UCLA Football 2025 Depth Chart Roundup: Linebackers, Part 2

As UCLA's first practices loom ahead of the 2025 season, DeShaun Foster has cultivated a roster through recruiting and the transfer portal, ready to improve on last season.

Finishing their first season in the Big Ten with a 5-7 record, it's only up from here for the Bruins. With that being said, let's dive into UCLA's projected depth chart this upcoming season and how analysts view they'll impact UCLA. Up next, we set our sights at the most important position on the defense, the Mike linebacker.

JonJon Vaughns, Redshirt Senior

Vaughns has been one of the most consistent figures on UCLA's defense throughout his career in Westwood, and he's returning as one of the Bruins' top linebackers. The two-sport athlete has used up all his eligibility in baseball, which is where he'd usually be during the springtime, meaning he was with the Bruins for all of spring practices for the first time.

Redshirting the 2024 season after playing just four games, Vaughns enters his sixth season in Westwood and has quite a lengthy resume. Over 48 games with UCLA, he's started in 11 of them (all in the 2022 season) and has totaled 113 tackles (64 solo and 49 assisted), 6.5 tackles for loss, 1.0 sacks and two interceptions.

His best season was that 2022 season as a true junior, where he started in 11 games and put up 53 tackles and two interceptions.

Isaiah Chisom, Redshirt Sophomore

Chisom comes in as a transfer from Oregon State and was a prominent figure in the Beavers' defense last season. He finished the season with 75 tackles and a forced fumble in 12 games of action. He is one of the few prime candidates to replace Carson Schwesinger's production from last season.

Whether he is a starter or not ahead of the season, as a redshirt sophomore, Chisom should have a promising future with the program.

Solomone Malafu, Redshirt Sophomore

Malafu has mostly been buried on the depth chart in his two seasons with the Bruins, playing in only one game against North Carolina Central in 2023. However, according to Bruin Report Online's David Woods, he showed promise in spring practices with the backup linebackers.

Malafu still has a lot to prove in this packed linebacker position group, but the outlook is looking promising.