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UCLA Football: Survival of the Offense – Running Backs

By Michael Chavez

Nov 12, 2016; Pasadena, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins running back Bolu Olorunfunmi (4) dives into the end zone for a touchdown against the Oregon State Beavers during the first half of a NCAA football game at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 12, 2016; Pasadena, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins running back Bolu Olorunfunmi (4) dives into the end zone for a touchdown against the Oregon State Beavers during the first half of a NCAA football game at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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September 10, 2016; Pasadena, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins running back Brandon Stephens (20) runs the ball against the UNLV Rebels during the second half at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
September 10, 2016; Pasadena, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins running back Brandon Stephens (20) runs the ball against the UNLV Rebels during the second half at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /

Depth at Running Back

Brandon Stephens is a slasher much like Jamabo but in a much more compact package and that seems to give him the advantage. While he didn’t redshirt last year he seems to be on the upswing and brought probably the most complete game to the backfield.

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He doesn’t have breakaway speed but has more than enough burst and quickness to generate long runs and will thrive in this offensive system. I’d give him the starting nod if I was being honest and if there wasn’t one more guy that I think could actually shoulder the load.

Jalen Starks is my favorite guy in this backfield. If Bolu is built like a bowling ball, Jalen is like a wrecking ball. Built low to the ground with tree trunks for thighs, he’s a throwback kind of RB. He’s strong between the tackles but has underrated speed for a guy his size.

Reports from camp are that coaches are trying to get his weight down under 265 lbs. which is very big for a RB but no one has said that he seems to be out of shape. I personally feel Starks doesn’t get enough touches especially last year. He rushed the ball 26 times in 2016. Personally I’d like to see him get about half of that every game.

When you have a guy that big, that strong and moving that fast you aren’t going to see many guys stepping in front of him. Tackling that kind of guy will also wear opposing defenses down leading to bigger and bigger chunks in the run game. When he’s spelled by a quicker player the dividends will be even greater. As you can tell if you’re reading this I like Jalen a lot.

Next: UCLA Football Recruiting: Bruins Land 2019 4 Star Receiver

On the next episode of “Survival of the Offense” I’ll be taking a deeper dive into UCLA’s receiver group, give my two deep and as always let you Bruin fans know who my guy is at this position.