Bob Chesney’s tenure at UCLA is beginning in a trial by fire, as a growing list of players heading for the transfer portal threatens to derail his rebuilding efforts before they even start. Former head coach DeShaun Foster’s firing did nothing to soothe the 0-3 burn. Now moving to better days, Bob Chesney is rebuilding the program. But facing a mass exodus, it will be anything but easy.

“The growing list of transfers looks like this,” starts beat reporter Zachary And-Yox. “You have QB Luke Duncan, LS Salem Abdul Wahab, DB Jamir Benjamin, and DB Croix Stewart. You have DB LaRue Zamorano III, DB Scooter Jackson, DB Andre Jordan Jr, and DB Cole Martin—a bunch of DBs.

You mix in LB Benjamin Perry, WR Jayden Marshall, and then the big, skilled position guy offensively, who is leaving, is WR Rico Flores Jr. So, UCLA, that’s their list, which may or may not be missing a guy or two. It’s a big, growing list. We’re losing some backups, and some of which is because a coach or two is leaving.”

More than ten players are expected to head for the transfer portal. Besides that, redshirt freshman QB Henry Hasselbeck is also entering the portal, according to Pete Thamel. And it’s not a sudden development when a new head coach introduces his own changes to the coaching staff.

Chesney also brought along his own staff. OC Dean Kennedy and DC Colin Hitschler made their way from James Madison to UCLA. Moreover, eight of his assistant coaches at JMU have worked with him for years. So, we could expect more unfamiliar faces at the Bruins.

The Bruins have struggled to find consistency throughout the season. When QB Nico Iamaleava arrived at UCLA this spring, there was renewed optimism among the Bruins faithful. However, things took a turn for the worse. Iamaleava’s move to UCLA came with immense criticism.

Along with the alleged “NIL” factor, analysts also noted that he might struggle to adapt to Coach Foster’s pro-style offense. To sum it up, UCLA 2025’s season did not pan out as expected.

After a poor 0-3 losing streak, Coach Foster was fired. Except for a three-game winning streak (Penn State, Michigan State, Maryland) during the middle of the season, things hardly improved. There’s no denying that the Bruins fans were desperate for better days. And now Bob Chesney is working to lead the program towards stability.

Undoubtedly, retaining elite talent is his priority. And it starts with QB1 Nico Iamaleava. The program is staring down at a mass exodus, but Nico is returning to play next season, and Coach Chesney’s arrival at UCLA influenced his decision.

“I wanted to make sure I was in the best position to be successful at the next level,” he said. “Coach Chesney, definitely him coming from JMU, he’s a winner, and you can see that winning pedigree everywhere he’s been. So, that definitely played a huge part. I love what he’s about to do. I’m excited.”

According to reports, Chesney is expected to bring in players from James Madison, with RB Wayne Knight being his priority.

Bob Chesney retains two assistant coaches

While Bob Chesney is expected to bring significant changes to the coaching staff, he has reportedly retained Gabe Lynn (Safeties Coach) and AJ Steward (Running Backs Coach). Together, the coaches bring expertise from their experience working at Baylor, Oregon State, Arizona, and Colorado.

At a time when Chesney finds himself relatively new at UCLA, Coach Lynn and Steward’s expertise might come in handy during the Bruins’ recruiting spree.

“Lynn helped UCLA’s passing defense allow fewer than 200 yards per game in 2025 and is a proven recruiter,” Beat reporter Max Dorsey writes on the UCLA Bruins on SI. “He should play a significant role in the Bruins’ success next year, and keeping him on the staff would be a smart move for Chesney.”

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Similarly, Steward’s recruiting expertise in the region will help Chesney’s efforts in rebuilding the roster.