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Coming off their hottest season in a long time, the Bruins have clawed their way back onto the radar of college football. Recruits, coaches, and fans alike have seen the young and raw potential UCLA posses. With a should be top 5 recruiting class when all is said and done, here are some way too early predictions for the boys in blue this season.
With UCLA’s all time leading rusher Johnathan Franklin’s graduation, the Bruins have a lot of ground to cover. Oh no, Franklin is no ordinary back. Not just a threat in the back field, not just a guy who can run the ball. Franklin is one of the best leaders a college team could hope for. To put it simply: Johnathan Franklin is to UCLA as Ray Lewis is to Baltimore. Now that’s saying something. Not to worry though, what is lost on offense may be made up for in the defensive secondary.
With commitments from four star recruits like Tahaan Goodman and Johnny Johnson Jr, the Bruins have a lot of talent to work with. As for the offense, Brett Hundley was sound this past season. He was a solid quarterback. It was all you could ask for in a freshman, and quite frankly, more than you could expect from some seniors. That being said, his play was not flawless- far from it. For our offense to explode into a Mighty Duck style offense, Hundley needs to play with consistency.
BY THE NUMBERS:
11- The amount of 4 star recruits committed to UCLA as of January 29th, 2013. One week from the 29th is National Signing day. UCLA will await the commitments of more talented players and soon to be stars.
119.5- The difference in Brett Hundley’s passer rating between the Cal game and the WSU game. Hundley threw 4 interceptions against Cal and had easily his worst game of the season. Against WSU Hundley only had 3 incompletions and passed for 261 yards and 3 touchdowns.
10-2- My projected record for the Bruins next season. The way I see it going, the Bruins once again win the Pac-12 South, and this time hopefully win the Pac-12 Championship en-route to The Granddaddy of them all, The Rose Bowl.