One former Cal Bear named a Week 1 captain for UCLA football
Jaivian Thomas and Cole Martin were named Week 1 captains for the UCLA Bruins, joining Nico Iamaleava and Sammy Omosigho.
Earlier this week the UCLA Bruins announced that quarterback Nico Iamaleava and linebacker Sammy Omosigho were named the team's permanent captains for the 2026 season.
On Saturday, UCLA announced that running back Jaivian Thomas and safety Cole Martin being named gameday captains for the Bruins ' Week 1 showdown versus the Cal Bears.
The game will be extra special for Thomas, as he spent his first two NCAA seasons with Cal before heading south to join UCLA ahead of the 2025 season. Thomas' numbers took a step back in his first year with the Bruins, rushing for just 294 yards in 2025 after being at 626 with Cal in 2024.
The running back usage will be something to watch for Bob Chesney and Dean Kennedy's offense, with Wayne Knight and Anthony Woods joining Thomas in the backfield.
Martin didn't play for the Golden Bears but the safety has played for Oregon, Arizona State and now the Bruins, meaning he has plenty of West Coast college football under his belt preparing him for Saturday night's showdown.
Martin made 65 tackles for UCLA in 2025, with one interception and three passes defensed. Martin was one of three Bruins to represent the school at this year's Big Ten Conference Media Day, joining fellow captains Iamaleava and Omosigho.
Kickoff is set for Saturday night at 7:30p.m. on ESPN, with UCLA heading to California Memorial Stadium as road favorites.
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