he wants to jump. Acrobat is how I would describe him.”
With just one starting wide receiver returning to UCLA after the 2025 campaign, head coach Bob Chesney revamped a receiving room that finished No. 16 in the Big Ten in receptions, receiving yards and yards per game, and last in the conference in yards per catch.
But Chesney ensured that his new receiver room would not be uni-faceted, grabbing transfers from six different schools.
However, in a position group full of different playing styles, there are also a variety of personalities, Ellis said.
And Morgan and Matthews have helped bring the squad together.
“Semaj has this contagious energy,” Ellis said. “He’s the type of guy you want to play (with). I wish I had Semaj as a teammate for my entire life. He’s got that contagious energy to him, and he comes out here every day, he puts his best foot forward, and it reflects how he plays in the field.”
Running back is another position group that embodies what the new-look Bruins are trying to build.
UCLA retained two starters in junior Jaivian Thomas and redshirt junior Anthony Woods, along with a four-star recruit in freshman Karson Cox, and added an AP Second Team All-Purpose All-American in Wayne Knight from James Madison.
“The run game is just unmatched,” Thomas said. “We got a lot of good guys in the room that can do almost everything. … We compete in everything we do, especially in the weight room. The weight room, we really take serious. We take pride in being in the Big Ten. There’s not too many small guys in the Big Ten.”
Thomas and Woods are looking for bounce-back years in 2026 after each finishing the 2025 season with 294 rushing yards and a combined one rushing touchdown – a stark contrast from the 626 yards and seven touchdowns Thomas recorded at California in 2024, and the 1,131 yards and 16 touchdowns Woods ran for in 2023 at Idaho.
And with the addition of Knight – who ran for 1,373 rushing yards and nine touchdowns at JMU last year – the Bruin tailbacks boast what many have labeled the strongest, deepest and most versatile position group on the roster.
Central to keeping two proven running backs – particularly in a year when the Bruins finished 3-9 and ranked No. 13 in rushing yards and last in rushing touchdowns – was the retention of running backs coach AJ Steward.
Steward – who is entering his second season in Westwood – is one of two coaches to stay from the former head coach DeShaun Foster era. The tailback coach has been consistent with his messaging to his players, preaching to help each other out while maintaining healthy competition.
And no one may embody that more than Knight.
“He wants to improve the room,” Thomas said. He’s not just looking to be here and come in and be the guy and be selfish. He wants to be the guy, but at the same time, he wants to be able to help the guys around him.”
Thomas also complimented redshirt freshman running back Troy Leigber, who has been taking reps with the first team and turning heads throughout the Spring practice slate.
Leigber, along with former Iowa State tailback Dylan Lee, gives the Bruins six running backs with either proven resumes, All-American status or experience in the blue and gold.
While six could be considered overkill, Chesney said running back depth is imperative to a team, particularly in a long season.
“It’s hard to make it through a whole season at 100%,” Chesney said. “It’s very, very hard to do just because you’ve got to go through D (defensive) linemen and linebackers and pass protect, and your body gets put in some really weird spots and rolled up on – and that’s just what happens. There will be enough work for everybody. There’ll be moments where that room has always gotten thin at some point in time, almost in every roster.”
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