Five student-athletes on the UCLA football team have earned preseason All-America and All-Big Ten honors from media outlet Athlon Sports.
Redshirt senior running back Wayne Knight was the only Bruin to earn preseason All-America acclaim, being selected to the Fourth Team as an all-purpose athlete. Knight was also named to the preseason All-Big Ten Second Team as an all-purpose player and Third Team as a punt returner.
Also earning preseason All-Big Ten honors were defensive lineman Sahir West (Third Team), offensive lineman Eugene Brooks IV (Fourth), linebacker Sammy Omosigho (Fourth) and defensive back Rodrick Pleasant (Fourth).
Knight earned Second Team All-America honors and was a Paul Hornung Award Finalist in 2025 after helping James Madison to a College Football Playoff berth with a school-record 2,039 all-purpose yards.
West was named the 2025 Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year after ranking second among all freshmen in the FBS and fifth overall in the Sun Belt with 7.0 sacks. He finished the season with 45 tackles (16-29-45), 14.0 tackles for loss, one forced fumble and four pass breakups.
Brooks was the only UCLA freshman starter on either side of the ball last season, starting 11 of 12 contests at left guard. He helped UCLA score a combined 80 points in consecutive wins over then-No. 7 Penn State on Oct. 4 and Michigan State on Oct. 11.
Omosigho was a regular contributor in Oklahoma’s defensive unit the last three seasons, playing in 36 career games before arriving at UCLA. In a reserve linebacker role in 2025, Omosigho ranked fifth on the Sooners with 50 total tackles (28-22-50) in addition to posting 4.5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, three pass breakups and one fumble recovery.
Pleasant earned All-Big Ten Honorable Mention status in his first season as a regular starter for the Bruins in 2025. He ranked second on the squad and finished 10th in the Big Ten during the regular season with seven pass breakups despite not playing the last two contests of the year. Pleasant totaled 36 tackles (22-14-36), 1.5 tackles for loss, one fumble recovery and one blocked kick as the Bruins’ top cornerback.
UCLA begins its first season under The Angelo M. Mazzone III UCLA Head Football Coach Bob Chesney on Saturday, Sept. 5 versus California at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley at 7:30 p.m. (PT). The Bruins’ home opener against San Diego State on Saturday, Sept. 12 at The Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena is scheduled for 4:15 p.m. Fans can purchase tickets HERE.