It’s the position that will likely determine the fate of UCLA’s offense – if not its season.
In recent years, it’s been given all sorts of unfortunate labels.
Weak. Feeble. Easy to move.
Yep, we’re talking about the offensive line, which has been a thin blue line, if you will, far too often.
A year ago, it led to all sorts of problems for one of the worst offenses in college football.
There was the inert running game, not to mention quarterback Nico Iamaleava being forced to scramble on way too many plays.
UCLA quarterbacks absorbed 27 sacks – tied for No. 96 among 134 Football Bowl Subdivision teams – and Iamaleava couldn’t play against Ohio State as a result of the sustained physical toll.
Enter coach Bob Chesney, along with some significant reinforcements.
As part of his bid to fortify the line, Chesney brought two players who could be starters along with him from James Madison.
Riley Robell projects as the likely starting center, given his heavy usage before going down with a sprained medial collateral ligament over the last week, and Carter Sweazie is in a heated battle to nail down one of the starting guard spots.
Robell and Sweazie were part of a James Madison line that helped the Dukes rush for 3,381 yards last season – No. 6 in the nation – and their familiarity with one another could be a significant boost to their new team.
“Not only have they played together, they’ve played together in this same system with the same language, right?” Chesney said after practice Monday. “Whether we’re doing the same stuff on offense as we did a year ago – it’s not going to be exactly the same, but at the same [time], the way we communicate is going to be similar, so to have a guy next to you that you played with all year, I think adds a lot of continuity and confidence in their communication.”
Chesney said that Robell had suffered a mild sprain and could return soon; he was spotted on an exercise bike early in practice Monday and later worked off to the side with weights. His absence allowed Derek Osman, a transfer from Harvard, to fill in at center and snap the ball to Iamaleava.
If Robell supplants former starting center Sam Yoon, he could fix the snap issues that plagued UCLA practically all of 2025.
In what could be another promising sign, Julian Armella – who started four games at guard last season – is being pushed by Sweazie and others to retain that role because of an infusion of quality depth. One of the starting guard spots appears to be locked down by Eugene Brooks, who was widely considered the best offensive lineman on the team last season.
The tackle spots could also be vastly improved.
Jordan Davis, a veteran transfer from South Alabama, appeared on track to start at left tackle before being sidelined by dehydration over the last week. The 6-foot-4, 328-pound Davis was not seen on the field during the part of practice reporters were allowed to watch, though Chesney said he was present and would be eased back into competition.
Jensen Somerville, a junior who played sparingly over his first two seasons, manned left tackle Monday with Boise State transfer Hall Schmidt playing right tackle. At the very least, Somerville appears on the verge of being part of the playing rotation given not just his recent usage but also his coach’s praise.
“He is imposing and he’s tough and he just continues to grow in his confidence,” Chesney said, “so he’s been impressive to watch.”
The competition for starting spots will go until the season opener against California on Sept. 5 … and beyond. Chesney said he wanted his players to adopt the mindset of Tom Brady, the legendary former New England Patriots quarterback who once thought he was playing for his starting job every time he stepped on the field.
“That’s the mentality I want our team to have,” Chesney said. “Is there a moment where I’ve arrived and I’ve just earned this and it’s mine forever? That’s not the case, and I think that our guys understand that so they gotta battle every single day.”