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UCLA held its 13th spring practice of 2026 Tuesday morning. Here's what stood out from the session. - The Bruins began with special teams work during the first media viewing period Tuesday. A small group of punt returners caught punts and then dodged exercise balls thrown at them by the training staff. I think Semaj Morgan is a little bit ahead of Mikey Matthews on the punt returner depth chart right now. Matthews took the first reps, but later during practice, it was Morgan who fielded a punt when Chesney called for the punt team on a fourth down situation. Both Morgan and Matthews look very natural as punt returners. I'd feel comfortable with either player back there. - Brian Rowe and Aidan Mizell were also in the punt return group. DJ Barksdale wasn't because he was sick Tuesday. There were no muffs during the return drill. - Scooter Jackson was at practice in a hoodie Tuesday. He's being held out of practice for academic reasons. Aiden Gobaira, Quinn Buckey, Ta'Shawn James and Wayne Knight were still all out with injuries. Those are the short term injured players. The long term injured players remained the same (Major Pride, Caleb Walker, Ryan McCulloch, Nico Davillier, Karson Gordon and Jalen Saint Paul). Sam Yoon left that group last week and returned to practice.  - While the punt returns were happening, UCLA's interior defensive linemen were working on a drill under the direction of assistant coach Legi Suiaunoa and defensive analyst Ukoh Essang. In the drill, the linemen would grab the pad wrapped around the base of the field goal posts, and the two coaches would try and knock the linemen off their spots while the linemen shuffled their feet in place. - Gavin Blum is on the smaller side for an interior defensive linemen, and he got pushed off the mock block by the coaches a couple of times.  - After a few reps, Legi Suiaunoa asked for a couple of equipment staffers to come and hold the pad so it wouldn't pop out of place. Suiaunoa apologized for not knowing one of the staffer's name. - In another drill across the field, Bob Chesney coached up some defensive backs and receivers on how to block when they're on a punt return or kick return team. - The quarterbacks worked on selling play action fakes and throwing over the middle while the special teams work was going on under the direction of assistant quarterbacks coach Jon Boyer. Behind the quarterbacks, UCLA was working on its 11-man kick return coverage unit. The group was going at a slower pace, and we were asked not to film it. - The Bruin quarterbacks were a bit inaccurate on their throws after the fake handoffs. But Nico Iamaleava and Ty Dieffenbach would respond later in practice by putting together some good team periods.  - Defensive coordinator Colin Hitschler watched the quarterback drill closely, which I thought was interesting.  - Leland Smith was repping with the special teams coverage group. He's still limited with an injury, but was more involved Tuesday than I've seen him be in the past. Tyson Ford was also limited Tuesday.  - Running back Jaivian Thomas led UCLA in the U-C-L-A jumping jacks at the end of warmups before the first team period.  - Bob Chesney Sr. was back at practice Tuesday. He's been at the last five sessions. - Here is how UCLA lined up during the first team period: Nico Iamaleava was at quarterback, Anthony Woods was at running back, Hall Schmidt (right tackle), Carter Sweazie (right guard), Riley Robell (center), Julian Armella (left guard) and Mack Indestad (left tackle) made up the offensive line, Brian Rowe, Landon Ellis and Semaj Morgan were the receivers, and Brayden Loftin was at tight end. - On defense, Scott Taylor and Sahir West started on the edge, Amier Washington and A.J. Fuimaono were in the middle of the defensive line, Sammy Omosigho and Jalen Woods were at linebacker, Cole Martin was at nickel, Tao Johnson and Malik Hartford were at safety and Robert Stafford and Dante Lovett were at cornerback.  - The offense started with two incompletions from Nico before he completed a short pass to Jaivian Thomas.  - On the next play, Brian Rowe made the catch of the spring. With Dante Lovett draped all over him (I mistakenly said Robert Stafford was on him in our Word Around Westwood video. Sorry Robert), Rowe hauled in a 35-yard touchdown pass with one hand. It was a remarkable catch. It was such a great play, that I grabbed onto Jack after Rowe caught the ball.  - An assistant coach yelled after Rowe's snag, "that's just different Rowe!" - Riley Robell motored down the sideline to celebrate with Rowe after he made the catch. - If there was a spring camp MVP award, I'd give it to either Rowe or Sahir West through 13 practices. - Madden Iamaleava came out with the 2s after Rowe's touchdown and the offense struggled to move the ball. - Nico came back out for a few plays after Madden, and then Ty Dieffenbach eventually took over. The defense had some nice moments during this sequence. Darold DeNgohe snuffed out a designed Dieffenbach run, and Anthony Sacca stuffed a Troy Leigber run. Noah Fox-Flores then made a catch over the middle.  - During the final sequence of the first media viewing period, Mateen Bhaghani drilled three field goals in a row from 39, 44 and 49 yards. He's looked great in camp. - The second media viewing period began with UCLA's TV timeout period and then continued with another team period. - Aaron Williams replaced Malik Hartford with the first-team defense during the period. Cole Martin, who was playing nickel earlier in practice, went back to safety alongside Tao Johnson. - The offense looked very crisp during the second media viewing period. - Troy Leigber started the period with a strong run, and then Brian Rowe extended vertically to make an impressive catch with Robert Stafford in coverage.  - Darold DeNgohe stuffed a run on the third play. Tuesday's session was DeNgohe's best practice of spring camp. - Noah Fox-Flores caught a short pass from Nico on the next play, but the play took too long to develop and probably would have resulted in a sack in a real game. - Nico hit Jaivian Thomas on a misdirection play out of the backfield along the left sideline for a big gain after the Fox-Flores catch. That play has been there all camp long and seems like a staple of Dean Kennedy's offense. Be on the lookout for it in the spring game. - Amier Washington pressured Nico up the middle on the next play to force an incompletion. The interior pass rush stood out Tuesday. It hadn't stood out much in previous practices. - Tight end Stevie Amar was used with the 1s for a few plays Tuesday. On a third-and-6 play later in the period, he hauled in a five yard pass on the right sideline before getting popped by Cole Martin. - On the ensuing 4th-and-1, the UCLA defense jumped offside. Nico clapped and the defense took the bait. - Scott Taylor stuffed Troy Leigber on the next play. - The offense got its revenge a play later though when Nico rifled a pass over the middle that Brayden Loftin hauled in for an 8-yard touchdown with Scott Taylor in coverage.  - The 2s came in next and Drew Spinogatti ripped the ball out of Dylan Lee's hands on the first play and recovered the fumble. Spinogatti has a knack for prying footballs loose.  - The second offensive line group consisted of JD Rayner at right tackle, Derek Osman at right guard, Sam Yoon at center, Eugene Brooks at left guard and Jordan Davis at left tackle. - On the next two plays, Karson Cox was initially hammered in the backfield by Matthew Muasau. But Cox responded by running over a defensive player I couldn't identify one snap later on second down.  - The second-unit offense stalled after getting another chance after the fumble, so Chase Barry punted to Semaj Morgan. - UCLA finished practice with a two-minute team period.  - The 1s started the action, and Sahir West batted down a Nico pass on the first play.  - The defense did a lot of subbing during the series. Dallin Havea took some snaps at edge rusher, CJ Lavender rotated in at nickel, Jhase McMillan rotated in at corner and Ty Lee and Malik Hartford rotated in at safety. - Anthony Woods caught two short passes after the West deflection. - Nico was flushed out of the pocket and rolled to his right on the next play. He missed Brian Rowe on a throw towards the sideline that wouldn't have counted because an offensive lineman was called for holding as Iamaleava tried to escape.  - Semaj Morgan made a nice catch over the middle on a pass thrown behind him following the holding penalty. Noah Fox-Flores then made a couple of short receptions. - The drive stalled and Mateen Bhaghani made a 50-yard field goal. Bob Chesney instructed the whole team to make noise in an effort to throw off Bhaghani. It didn't work. - Ty Dieffenbach came in with the 3s in a two minute situation to end the last team period. - Derek Osman was Dieffenbach's center. KD Arnold was playing left tackle.  - Dieffenbach led a good drive. First, Karson Cox burst through a hole for a nice gain. Then Logan Hirou was called for pass interference on Shane Rosenthal. Troy Leigber followed the penalty with a short run.  - Dieffenbach started cooking on the next play hitting Stevie Amar for a modest gain along the left sideline. Then Dieffenbach put a swing pass perfectly into Troy Leigber's arms for a big gainer along the right sideline. Shane Rosenthal beat his man, but couldn't haul in a catchable ball from Dieffenbach on the next play in the end zone. Karson Cox made sure the offense got six on a two-yard swing pass he brought in with Anthony Sacca in coverage a play later. The whole offense mobbed Cox after the score. - Practice ended with a compete period where Mikey Matthews and Semaj Morgan had to fair catch punts with gunners running at them. They went 4-for-4. - UCLA returns to the practice field Thursday for its final spring practice session before Saturday's spring game at the Rose Bowl.