As the Pac 12 nearly died with several top teams joining the Big Ten, for the most part the teams that chose to take the leap have fared well. Oregon won a Big Ten Championship with 2 trips to the College Football Playoff while USC and Washington have both had two solid seasons. The team often weighing down the new group in football is UCLA.
Over the past two seasons, UCLA has gone just 8-16 over the past two seasons, posting a lowly 6-12 record in Big Ten play. Early in the season, it became clear that DeShaun Foster wasn't the man for the job leading to his firing. When the offseason rolled around, UCLA was lucky enough to land James Madison head coach Bob Chesney.
Bob Chesney has UCLA on it's way back to relevance
Over the past several years, while new teams have become contenders in college football, UCLA has felt like they've become irrelevant. The Bruins haven't won their conference since going back to back in 1997-1998, and haven't won their division since Jim Mora's first season in 2012. The end of Mora's tenure through the DeShaun Foster era had flashes, but nothing sustainable.
The start to the Bob Chesney era has been far more exciting than any moment throughout the previous tenures. Chesney and the Bruins have gone on a recruiting tear that makes it clear the program is well on it's way back from the dead. This weekend, UCLA reeled in 7 commitments including 5 from 4-star recruits which is more than they signed the entire last cycle.
The weekend gives UCLA the Nation's 11th ranked class which was ranked 10th before the Bruins added two 3-star recruits. One of those 3-star recruits was Duece Jones-Drew the son of UCLA great Maurice Jones-Drew, showcasing that the Bruins have placed an emphasis on recruiting UCLA legacies.
The recruiting tear showcases two key points for UCLA that should have everyone excited for the future. The Bruins are clearly invested now from a resources standpoint which will only give the team a greater chance of competing long-term. Recruits are also clearly receptive to the pitch UCLA is giving given the fact they're believing in the Bruins before Chesney's team takes the field.
The next year for the Bruins should be incredibly exciting, but the first positive should be that they're back in the conversation.
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