Nico Iamaleava helped sell Landon Ellis on UCLA football

The UCLA football team held a spirited practice at Spaulding Field on Thursday and it was full of the energy and enthusiasm new Bruins coach Bob Chesney wanted to see as the team continues to ramp up in preparation for its spring game on May 2 at the Rose Bowl.

Receiver Landon Ellis and inside linebacker Sammy Omosigho, senior transfers who played in the 2025 College Football Playoff, have emerged as strong contributors during spring workouts.

Ellis, a 6-foot-1, 212-pounder from Woodberry Forest, Va., is one of 10 players (six on offense, four on defense) who reunited with Chesney after playing for him at James Madison last season when the Dukes won their first Sun Belt Conference championship and finished 12-2.

“My visit really sealed the deal and I had a whole year with all those guys and Coach Chesney and most of his staff — it’s the most fun I’ve ever had playing football and I’ve been playing since I was 5 years old,” said Ellis, who entered the portal December 28 and transferred to UCLA on January 7. “I went on some other visits and saw some other options but I realized in the end why would I want to go anywhere else knowing how much joy I get playing for him and his people?”

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Thursday marked the Bruins’ seventh practice session since Chesney took over on Dec. 6, after which he announced 10 new assistant coaches, including offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy and defensive coordinator Colin Hitschler, both of whom were on Chesney’s staff at JMU.

“We did a pretty good job today,” Ellis said. “We were a little sloppy at times but our energy was pretty good. It’s all peaks and valleys — that’s football.”

Ellis likes the competitive atmosphere Chesney brings to the program.

“It’s always fun, we compete and that’s the name of the game,” said Ellis, who caught 36 passes for 624 yards and five touchdowns in 13 games a year ago, averaging a team-high 17.3 yards per catch. “Every high-level football player wants to compete at all times. That’s what we do, that’s what he preaches day in and day out. You can hear it with him and with everybody around him and that’s the environment you want to play in.”

James Madison lost to Oregon 51-34 in Eugene in the first round of the CFP on December 20 — a day Ellis remembers well.

“My biggest takeaway from that game is they’re human — the score didn’t reflect it all the time but we moved the ball on them pretty well offensively,” said Ellis, who had three catches for 83 yards against the Ducks, including a 50-yard reception. “It proved we can play at that level we compete with those guys if you’re doing week in and week out you’re going to raise to that level if you do it the right way. We’ll get to see teams like that all the time [in the Big Ten]. I’m really excited for it and ready for the competition.”

Receiver Landon Ellis had a strong season with James Madison last year. He followed Bob Chesney to UCLA for this season.

(Mark Ylen / Associated Press)

Los Angeles is a long way from Harrisonburg, Va. (where JMU is located) and Ellis, along with fellow skill position transfers Wayne Knight (running back) and tight end Josh Phifer, is learning to mesh with a new group. Handling the culture shift has been a challenge.

“It’s crazy — a night and day difference,” Ellis admitted. “There’s a lot to go sightseeing. You see a lot of famous people, a lot of big names out here. I still get starstruck sometimes going places and seeing people, it’s a polar opposite from where I’m from, but I wouldn’t ask for anything else.”

Ellis is developing a close bond with Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who is helping him acclimate to his new environment.

“He told me some spots where to go, where not to go,” Ellis said. “Actually his locker is right next to mine, so I talk to him all the time. He’s a great guy. I met him on my visit, we sat down and ate dinner and he sat right next to me so I got to learn about him a little bit. He’s been in California his whole life except for his stint in Tennessee and I’ve been in Virginia, so we never crossed paths but it’s been a real joy to get to know him and his brother. They’re great people.”

UCLA defensive back Logan Hirou during spring practice.

(Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)

Iamaleava and his younger brother Madden starred at Warren High in Downey and are now teammates at UCLA, Madden having returned to the Southland last April after participating in spring practice at Arkansas.

Ellis admires the passion and win-first mentality Nico Iamaleava brings to his position. The redshirt junior threw for 1,928 yards and 12 touchdowns and ran for 505 yards and four scores in 2025, his first season at UCLA.

“Before we got out here, he’s jawing with the defense and that energy, that fire that he brings at quarterback is something I’ve never had before,” Ellis said. “When he comes out here on the field he’s running the show. All he talked about on my visit was how he wanted to win and how he wanted to turn this thing around. That’s another reason why I felt comfortable coming over here because I felt we had that leader already here and we’re going to be able to get this program to the next level.”

Coach Kennedy describes UCLA’s offensive as explosive and Ellis agrees.

“If you look in the receiver room we’ve got every skillset you could ask for and it’s the same with the running backs,” Ellis said. “We’re deep at O-line, deep at tight end — they can do everything — we’ve got physical guys. What do you want? It’s Amazon. We’ve got whatever you need.”

Sammy Omosigho was solid on defense for Oklahoma last season. He's now with the Bruins.

Sammy Omosigho was solid on defense for Oklahoma last season. He’s now with the Bruins.

(Stacy Revere / Getty Images)

Omosigho, a 6-1, 235-pounder from Crandall, Texas, spent three seasons at Oklahoma before entering the portal January 8 and transferring to UCLA four days later.

“Opportunity is why I came here,” Omosigho said. “Coach Chesney has been a winner wherever he’s gone. He’s a man of character. It just clicked when I met him. He’s a great guy and I want to play for him.”

Omosigho has lots of game action under his belt. In his three seasons in Norman he had 97 tackles, four pass deflections, two sacks and a forced fumble.

“I’m bringing experience,” he said. “When you play at a certain level you bring it wherever you go. I wanted an increased role, I want to be able to showcase what I have and I have the opportunity to do it here.”

Omosigho made three tackles in Oklahoma’s 34-24 loss to Alabama in the first round of the CFP in December. The Sooners finished 10-3 (6-2 in the SEC) under Brent Venables and Omosigho recorded 50 tackles (28 solo) and had two sacks.

Linebackers coach Viv So’oto, who joined Chesney’s staff after four seasons at Cal, is already on his second nickname for Omosigho, calling him “Sammy Soup.”

“He’s a jokester, he’s always got a nickname for me,” Omosigho said of So’oto, who coached for two seasons at USC (2020-21). “He brings the best out of us. He’s not scared to make the hard corrections.”

As for his head coach, Omosigho has witnessed the hands-on approach Chesney is known for.

“I’ve seen similar, but not as much Coach Chesney,” Omosigho said. “He lived with us in winter workouts. I’ve never seen that before. I’m over here doing my reps, I rack my weight, look to my left and he’s doing his reps… I’m like ‘okay.’ That’s the kind of guy he is.”

Omosigho believes the linebacking corp is ready to dominate.

“It’s all about taking the next step to be a great defense,” he said. “Players have to buy in. If the players don’t have the energy, the coach can’t bring it out of you. Having the players buy in makes it that much more fun.”

Coming from the Midwest, Omosigho was asked to name his “welcome to L.A.” moment.

“Traffic and parking,” he said. “You have no parking and if there is parking you have to pay for it. Besides that, it has been a blast. You can’t beat the beaches and this beautiful campus. The weather’s been great.”

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Nico Iamaleava helped sell Landon Ellis on UCLA football

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