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UCLA Football: Predicting the Starters – Offense

By Mike Regalado

September 5, 2015; Pasadena, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Josh Rosen (3), wide receiver Jordan Lasley (2) and defensive back Octavius Spencer (18) following the 34-16 victory against the Virginia Cavaliers at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
September 5, 2015; Pasadena, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Josh Rosen (3), wide receiver Jordan Lasley (2) and defensive back Octavius Spencer (18) following the 34-16 victory against the Virginia Cavaliers at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /
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Go Joe Bruin predicts the offensive starting lineup for the UCLA Football team heading into the 2016 season.

Having gone through and projected the depth charts for the  quarterbacks, running backs and fullbacks, receivers and tight ends, and the offensive line, we now look at what the potential starting lineup for the UCLA football team could be in 2016.

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Though we only name potential starters, it does not take away from the fact that the Bruins have a lot of talent.

RELATED STORIES: Projecting the Depth Charts QB, RB/FB, WR/TE, OL

We will get into that but first, let us look at our predicted starting line up…

UCLA Bruins
UCLA Bruins /

UCLA Bruins

RT: Kolton Miller

RG: Poasi Moala

C: Scott Quessenberry

LG: Kenny Lacy

LT: Conor McDermott

QB: Josh Rosen

RB: Soso Jamabo

FB: Ainuu Taua

TE: Nate Iese

X-WR: Kenneth Walker

Z-WR: Eldridge Massington

Slot: Darren Andrews

Note: the reason for 12 players being listed is because we named the starters for each position available to the UCLA offense.

The quarterback spot was a no-brainer. Rosen had a fantastic freshman season and he’s going to destroy in 2016. End of story.

Sep 26, 2015; Tucson, AZ, USA; UCLA Bruins running back Soso Jamabo (1) runs the ball during the second quarter against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 26, 2015; Tucson, AZ, USA; UCLA Bruins running back Soso Jamabo (1) runs the ball during the second quarter against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports /

Now the position that was really tough to choose a starter from was the running back spot. Looking at the talent they have, one can assume that the Bruins will use a “running back by committee” approach. Nate Starks and Bolu Olorunfunmi both have the potential to start, but the consensus is sophomore Jamabo will be #1.

The receivers are going to be really interesting to watch this year because not only do they have a few speedsters (which they have been sorely missing the last few years) but they also have a lot of depth.

Walker, Massington, Andrews and Iese looked very comfortable in the spring. From what we saw, there is a lot potential with the receivers, and it helps that they will have Rosen throwing pinpoint accurate passes all the time.

The Bruins also have a few backups that could also start, including converted defensive back Ishmael Adams making his offensive debut this season. He will be joined by the talented Mossi Johnson, Theo Howard and Alex Van Dyke, just to name a few.

The offensive line loses three players, but they get three players back. This group may not be as experienced as they were a year ago, but they are stable. They showed that they can quickly improve as they went from mediocre to good during the four weeks of spring practice.

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The offense as a whole will be interesting to watch. New offensive coordinator Kennedy Polamalu has added a few tweaks to the offense, mostly so that they can play some power football, but the Bruins will continue to utilize a heavy passing game with spread elements.

WIth the tools Rosen has at his disposal and depth at various positions, the Bruin offense should be very exciting to watch in 2016. Go Bruins!