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UCLA roster breakdown: How Bob Chesney made Curt Cignetti's blueprint his own to rebuild the Bruins

Bob Chesney has reshaped the UCLA football roster by recruiting a dozen former James Madison players, with approximately half now serving as key contributors to the squad. This strategic import mirrors the approach Curt Cignetti used at Indiana, where thirteen JMU alumni joined him and seven remained on the national championship roster.

While Indiana entered the previous season ranked 72nd in the 247Sports Talent Composite, UCLA holds the 24th position for 2026, a boost driven significantly by the retention of five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava. Chesney, who previously led teams at Salve Regina, Assumption, and Holy Cross to conference titles, views keeping Iamaleava as essential to stabilizing the program after a dysfunctional 2025 season.

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