The 2020 UCLA Bruins football team represented the University of California, Los Angeles during the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was led by third-year head coach Chip Kelly and competed as members of the Pac-12 Conference in the South Division.
On August 11, the Pac-12 Conference initially canceled all fall sports competitions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On September 24, the conference announced that a six-game conference-only season would begin on November 6, with the Pac-12 Championship Game to be played December 18. Teams not selected for the championship game would be seeded to play a seventh game.
On December 17, with a 3–3 record and one game left to play, the program announced that they would decline any invitation to a bowl game. The Bruins lost their final game, finishing their season with a 3–4 record. The combined deficit in their four defeats was only 15 points, including a one-point loss to Stanford in double overtime, 48–47, in the season finale.
Overall on the season, the Bruins outscored their opponents by a total of 248 to 215.
Offseason
Position key BackBCenterCCornerbackCBDefensive backDBDefensive endDEDefensive linemanDLDefensive tackleDTEndEFullbackFBGuardGHalfbackHBKickerKKickoff returnerKROffensive tackleOTOffensive linemanOLLinebackerLBLong snapperLSPunterPPunt returnerPRQuarterbackQBRunning backRBSafetySTight endTEWide receiverWR
Offseason departures
Recruiting
Transfers
Returning starters
Impact of coronavirus pandemic On August 5, 2020, the Los Angeles County Health Director announced that eight UCLA football players tested positive for COVID-19.
Preseason
Award watch lists
Pac-12 media days The Preseason Media poll shows the Bruins at 4th place in the South Division.
Preseason All-Pac-12 teams
Personnel
Coaching staff Head coach: Chip Kelly (New Hampshire '90) 3rd year Defensive coordinator: Jerry Azzinaro 3rd year Quarterbacks: Dana Bible 3rd year Receivers: Jimmie Dougherty 4th year Running backs: DeShaun Foster 4th year Offensive coordinator / Off. Line: Justin Frye 3rd year Outside linebackers: Jason Kaufusi 2nd year Defensive line: Johnny Nansen 1st Year Asst. head coach/passing game coord./ defensive backs: Brian Norwood 1st year Inside linebackers: Don Pellum 3rd year Tight ends / special teams: Derek Sage 3rd year Director of football performance: Frank Wintrich 3rd year
Roster 2020 UCLA Bruins RosterQuarterback 1 Dorian Thompson-Robinson – Junior 3 Chase Artopoeus – Sophomore 4 Blake Kirshner – Sophomore 9 Parker McQuarrie – Freshman 11 Chase Griffin – Sophomore
Running back 6 Martell Irby – Junior 10 Demetric Felton – Senior 19 Kazmeir Allen – Junior 22 Keegan Jones – Sophomore 24 Brian Kowall – Freshman 28 Brittain Brown – Graduate Student 32 Christian Grubb – Sophomore 33 Jahmon McClendon – Sophomore 39 Cole Kinder – Junior
Receiver 2 Kyle Philips – Sophomore 7 Colson Yankoff – Sophomore 12 Matt Sykes – Freshman 14 Josiah Norwood – Sophomore 15 Jaylen Erwin – Senior 17 Logan Loya – Freshman 18 Charles Njoku – Sophomore 21 Michael Ezeike – Junior 23 Chase Cota – Junior 26 Ashton Authement – Sophomore 29 Delon Hurt – Junior 35 Devanti Dillard – Freshman 36 Ethan Fernea – Senior 81 Hudson Habermehl – Sophomore 86 Bradley Schlom – Freshman
Tight end 37 Lucas Egurbide – Freshman 82 Evidence Njoku – Junior 83 David Priebe – Sophomore 85 Greg Dulcich – Sophomore 87 Grant Norberg – Freshman 88 Mike Martinez – Sophomore 89 Michael Churich – Sophomore Offensive lineman 53 Luke Young – Sophomore 54 Josh Carlin- Sophomore 55 Paul Grattan, Jr. – Graduate Student 56 Atonio Mafi – Junior 57 Jon Gaines II – Sophomore 59 Siale Taupaki – Sophomore 62 Duke Clemens – Sophomore 63 Brad Whitworth – Freshman 64 Sam Marrazzo – Junior 65 Justin Williams – Freshman 70 Alec Anderson – Sophomore 71 Baraka Beckett – Sophomore 74 Sean Rhyan – Sophomore 75 Bruno Fina – Freshman 76 Patrick Selna – Freshman 77 Beau Taylor – Freshman 78 Lucas Gramlick – Sophomore
Defensive lineman 44 Martin Andrus, Jr. – Junior 50 Tyler Manoa – Junior 51 Ethan Matus – Sophomore 53 Winston Polite – Sophomore 55 Steven Mason – Senior 58 Datona Jackson – Senior 61 Carson Drake – Freshman 91 Otito Ogbonnia – Junior 92 Osa Odighizuwa – Senior 94 Dovid Magna – Freshman 97 Odua Isibor – Junior Linebacker 0 Damian Sellers – Freshman 9 Choé Bryant-Strother – Freshman 11 Kenny Mestidor – Freshman 20 Kain Medrano – Freshman 25 Myles Jackson – Freshman 26 Leni Toailoa – Senior 29 Adam Cohen – Sophomore 31 Ioholani Raass – Freshman 33 Bo Calvert – Junior 35 Carl Jones, Jr. – Sophomore 40 Caleb Johnson – Junior 43 James Dinneen – Freshman 45 Mitchell Agude – Junior 46 Hayden Harris – Freshman 47 Erich Osteen – Freshman 47 Shea Pitts – Junior 48 Joquarri Price – Freshman 49 Jonny Garnett – Freshman 52 Jeremiah Trojan – Freshman 54 John Ward – Freshman 56 Kobey Fitzgerald – Junior 95 Sitiveni Havili-Kaufusi – Freshman 98 Jaymax Jacobsen – Freshman
Defensive back 1 Jay Shaw – Junior 3 Rayshad Williams – Sophomore 4 Stephan Blaylock – Junior 6 John Humphrey – Freshman 7 Mo Osling III – Junior 10 Joshua Swift – Freshman 12 Elijah Gates – Junior 14 DJ Warnell – Freshman 15 Jake Newman – Freshman 17 Parker Hogan – Freshman 18 Deavyn Woullard – Freshman 19 Alex Johnson – Sophomore 20 Grady Liddell – Freshman 21 JonJon Vaughns – Freshman 22 Obi Eboh – Graduate Student 23 Shamar Martin – Freshman 24 Qwuantrezz Knight – Graduate Student 27 Patrick Jolly, Jr. – Sophomore 28 Kenny Churchwell III – Sophomore 28 Evan Thomas – Sophomore 30 William Nimmo, Jr. – Sophomore 37 Quentin Lake – Junior 39 Kaleb Tuliau – Kaleb Tuliau 41 Jelani Warren – Freshman
Punter 49 Collin Flintoft – Sophomore
Kicker 2 Nicholas Barr-Mira – Sophomore 90 Anthony Waller – Freshman 93 RJ Lopez – Freshman 96 Ari Libenson – Freshman 99 Luke Akers – Freshman
Long snapper 51 Jack Landherr IV – Sophomore 60 Beau Gardner – FreshmanSources:
Depth chart
Schedule UCLA's 2020 regular season was announced on January 16. The Bruins had games scheduled against New Mexico State, Hawaii, and San Diego State, but canceled these games on July 10 due to the Pac-12 Conference's decision to play a conference-only schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On November 13, UCLA's scheduled home game against Utah was canceled after a COVID-19 outbreak within the Utah program. The same day, the Pac-12 announced UCLA would instead host California the morning of November 15; the Golden Bears' scheduled game at Arizona State had also been canceled after Arizona State had a COVID-19 outbreak. UCLA's game at Oregon was moved by a day to Saturday, November 21, to accommodate the other changes.
Original 2020 UCLA Bruins schedule Date Opponent Site August 29 New Mexico State* Rose Bowl • Pasadena, CA September 5 at Hawaii* Aloha Stadium • Honolulu, HI September 19 at San Diego State* SDCCU Stadium • San Diego, CA September 26 Stanford Rose Bowl • Pasadena, CA (rivalry) October 3 Arizona Rose Bowl • Pasadena, CA October 10 at Arizona State Sun Devil Stadium • Tempe, AZ October 17 at Colorado Folsom Field • Boulder, CO October 29 Utah Rose Bowl • Pasadena, CA November 7 at Oregon State Reser Stadium • Corvallis, OR November 14 Washington State Rose Bowl • Pasadena, CA November 21 USC Rose Bowl • Pasadena, CA (Victory Bell) November 27 at California California Memorial Stadium • Berkeley, CA (rivalry)
Game summaries
At Colorado
While UCLA attempted a valiant second-half comeback, their four turnovers in the first half proved too much to overcome and the Bruins were defeated, 48–42.
California
At Oregon
Arizona
Arizona State
USC
Stanford
Rankings On December 6, UCLA received a vote in the AP Poll for the first time since 2017.
Players drafted into the NFL
3 75 Osa Odighizuwa DT Dallas Cowboys 6 211 Demetric Felton RB Cleveland Browns
Statistics
Awards and honors
Associated Press 2020 All-Conference Team – Osa Odighizuwa (defensive tackle) and Demetric Felton (all-purpose), first team; Greg Dulcich (tight end), Caleb Johnson (linebacker), Felton (running back) second team Pac–12 2020 All-Conference Team – Osa Odighizuwa (first team); Greg Dulcich, Demetric Felton and Dorian Thompson-Robinson (second-team); Stephan Blaylock, Caleb Johnson, Qwuantrezz Knight, Sam Marrazzo and Kyle Philips (honorable mention)
References