As UCLA football enters its first year under coach Bob Chesney and third season in the Big Ten, Daily Bruin Sports will preview the personnel of the Bruins’ position groups and predict their 2026 outlook prior to the season’s opening game Sept. 5 against California. Sports assistant editor Badri Viswanathan continues the series by examining the team’s linebacker room.
Personnel
The Bruins’ defense in 2025 often appeared underwhelming, with the squad conceding an average of 33.4 points and 387 total yards per game, marks that landed 127th and 85th in the country, respectively. Their defensive woes were partly fueled by a pass rush that tallied just 10 sacks.
But UCLA’s revamped linebacker room in 2026 may resolve the Bruins’ defensive issues.
Linebackers are the anchors of a defense and arguably the most versatile position in football. They are tasked with pass rushing, stopping the run and dropping back into coverage.
And the Bruins spent 2025 trying to replenish their linebacker room following the departure of four key members to the NFL – Carson Schwesinger, Oluwafemi Oladejo, Kain Medrano and Ale Kaho.
That effort was led by then-redshirt senior JonJon Vaughns, who amassed a team-leading 107 tackles and 6.0 tackles for loss en route to an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention accolade, and then-redshirt sophomore Isaiah Chisom, who notched 84 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss. Then-redshirt junior Jalen Woods, who tallied 47 tackles, 1.5 sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss, also provided support to the linebacker room.
After Vaughns’ exhausted eligibility and Chisom’s departure for Oklahoma State, the linebacker room found itself at a crossroads once again in the 2026 offseason.
But coach Bob Chesney stayed true to his motto – “the standard is the standard” – and innovated to flesh out his linebacker corps.
Potentially the biggest move of UCLA’s summer came when fifth-year linebacker Trent Hendrick transferred to UCLA following a Louisiana court decision that granted him, among others, another year of eligibility. The Richmond, Virginia, local spent his first four seasons at James Madison and secured the 2025 Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year award.
[Related: The Chesney train rolls on, adding Trent Hendrick to the JMU-to-UCLA pipeline]
Hendrick posted 106 tackles, seven tackles for loss and three sacks in his standout 2025 campaign and was a force as a pass rusher and run-stopper, tallying respective PFF grades of 85.8 and 87.1.
But Hendrick’s promise doesn’t merely come from his on-field impact. The linebacker carries experiences uncharacteristic of a typical collegiate player, including NFL minicamp stints with the four-time Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs and the Cleveland Browns. He has also established a track record of leadership, winning JMU’s Bob Yetzer Leadership Award in 2025.
Simply put, Hendrick may become the on-field identity of Chesney’s football philosophy for the Bruins.
Drew Spinogatti is another former JMU linebacker at UCLA who has spent his career entrenched in Chesney’s philosophy. The senior spent his first season under Chesney at Holy Cross before joining the head honcho at JMU in 2025. In his junior campaign, Spinogatti tallied 55 tackles with 7.5 tackles for loss and a sack.
Sammy Omosigho also joined UCLA ahead of the 2026 campaign after three seasons at Oklahoma. The Crandall, Texas, local posted 50 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and two sacks in his junior campaign. He displayed promise in pass coverage and showcased lateral agility during his career as a Sooner.
Other prominent personnel in the linebacker room include senior Donavyn Pellot, who posted 19 tackles last season, and former California linebacker Ryan McCulloch, who posted 11 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in 2025.
While the Bruins have stockpiled on talent, only three to four linebackers can play at a time, leaving Chesney and defensive coordinator Colin Hitschler to decide on the rotation that best fits their schemes.
Predictions
Middle linebackers are often the center of a defense – think Fred Warner for the current San Francisco 49ers or Ray Lewis for the 2000s Baltimore Ravens.
Chesney’s Bruins will likely be no different this season.
Hendrick, who frequents the middle linebacker slot, will likely man that role for the Bruins during 4-3 defensive schemes and will serve as an inside linebacker during 3-4 schemes. Omosigho will likely join him as the other inside linebacker in 3-4 and fill the weakside linebacker role in 4-3 schemes as an extra edge rusher.
Spinogatti, Woods and Pellot will also likely play integral roles in Chesney’s schemes as the season progresses.
Chesney’s Westwood tenure began by hinging on his “4 C’s”: competence, connection, chemistry and character.
[Related: ‘This is the team of the future’: Bob Chesney has 4 Cs for football success]
This linebacker room underscores that philosophy, with several key players having demonstrated extensive experience and expertise.
Players like Hendrick, Spinogatti, Omosigho and McCulloch have shown an unyielding loyalty to Chesney’s vision, venturing across the country to join their head honcho in Westwood. Retaining players like Woods and Pellot likely preserves and boosts both chemistry and connection.
But the Bruins’ football character has not been tested yet.
That examination of Chesney’s squad, wielding a rejuvenated linebacker corps, will begin Sept. 5.
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