New Bruins lineman helps pave a path for an efficient offense
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UCLA football head coach Bob Chesney brought plenty of talent with him from James Madison, but perhaps one of the best additions for the Bruins could be redshirt senior offensive lineman Carter Sweazie.
Sweazie was redshirted his first season for the Dukes, but then went on to play in 34 games and start in 23 of those games at left guard over the next three seasons. His most efficient season was his most recent as he went on to round out an offensive line that was ranked 11th in the FBS in scoring and 17th in total yards on his way to earning 2025 All-Sun Belt Third Team honors.
The Bruins were desperate to improve their star quarterback Nico Iamaleava's protection as their signal caller consistently found himself under duress last season. The result was Iamaleava being forced to play on the scramble drill, causing him to lead the Bruins in carries and rushing yards with 505-yards on 112 attempts, according to ESPN.
On top of that, the offensive struggled with consistency as they piled up an average of 319.9-yards per game for the 17th worst of any FBS, according to ESPN.
Sweazie should be able to not only help Iamaleava stay upright by preventing him from being sacked 27-times next season, but he has proven that he has the ability to open up the running game for his fellow James Madison transfer, running back Wayne Knight.
The 342-pound offensive lineman bullied opposing defensive lines as he created running lanes that allowed Knight to cut through defenses for 1,373-rushing yards on 207 attempts for an average of 6.6-rushing yards per attempt, according to ESPN.
The success Sweazie displayed for the Dukes brought James Madison a Sun-Belt Championships and College Football Playoffs appearance, but showed that he would be a welcomed addition to the Bruins offensive front.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: New Bruins lineman helps pave a path for an efficient offense
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