UCLA hired Bob Chesney to get things in order after a chaotic 2025 season. Just days into his tenure, the new head coach is already seeing movement. However, it’s out of the program. The Bruins’ 3-star safety Croix Stewart, who spent the last three years with the program, is reportedly planning his exit.

According to On3’s Pete Nakos report, UCLA’s safety Croix Stewart is planning to enter the transfer portal. The 6-foot-2, 202-pounder has been with the program since 2022 and was an early commit to the Bruins. He now has two years of eligibility.

The safety himself has confirmed his interest in entering the portal, resharing the news with a thank you note to the Bruins on X. “Thank you, UCLA. 2 years of eligibility,” he wrote.

Stewart is one of UCLA’s longest-tenured defensive players. While most of the secondary entered the transfer portal, he was the only safety returner to remain with the program. He spent most of the time in a reserve role and rarely had a chance to start the game.

In 2022, he played only one game against Alabama State and utilized his redshirt following his freshman year. In 2023, he played in seven games as a backup DB and also spent time on special teams, finishing his redshirt freshman season with 3 assisted tackles.

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In 2024, he played ten games, racking up twelve tackles (eight solo, three assists). In his redshirt junior season, the 6-foot-2 safety started the first two games against Utah and UNLV, and totaled two tackles (one solo, one assist). Being in the prolonged reserve role, he has now announced his interest in entering the transfer portal.

With that being said, he is the first person to announce his entry to the transfer portal since Bob Chesney was hired as the new head coach.

UCLA Bruins enter Bob Chesney’s era

UCLA finally found its new head coach on Saturday, Dec. 06, formally announcing the hiring of Bob Chesney just hours after leading James Madison to win the Sun Belt Conference Championship.  Ever since firing DeShaun Foster in mid-September, Bob Chesney’s name was reported to be at the top of the search list. Now the official announcement has settled its prolonged head coaching search.

“I am pleased to welcome Coach Bob Chesney to UCLA to lead and develop our football program both on the field and in the classroom,” said UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk. “Coach Chesney has a proven track record of building champions and winning programs, and his philosophy of developing student-athletes in all aspects of their growth aligns closely with our Bruin values.”

Chesney has more than 25 years of collegiate coaching experience, with 16 seasons as head coach. He has a head coaching record of 132-51 and has produced 13 All-Americans and two Academic All-Americans throughout his career. Celebrating the arrival of Chesney to Westwood, the Bruins have arranged a press conference on Tuesday, Dec. 09, on the campus.