What Penn State fans should know about the UCLA Bruins in 2025

UCLA faced a rude awakening in its first year in the Big Ten, tumbling to 5-7 in year one under head coach DeShaun Foster. The Bruins started to click down the stretch, winning four of their last six contests, but they failed to reach bowl eligibility for the first time since 2020. UCLA hit the transfer portal hard this offseason, revamping its offense and secondary ahead of 2025. Here's what to expect from the Bruins this season.

2024 in review

UCLA began its season by sneaking out a narrow win over Hawaii before before dropping five straight contests, including three against ranked opponents. The schedule lightened up and the Bruins' offense starting clicking, leading to a drastic turnaround in the back half of the schedule. Though they finished with a poor overall record, there's reason for optimism given how the team rallied.

Head coach profile

DeShaun Foster got off to a shaky start, with an extremely awkward introduction at Big Ten media days where the moment appeared too big for him. He followed that up with a slow start to the season, and some speculated he would be fired after just one season. However, he turned the ship around and made some splashy offseason moves, closing out his first year as a head coach. Prior to that, he was a running backs coach at Texas Tech and UCLA.

Top offensive player

In one of the most controversial and heavily publicized moves of the offseason, the Bruins added transfer quarterback Nico Iamaleava after an ugly NIL-related fallout at Tennessee. There's no denying Iamaleava, a former 5-star recruit, is one of the most talented players at the position. But his inexperience showed at times last season, and his off-field issues could become a distraction this fall. With the Volunteers, he completed 213-for-334 passes for 2,616 yards and a 19-5 touchdown-interception ratio last season - solid numbers for a redshirt freshman.

Top defensive player

UCLA's defense struggled last season, leading the coaching staff to bring in a large transfer portal contingent this offseason. While none of the defensive additions are considered stars, there are several solid contributors who are expected to land starting roles. Edge rusher Nico Davillier arrives after starting in six games with Arkansas last season and was solid when on the field. Additionally, cornerback Andre Jordan Jr. arrives from Oregon State after appearing in 11 games as a rotational piece last season.

2025 schedule

• Aug. 30 vs. Utah
• Sept. 6 at UNLV
• Sept. 12 (Fri.) vs. New Mexico
• Sept. 27 at Northwestern
• Oct. 4 vs. Penn State
• Oct. 11 at Michigan State
• Oct. 18 vs. Maryland
• Oct. 25 at Indiana
• Nov. 8 vs. Nebraska
• Nov. 15 at Ohio State
• Nov. 22 vs. Washington
• Nov. 29 at USC

Penn State and UCLA will clash for the second consecutive year and eighth overall occasion in early October. The Bruins will welcome the Nittany Lions in a cross-country trip, the first meeting in Los Angeles since 1968. Penn State trails the all-time series 3-4 but will have a chance to pull even as favorites this fall.

This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: What Penn State fans should know about UCLA in 2025