Every time they step on the field, UCLA’s defensive players break their huddle by shouting the same phrase.
“Bruin Bullies!”
It’s the nickname they chose after defensive coordinator Colin Hitschler, a Philadelphia native partial to the 1970s Flyers who were known as the Broad Street Bullies, provided a list of options.
One Bruin Bully stands out among the rest.
With his powerfully built frame and ability to get into the backfield seemingly by the time the quarterback clutches the snap, Sahir West is plenty intimidating.
No one knows that better than UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who has often looked up in practice 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 feet 3 and a brawny 279 pounds. “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 fans might want to keep tabs on one enticing possibility – that West tabulates more sacks in 2026 than UCLA did as a team in 2025.
It’s not nearly as farfetched as it might sound.
The Bruins were pitiful at pass rushing last season, their 10 sacks ranking last among all 134 Football Bowl Subdivision teams and hindering the rest of the defense.
That’s something West should help rectify.
“It was difficult for us to cover for long periods of time,” defensive back Cole Martin said of the way things 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.”
West notched seven sacks himself last season, earning Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year honors before following coach Bob Chesney across the country 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 intended to use his strengths – his motor and power – to become more consistent as a pass rusher. Visualizing himself making plays is another important part of his arsenal of tools.
“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 receive support from fellow edge rushers Scott Taylor, Aiden Gobaira, Cole Cogshell, Ryan McCulloch, Dallin Havea and Nico Davillier in making life miserable for opposing quarterbacks.
“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 practice this week after being granted a fifth season of eligibility.
How does West go about showing 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 listen 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?”
