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Jake Brendel Questionable for Season Opener

By Jake Merrifield

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UCLA Bruins center

Jake Brendel

(54) prepares to snap the ball at the line of scrimmage during the second quarter of the Pac-12 Championship game against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports

According to Ryan Kartje of the OC Register, Jake Brendel is questionable for UCLA’s opener at the University of Virginia this Saturday after suffering an MCL sprain of unknown severity a couple of weeks ago.

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    • The improved depth of the UCLA offensive line has frequently been cited at gojoebruin.com and elsewhere as one of the reasons why fans can expect the world out of the Bruins this year. The offensive line should be a strength for the Bruins in 2014, but an nagging injury to Brendel is a bad way to start the season and should concern fans.

    For starters, Jake Brendel has started every game that Brett Hundley has. You can’t overstate the benefit of having a center start 2 years worth of games for a team (and for a QB); the consistency and relationship that Brendel has accumulated with Hundley and his fellow line-mates can’t be made up over a couple of weeks of training camp.

    Its one thing to make quick and clear decisions regarding offensive line calls and changes at the line of scrimmage in front of a few fans in San Berdoo; its another animal doing that comfortably in front of thousands of hostile fans and a hungry Cavalier front seven. There will definitely be a learning curve for whoever steps in for Brendel (be it Alex Redmond, Scott Quessenberry or someone else), as well as for Brett Hundley.

    Bruin fans should cross their fingers and hope Brendel’s knee recovers quickly and that it is not something that nags him throughout the season.