UCLA football preview: New coordinator looks to blend veterans, newcomers
UCLA’s second-ranked rush defense from last season returns two starters on the defensive line to join up with two defensive ends who played in a combined seven games last season. The starting defensive line represents a theme for this year’s defense as a whole – a blend of veterans and fresh faces.
The defensive coordinator embodies both characteristics. Ikaika Malloe has been around the program for three years now, but returns this season in a new position as the lead defensive coach.
Malloe starts his first full season as the Bruins defensive coordinator on the road, though it’s actually a home for him, against Hawai’i.
He was the defensive line coach last year, leading a group that gave up just 80.8 rushing yards per game, second-best in the country. UCLA allowed just five rushing touchdowns by opponents last season, which led the NCAA.
The Hawaii native will be tasked with mixing in several new players with key veterans to help fill the void of last year’s Lombardi Award and Ted Hendricks Award winner Laiatu Latu. The No. 15 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts, Latu led the nation in tackles for loss and was a 2023 unanimous All-American selection.
Additionally, defensive ends Gabriel Murphy and Grayson Murphy and linebacker Darius Muasau have all moved on to the NFL, taking with them a crucial component of last year’s production on the field.
It won’t be any one player who makes up for all of that production. Instead, it will be a combined effort, starting with a deep defensive line.
Defensive Line
Starting nose tackle Jay Toia is the most experienced returning defensive player, starting 12 of 13 games last year with 38 total games played in his UCLA career.
Toia finished the 2023 season with 28 tackles, four tackles for loss and a sack. The senior has 66 career tackles and seven tackles for loss.
Fellow defensive tackle Keanu Williams is the other starter returning on the line, having played in all 13 games last year, including 10 starts. He had 14 total tackles.
Joining Toia and Williams as the starting defensive ends are redshirt juniors Jacob Busic and Devin Aupiu.
Busic is a transfer from Navy, who accumulated nine total sacks in three years with the Midshipmen.
Aupiu is entering his fourth year with the Bruins and has played in 17 total games since his freshman year as a reserve. Malloe has voiced his belief in Aupiu and expects him to make a big impact. He will earn his first career start against Hawaii.
Malloe said he will be rotating several other pass rushers throughout the game and go with whoever is hot in the fourth quarter. Some of the players expected to see action include redshirt seniors Luke Schuermann and Siale Taupaki and freshman Grant Buckey.
Secondary
UCLA mainstays Devin Kirkwood and Jaylin Davies lead a secondary that welcomed in several transfers looking to make an immediate impact.
Standing at 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, Kirkwood is a physical senior cornerback who has 34 games under his belt in a Bruin uniform. He had 24 tackles, two pass deflections and an interception last season.
Davies has played in 13 games in back-to-back seasons, 43 tackles last year, six pass deflections and an interception. The junior cornerback from Rancho Cucamonga has four career interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown.
Two senior transfers will helm the starting safety positions: Bryan Addison and Ramon Henderson.
Addison came over from Oregon this year and has four interceptions and 51 tackles in five career starts.
Henderson started seven games over four years at his first stop, Notre Dame. Last season the senior recorded 14 tackles, three pass deflections, two fumble recoveries and a touchdown.
K.J. Wallace, who has the most career starts of the incoming transfer players, will be featured at nickelback. He started 10 games last year at Georgia Tech, finishing the season with 42 tackles, seven pass deflections, one interception, one sack and a fumble recovery.
Kaylin Moore, a senior from Oaks Christian who played last year at Cal, is another recent transfer who is expected to see snaps at cornerback, along with Kanye Clark.
Clark is a former walk-on who earned a scholarship in the spring. The redshirt freshman is listed as a cornerback but was seen at practice Wednesday cross-training with the safeties, showcasing his all-around ability in the secondary.
Cornerbacks coach and special teams coordinator Kodi Whitfield highlighted Clark’s versatility and even had him working on kick returns during practice.
Linebackers
The second and third-leading tacklers from last year, seniors Kain Medrano and Oluwafemi Oladejo return to shore up the linebacking core.
Medrano has had at least 25 tackles each of the last three seasons, capping off that number with career-high 56 tackles in 2023. He added seven tackles for loss, including two sacks, and a fumble recovery. Medrano is listed as the strongside linebacker on the initial depth chart for UCLA’s first game of the season.
Oladejo will start at the middle linebacker position, but can play at several different spots on the field. The senior has 183 career tackles, 9 1/2 for a loss, plus three fumble recoveries and two interceptions and he’ll be relied upon to continue his tackling prowess this year.. He was named to the Butkus Award Watch List, an honor that is bestowed upon the best linebacker in the country.
The new face in the starting linebacker group, despite entering his fourth year with the program, is Ale Kaho. The senior has dealt with injuries over the last two years that have limited him to one game of action in that timespan. In 2021 Kaho recorded 32 tackles and three sacks, with a pass deflection and forced fumble.
Additional players who will likely see increased playing time behind the three starters include senior JonJon Vaughns and sophomore Jalen Woods.
Vaughns has the most experience of the reserves with 44 games played and a total of 109 career tackles.
Woods saw action in all 13 games last year as a freshman and is credited with 11 tackles.