The UCLA football program had 19 former standouts named to opening rosters for the 2026 NFL season, which kicks off Wednesday in Seattle with a rematch of Super Bowl LX between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots.
Third-year pro Darius Muasau of the Patriots will be the first Bruin alum in action this season, as he'll don a new uniform in 2026 after spending his first two seasons in the league as a mainstay in the New York Giants’ linebacker room. The Super Bowl rematch is set for a 5:20 p.m. PT kickoff on NBC.
A trio of Bruins will be in action during the first international game of the 2026 campaign, as the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams are set to do battle in East Melbourne, Australia on Thursday, Sept. 10 at 5:35 p.m. PT. Offensive lineman Jake Brendel, now entering his 10th season in the league, will represent the Niners alongside defensive lineman Osa Odighizuwa, who’s in his first season in San Francisco after a five-year stint in Dallas. Meanwhile, safety Quentin Lake is entering his fifth season with the Rams. “Captain Q” recently inked a three-year extension with the Rams.
Sunday’s slate of games will see the rest of the NFL Bruins take the field.
UCLA’s two longest tenured NFL players are entering their 11th seasons in the league in defensive lineman Kenny Clark (Dallas Cowboys) and kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn (Houston Texans). Clark is entering his second season with the Cowboys after a blockbuster 2025 trade from Green Bay. Fairbairn recently signed a contract extension with Houston that makes him the highest-paid kicker in the league. He is coming off a 2025 campaign in which he tied the NFL record for field goals made (44).
Elsewhere, Cleveland Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger will be looking to follow up on an electric debut campaign in the NFL, as he was named the 2025 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year. “Schwes” had 156 tackles and 11 TFLs last season, the most by an NFL rookie in the last 30 years. Schwesinger was a First Team All-American for the Bruins in 2024 after leading the Big Ten in tackles (136).
A pair of Bruins from the 2025 squad will look to establish themselves in the NFL this season, as both offensive lineman Garrett DiGiorgio (Jacksonville Jaguars) and defensive tackle Gary Smith III (Las Vegas Raiders) signed as undrafted free agents this spring. DiGiorgio will open the year on IR while Smith begins the campaign on the Raiders’ practice squad.
In total, 31 former Bruin football players are affiliated with 21 different NFL franchises to start the 2026 season across active rosters, IR/PUP lists, and practice squads.
Bruins in the NFL
| Name | Pos. | Years at UCLA | Team | Status | Exp. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alec Anderson | T | 2018-2021 | Buffalo Bills | Active | 5 |
| Jake Bobo | WR | 2022 | Seattle Seahawks | Injured Reserve | 4 |
| Jake Brendel | OL | 2011-15 | San Francisco 49ers | Active | 10 |
| Brittain Brown | RB | 2020-21 | Chicago Bears | Injured Reserve | 4 |
| Zach Charbonnet | RB | 2021-22 | Seattle Seahawks | PUP | 4 |
| Kenny Clark | DL | 2013-15 | Dallas Cowboys | Active | 11 |
| Matt Dickerson | DT | 2014-17 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Active | 6 |
| Garrett DiGiorgio | OL | 2021-25 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Injured Reserve | R |
| Greg Dulcich | TE | 2018-2021 | Miami Dolphins | Active | 5 |
| Ka'imi Fairbairn | K | 2012-15 | Houston Texans | Active | 11 |
| Jon Gaines II | OL | 2018-2022 | Arizona Cardinals | Active | 4 |
| Darnay Holmes | CB | 2017-19 | Atlanta Falcons | Practice Squad | 7 |
| Alex Johnson | CB | 2018-23 | Los Angeles Rams | Injured Reserve | |
| Carl Jones Jr. | LB | 2019-2023 | Baltimore Ravens | Practice Squad | 3 |
| Ale Kaho | LB | 2021-24 | Washington Commanders | Practice Squad | 2 |
| Quentin Lake | DB | 2017-21 | Los Angeles Rams | Active | 5 |
| Laiatu Latu | DE | 2022-23 | Indianapolis Colts | Active | 3 |
| Atonio Mafi | G | 2018-2022 | Las Vegas Raiders | Active | 4 |
| Moliki Matavao | TE | 2023-24 | New Orleans Saints | Injured Reserve | 2 |
| Kain Medrano | LB | 2019-2024 | Washington Commanders | PUP | 2 |
| Kolton Miller | T | 2014-17 | Las Vegas Raiders | Active | 9 |
| Darius Muasau | LB | 2022-23 | New England Patriots | Active | 3 |
| Osa Odighizuwa | DT | 2016-2020 | San Francisco 49ers | Active | 6 |
| Otito Ogbonnia | DL | 2018-2021 | Dallas Cowboys | Active | 5 |
| Oluwafemi Oladejo | EDGE | 2023-24 | Tennessee Titans | Active | 2 |
| Sean Rhyan | G | 2019-2021 | Green Bay Packers | Active | 5 |
| Carson Schwesinger | LB | 2021-24 | Cleveland Browns | Active | 2 |
| Gary Smith III | DT | 2022-25 | Las Vegas Raiders | Practice Squad | |
| Carson Steele | FB | 2023 | Philadelphia Eagles | Practice Squad | 3 |
| Colson Yankoff | TE | 2019-2023 | Washington Commanders | Active | 3 |