10 Best UCLA Bruins Football Players

The UCLA Bruins college football program began in 1919, and since then, they’ve won one national championship in 1954. 

If you bet on their football odds in the 2023 LA Bowl against Boise State, you came out ahead as the Bruins won 35-22. However, if you wagered on the 2022 Sun Bowl against Pitt, you would’ve lost as UCLA lost 37-35.

Today, you can wager on UCLA’s college football odds weekly at the BetMGM online sportsbook.

Below is my list of the top 10 Bruins of all time. 

10 Best UCLA Bruins Football Players

1. Troy Aikman

Aikman played at UCLA from 1986 to 1988. However, he didn’t play in 1986 because of  NCAA transfer rules at the time. Before this, he spent two seasons with Oklahoma, during which time he attempted just 67 passes. 

While at UCLA, he had 5,298 passing yards (ninth), 41 passing touchdowns (seventh), 5,294 total yards (10th), and 44 total touchdowns (10th). 

He also won the Davey O’Brien Award, was a consensus All-American, second-team All-American, Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year, and first-team All-Pac-10. 

Troy Aikman highlights since we’re 8 Saturdays away from Bruin Football pic.twitter.com/r292sq5qjF

— UCLA Geek 🤓 (@UCLA_Geek) July 6, 2024

The Bruins retired his No. 8, and the Dallas Cowboys selected him as the No. 1 overall pick in the 1989 NFL Draft. 

He’s enshrined in both the College Football Hall of Fame and Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

2. Jonathan Ogden

Ogden was a dominant offensive tackle for the Bruins from 1992 to 1995. During that time, he won the Outland Trophy, UPI Lineman of the Year, Jim Parker Award, and Morris Trophy. He was also a unanimous All-American and two-time first-team All-Pac-10. 

The Bruins retired his No. 79. 

He was the No. 4 overall pick in the 1996 NFL Draft and is enshrined in both the College and Pro Football Hall of Fame.

3. Kenny Easley

Easley holds the Bruins record for interceptions, with 19, including seven in 1978, and is fifth all-time in tackles, with 374. 

Playing safety from 1977 to 1980, Easley was a two-time unanimous All-American, consensus All-American, and four-time first-team All-Pac-10. The program retired his No. 5. 

He was the No. 4 overall pick in the 1981 NFL Draft and is enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame. 

4. Gary Beban

Beban played quarterback for the Bruins from 1965 to 1967. He ranks fourth in rushing touchdowns (35), ninth in total yards (5,358), and seventh in total touchdowns (58). 

While there, Beban won numerous awards in 1967, including the Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award, Sporting News Player of the Year, Chic Harley Award, and Pop Warner Trophy. That season, he had 1,359 passing yards and eight touchdowns and rushed 145 times for 227 yards and 11 touchdowns. 

He was a unanimous All-American, second-team All-American, three-time first-team All-Pac-8, and his No. 16 was retired. 

5. Maurice Jones-Drew

Jones-Drew, also known as MJD, played at UCLA from 2003 to 2005 and, despite not topping 186 carries in a season, had 2,503 rushing yards, 26 rushing touchdowns (tied for 10th), 64 receptions, 819 receiving yards, and seven receiving touchdowns in 36 games. 

He holds Bruins single-game records for rushing yards (322 in 2004 against Washington) and rushing touchdowns (five in that same game). 

MJD was a unanimous All-American in 2005, first-team All-Pac-10 in 2005, and second-team All-Pac-10 in 2004. 

6. Jerry Robinson

Robinson played linebacker from 1975 to 1978. He was a unanimous All-American, consensus All-American, three-time first-team All-Pac-10, and won the Pop Warner Trophy. 

He finished with 468 tackles (second) and holds three of the top five single-season tackle records, including the No. 1 spot with 161 in 1978. Robinson also had 28 tackles in 1976 against Air Force, the most in a single game in UCLA history. 

The team retired Robinson’s No. 84, and he is enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame. 

7. Cade McNown

McNown played quarterback for UCLA from 1995 to 1998. He holds the school record for passing yards (10,708), ranks third in passing touchdowns (68), and is third in total yards (11,285) and touchdowns (84). 

He also holds the single-game record for passing yards with 513 in 1998 against Miami.

McNown won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and Pop Warner Trophy and was a consensus All-American, third-team All-American, Pac -10 Co-Offensive Player of the Year, first-team All-Pac-10, second-team All-Pac-10, and was both the Cotton Bowl and Senior Bowl MVP. 

He was inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame and was the 12th overall pick in the 1999 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. 

McNown is enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame. 

8. J.J. Stokes

Stokes played wide receiver for UCLA from 1991 to 1994 and was a unanimous All-American, Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year, and first-team All-Pac-10. 

He ranks seventh in program history in receptions (154), fifth in receiving yards (2,469), and first in receiving touchdowns (28). 

Stokes also holds single-game records for receptions (14 at the 1994 Rose Bowl), receiving yards (263 in 1992 against USC), and receiving touchdowns (four in 1993 against Washington). 

9. Skip Hicks

A running back, Hicks played for UCLA from 1993 to 1997, where he became a first-team All-American, won the Pop Warner Trophy, first-team All-Pac-10, and second-team All-Pac-10. 

He racked up 3,140 rushing yards (eighth), 48 rushing touchdowns (first), and total touchdowns (48). 

10. Bob Waterfield

Waterfield did it all at UCLA, playing quarterback, safety, kicker, and punter from 1941 to 1942 and again in 1944. 

He was first-team All-PCC and second-team All-PCC. 

Waterfield had seven interceptions in the 1942 season, tied for fifth-most in a single season in school history. 

He also led the Pacific Coast Conference in passing in 1942 with 53 completions for 1,033 yards and 12 touchdowns and averaged 40 yards on 60 punts. 

Interestingly, Waterfield also broke the school record at the time, playing 557 of 600 minutes in UCLA’s 10 games.