UCLA football’s ‘Bruin Bully’ Sahir West ‘prepared to dominate’…
Every time they step on the subject, UCLA’s defensive gamers break their huddle by shouting the same phrase.
“Bruin Bullies!”
It’s the nickname they selected after defensive coordinator Colin Hitschler, a Philadelphia native partial to the Nineteen Seventies Flyers who had been often called the Broad Street Bullies, offered an inventory of choices.
One Bruin Bully stands out among the relaxation.
Sahir West (No. 15) will get pumped up alongside Ashton Sanders after making a play during training camp. Isabella Serafini/UCLA Athletics
With his powerfully constructed body and ability to get into the backfield seemingly by the time the quarterback clutches the snap, Sahir West is a lot intimidating.
No one is aware of that better than UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who has often seemed up in observe to see the fast-closing edge rusher in his face.
“Man, I’m glad he’s on my team,” Iamaleava said of the defensive dynamo who stands 6 ft 3 and a brawny 279 kilos. “We talk a lot of smack, me and Sahir go at it, so I can’t wait until he gets to take that out on an opponent.”
Bruins followers would possibly need to preserve tabs on one attractive risk – that West tabulates more sacks in 2026 than UCLA did as a team in 2025.
It’s not practically as farfetched as it’d sound.
The Bruins had been pitiful at move speeding last season, their 10 sacks ranking last among all 134 Football Bowl Subdivision groups and hindering the remainder of the protection.
That’s one thing West ought to assist rectify.
“It was difficult for us to cover for long periods of time,” defensive again Cole Martin said of the means issues went for the secondary last season. “But when you look at the film over there at James Madison and seeing what he was able to do, it really is eye-opening and then him coming over here and being able to do the same things is something that gives us extreme confidence in him and everybody else on that D-line to go to go hunt the quarterback while we go and shut receivers down.”
UCLA defensive again Cole Martin said having an edge rusher the caliber of Sahir West ought to assist the secondary in coverage. Isabella Serafini/UCLA Athletics
West notched seven sacks himself last season, incomes Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year honors before following coach Bob Chesney across the nation to Westwood. Can he exceed that output during his first season in the Big Ten?
“I’m not gonna sit here and tell you I’m gonna get 100 sacks,” West said, “but I’m gonna just go out there and dominate.”
West said he meant to use his strengths – his motor and energy – to develop into more constant as a move rusher. Visualizing himself making performs is another important a part of his arsenal of instruments.
“I feel like that’s one of my most positive traits – I can imagine it before it can happen, I can see it,” West said. “That’s what I’ve been doing for a long time, and I think it’s helped me a lot.”
He’ll obtain assist from fellow edge rushers Scott Taylor, Aiden Gobaira, Cole Cogshell, Ryan McCulloch, Dallin Havea and Nico Davillier in making life depressing for opposing quarterbacks.
Edge rusher Aiden Gobaira (87), seen right here going up against left sort out Jordan Davis, ought to assist fellow edge rusher Sahir West bottle up quarterbacks. Isabella Serafini/UCLA Athletics
“He’s a guy who can beat you around the edge, and then also has the power to knock you over,” Taylor said of West. “And so, when you can create multiple problems for an offensive lineman, it just puts him in a bind, and I think he’s able to do that real well.”
There’s a new bully on the block in linebacker Trent Hendrick, West’s former James Madison teammate and the reigning Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year who arrived at observe this week after being granted a fifth season of eligibility.
How does West go about exhibiting he’s a bully?
“I play harder than the guy in front of me, play faster than him,” West said. “Just dominate – that’s what I feel like a bully is.”
If there’s ever any doubt, all one has to do is pay attention any time he breaks a huddle.
“It’s just a testament,” West said of what’s uttered, “to the thing that we say that we want to be, bullies on the field, you know what I’m saying?”
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