Sahir West commits to UCLA football

UCLA secured arguably its biggest addition in the transfer portal yet.

Sahir West, the James Madison redshirt freshman edge rusher who was named Sun Belt Freshman of the Year in 2025, announced Saturday night on Instagram that he is joining new UCLA head coach Bob Chesney in Westwood.

At the team’s biggest position of need — where UCLA ranked dead last in the NCAA in sacks and tackles for loss last season — the Bruins now have a player with three years of eligibility remaining who tallied seven sacks and 14 tackles for loss during the Dukes’ College Football Playoff-making season.

West visited Power Four powerhouse programs Texas A&M and Ohio State and still landed on UCLA as his future home.

The Baltimore native joins Cal’s Ryan McCulloch and fellow James Madison linebacker Aiden Gobaira as the transfers joining the edge rushing efforts — a group that will be led by defensive ends coach Sam Daniels, who coached defensive line at James Madison under Chesney.

The 6-foot-3, 269-lbs defensive lineman — albeit more of a prototypical outside linebacker — earned second-team All-Sun Belt honors, tallying 45 total tackles to go with his lofty pass-rushing totals.

West becomes the 34th transfer commit for Chesney’s Bruins, potentially the most vital member of UCLA’s roster rebuild so far.