UCLA Football Top 30 Players: No. 22

UCLA’s top-30 roster countdown for the upcoming 2026 college football season highlights Aiden Gobaira at No. 22, focusing on his potential and injury history. The piece follows his development after a limited first taste of college football and a major setback at Notre Dame. Gobaira, out of Chantilly High School in Chantilly, Virginia, was listed at 6-4 and 230 pounds as an edge prospect and ranked 170th in the country by 247Sports, becoming the 17th edge rusher in his recruiting class and the sixth-ranked player in Virginia. He earned All-American Bowl selection and had Division I offers including Penn State, Notre Dame, Nebraska, Michigan State, and local options Virginia and Virginia Tech. He committed to Notre Dame, played one snap as a true freshman in 2023 despite an 8-4 regular-season record, then suffered a torn ACL, MCL, and meniscus, missing the entire 2023-2024 season. The article indicates he could compete for a starting role on UCLA’s defensive line alongside Amier Washington next season.