UCLA Bruins 2025 Football Preview, Prediction, Betting ideas

UCLA

2024 Record:5-7

View From Afar: After DeShaun Forster's Michael Scott moment at Big 10 media day a year ago, it was fair to wonder if the coach might be a bit in over his head. After week 2's demolition at the hands of Indiana (we didn't know they were playoff bound!) I'm sure those who bet the alt-under were grinning big! But credit to Foster, after a 1-5 start, this team won 4 of the last 6 to end a respectable 5-7. Winning in Lincoln and beating an albeit gruesome Iowa offense that day, they still handled the Hawkeyes. We all saw the video when he was announced as the head coach to the team. Foster seems to be the ultimate culture guy; players must love him with that genuine of a reaction, and the proof was in the pudding as his guys didn't relent despite the tough start. Let's see if year two can be growth or just holding the line. Sunseri comes over from Indiana to run the offense; he had Indiana the #1 graded offense on PFF a year ago. Malloe is back to run the defense; they ranked 4th from the bottom in the Big 10. Of course, the big storyline here is Nico. The ridiculous transfer saga that ended in a QB swap essentially with The Vols. Can the California kid silence some skeptics on the field in '25, if so, he will have to do it with a group that doesn't return a whole lot. Year two of Foster feels like another great opportunity to lay the foundation of this program, when you dig into this roster, expecting any more than that might be a reach.

Recruiting: UCLA came in with the 12th-ranked class in the Big 10 in '25. That is up six spots from 18 a year ago. Foster is working the recruiting trail well and quietly has four 4 star's lined up for the '26 class, a good sign.

Portal: UCLA went portaling this offseason. 30 players in and 34 players out, this roster has been turned on its head, making it very challenging to know what it will look like. The big one, as before mentioned in Iamaleava(QB), what I find interesting is last season he actually threw fewer yards and TDs than the oft-moaned about Joe Milton in his final season in the Vols QB-friendly system. Thomas(RB) come's over from Cal where he rushed for north of 600 yards. Armella and Brooks come over from Florida State and Oklahoma respectively to bolster the offensive line. Chisom is the big get on defense coming over from Oregon State, but with the losses in the LB room, he will need to get up to speed right away. Losses via the portal will be WR J.Michael Sturdivant and Logan Loya to Florida and Minnesota, leaving Nico with fewer weapons.

Key Roster Departures: Five Bruins were drafted this spring. Schwesinger will leave a massive hole in the LB room after being a first-team All-American a year ago. Toia was a force on the D-line that will not be easily replaced.

Roster Tidbits: This UCLA roster will be a puzzle to figure out on paper. The line was atrocious last year, and returns Yoon and DiGiorgio, who did not grade out well. The WR room you assume will be led by Gilmer(people seem to have high hopes), who had a couple of TDs and 300-plus yards as a true freshman, I am also curious how Nico will mesh with these guys, with only a short amount of time for everyone to assimilate. Defensively, you could convince me that the secondary will be okay. Kanye Clark graded out solid in his two games before his injury a year ago, and Key Lawrence from Ole Miss should be solid at safety. This defensive line looks dicey and thin, so that back-end will likely be under a lot of duress.

Statistical pulse: UCLA ranked 122nd in penalty yards per game last season; hopefully, they can clean that up this year. UCLA ranked second bottom nationally in TD% once entering the red zone. I'm sure Foster will be looking to new offensive coordinator Sunseri to improve that number.

Schedule: Home Utah and at UNLV to start! Let's hope Nico and co. are buttoned up from the jump; otherwise, this could be a tough non-con. At Indiana, Ohio St are the two toughest road tests. Penn State, Nebraska, and Washington come to Los Angeles. There is not much reprieve on this schedule. Those non-con games are absolutely vital to give this team a punchers chance at making a bowl.

Prediction: UCLA is a program I am bookmarking and will keep tabs on for '26. But this year, I struggle to see how this all comes together on the field. The culture, recruiting, and overall vibe seem positive under Foster's direction. However, having serious question marks on both lines of scrimmage and an underwhelming amount of talent at skill positions does not bode well for Big 10 success. My other big concern for this season is the first two games. I am high on Utah, and UNLV will surely be one of the best G5 teams in the country. With Mullen coming in, things could get really dicey if Nico isn't quite up to speed in the new offense. I think UCLA will again finish strong because of Foster's culture and hopefully the young pieces growing throughout the year, but 5-7 is where I feel UCLA lands in 2025.

Actionable: UCLA Under 5.5 (-135 DK) If Nico hadn't transferred to UCLA, I think this would be one of my favorite bets on the year. But as I said earlier, statistically, Nico was similar to a Joe Milton level, and in '24, had Joe Milton transferred to UCLA, would we be changing our tune all that much about the team's fortunes? Obviously, they are different players, different styles, etc, but I don't foresee Nico being able to totally alter this team's fortunes in year 1. As I said before, keep an eye on this program moving forward, but this '25 team would do well to get to a bowl.