Where Does UCLA Rank Amongst the Big Ten?

With Year 2 of the DeShaun Foster era on the horizon, ESPN shared its thoughts on the Bruins in its latest Big Ten Rankings and 2025 projections.

UCLA checked in at No. 13 with an FPI score of 4.6, which is less than ideal for a program hoping to climb. For context, top-ranked Ohio State clocked in with a 23.8 FPI.

Still, it's hard not to be at least intrigued.

You may have heard of a quarterback named Nico Iamaleava, the former five-star recruit who flashed serious potential at Tennessee. After a strong season in the SEC, NIL disagreements prompted Iamaleava to take his talents to the West Coast, where he looks to quickstart the Bruins' rebuild.

He’s been a constant talking point since his well-documented April, but on the field, he’s only going to make this program better.

Battle-tested in the SEC, Iamaleava helped lead the Vols to a College Football Playoff berth, throwing for 19 touchdowns and just 5 interceptions. That 19:5 TD-to-INT ratio is no joke — especially for a redshirt freshman.

His contentious departure from Knoxville left a sour taste publicly, but make no mistake: this is a major get for the Bruins.

Most of the offense has stayed intact, but there are key losses. J. Michael Sturdivant’s explosive presence on the outside is gone as he heads to Florida.

In his place, the receiving room has plenty of pieces but no clear star. It’ll be up to Titus Mokiao-Atimalala, Mikey Matthews, Kwazi Gilmer, and Rico Flores to take the next step.

TJ Harden also departed after a frustrating 2024 campaign. He showed promise earlier in his career but couldn’t find traction last season, averaging just 4.1 yards per carry behind a shaky offensive line.

In his place comes Jaivian Thomas, the transfer from Cal. He’s an explosive back who thrives on volume, leading the Golden Bears with 626 rushing yards and 6.3 YPC.

One other back to watch is Anthony Woods, the Utah transfer, by the way of Idaho, and ran for over 1,500 yards for the Vandals.

Up front, UCLA’s offensive line should see improvement thanks to key returners like Sam Yoon and Garrett DiGiorgio, as well as solid transfer pickups in Julian Armella and Courtland Ford.

On defense, there’s less concern. The Bruins ranked 59th in points allowed last year and return most of their defensive line. They also added Michigan State transfer Anthony Jones, who should bolster a pass rush that averaged just 1.8 sacks per game.

While UCLA isn’t projected to make a run in the Big Ten just yet, there's a clear sense of momentum.

Is a Bowl game possible? What about a major upset? Either way, the DeShaun Foster era is just getting started.