How UCLA Can Establish Dominance Early

The first step for UCLA to succeed in Chesney’s inaugural season is to develop an offensive identity immediately. Right now, UCLA has two paths to allow this to happen, both of which will, without a doubt, be established early on. But there needs to be a firm foundation set from the start.

One of UCLA’s biggest additions this offseason was Wayne Knight. Last season with the James Madison Dukes, he rushed for 1,376 yards and was a key reason the Dukes reached the College Football Playoff. UCLA will have to rely on him to produce at a similar level.

If the Bruins can start the season by establishing a dominant run game behind Knight, it would allow some of the inevitable roster-wide growing pains to settle without major drawbacks. Establishing a run game is fairly simple in theory, but the impact it can have on a season is insurmountable.

Nico Iamaleava Must Prove His Billing

Nico Iamaleava is the heartbeat of UCLA. There is no other way around it. Last season, he was tasked with carrying a UCLA team that dealt with inconsistent coaching and a poor supporting cast. That should change next season with what UCLA has been able to accomplish this offseason.

If the Bruins are going to be dominant next season, it will require a massive effort from Iamaleava. That means limiting mistakes and creating explosive plays with UCLA’s extremely talented wide receiver room. If that is accomplished, UCLA could become an imposing team very quickly.

Wrapping back to the first section of this article, for this to happen, UCLA needs to establish its run game. Iamaleava did not have that luxury last season. Because of this, he never truly had an opportunity to fully showcase his arm talent. If the same situation repeats itself, a very similar result could follow.

The bottom line is that UCLA’s path to becoming successful in Chesney’s inaugural year starts with establishing a strong offensive identity. While this might seem easy at first glance, it is definitely something that takes time and is extremely sensitive to uncontrollable factors.