With National Signing Day over, the UCLA Football team has their in-coming players set for next season, seven of which we predict could start in 2016.
The UCLA Football team brought in a stellar 2016 recruiting class that included several top players at key positions. It was imperative that the Bruin coaching staff stock up on players for depth in certain units and lock in players to help evolve the program. They did just that, especially for specific needs on offense, defense and special teams.
On offense, UCLA is looking for more power with Kennedy Polamalu taking over as Offensive Coordinator, so getting skilled position players was something the Bruins had to address.
They not only did that, but brought in a few players that WILL see time on the field in their first year. Some of these in-coming freshmen even have enough in their personal arsenal to eventually start, and getting true freshmen on the field is not out of the ordinary for Head Coach Jim Mora to do.
As for the defense, though the Bruins return nine starters, this class saw a plethora of talent sign with UCLA Football that will not just add depth but skill. In this class alone, UCLA added seven defensive linemen as well as one the top linebacker units in the country.
So with that in mind, here are seven players that could start for UCLA in 2016…
Next: A Speedster
Theo Howard, WR
The UCLA football team has been blessed with some very solid receivers in the last couple years and have benefitted from the likes of Thomas Duarte, Jordan Payton and Devin Fuller.
These Bruins have been very reliable and could be counted on game in and game out, but they have been lacking an essential characteristic.
What the Bruins have not had in the last few seasons is a speedster, but that changed last week with the addition of Theo Howard.
Howard is an incredible specimen and has many attributes that will benefit the UCLA offense, but what will stand out the most is how fast he is. Per Scout.com, Howard has a 40-time of 4.38, the fastest in this year’s UCLA Football recruiting class. When Bruin fans see how he leaves opposing DBs in the dust, they will be quite amazed.
On top of his breakout speed, he also has moves that give him the ability to manuever in and around opposing defenses. These are skills that we have not seen from any of the current WRs on the Bruins roster, which is why he could not only be a fixture early on, but also get a starting gig.
Next: A Boss On The Line
Boss Tagaloa, DT
The Bruins stocked up on defensive lineman this past National Signing Day which helped them with depth on the line.
The Bruins had a moderately deep roster in 2015, but lacked experience, especially after some injuries hampered their progress.
When DT Eddie Vanderdoes went down in Week 1 with a season-ending injury, it exposed the line and the Bruins had to rely on several young players that were not quite up to speed with the system to, at best, patch up the line.
The result was the Bruins sinking into the lower half of the Pac-12 run defense stats as they allowed 198.5 yards on the ground per game. With a player like Boss Tagaloa coming in, UCLA now has some good, raw talent to boost the front line’s profile.
At 6’1″, 295 lbs., Tagaloa is a powerful defensive lineman that can literally push people around. He is also very elusive for a player of his size and is good in pursuing ball carriers.
Talent like that would be hard to deny playing time for, but if he develops quicker than other current Bruin defensive linemen, then there is no reason to not start him with Vanderdoes and Takkarist McKinley.
Next: Power To The Run
Jalen Starks, FB
Jalen Starks is going to be an interesting player that is in an interesting roster position. With UCLA moving to a power-oriented offense, they are going to be utilizing fullbacks and tight ends a lot more.
UCLA currently has Nate Iese who has been vital in playing the full back spot, but with Starks on the roster, the in-coming freshman is essentially the only true fullback that UCLA has.
On top of that, he is an absolute beast. The first thing Bruin fans will notice about him is his size. Coming in at 6’1″, 240 lbs., Starks is a large individual that is very strong, which will help him power through opposing defenders. It also helps that he is quite elusive.
With a low-center of gravity, Starks has the ability to change direction and plow through the line of scrimmage. And if gets into the open field, forget about it as he can turn on the after burners and speed down the field.
Pairing him with Bruin running backs Nate Starks, Soso Jamabo or Bolu Olorunfunmi in the backfield will give the Bruins and QB Josh Rosen several options in Offensive Coordinator Kenndy Polamalu’s new offense, which we here at Go Joe Bruin cannot wait to see.
Next: The Special Teams
J.J. Molson, K
Austin Kent, P
Johnny Den Bleyker, LS
This is an easy one to predict. With UCLA having all three of their specialists moving on from last season, it was imperative that they reload special teams now.
Not only did the Bruin coaches do that, but they reloaded with some of the highest ranked players at each position. Because of this, the UCLA kicker, punter and long snapper spots will not only improve special teams, which had a lot to be desired last season, but should help elevate the overall state of the program.
Though K Ka’Imi Fairbairn had an impressive senior season in 2015, he seemed to regress later in the year. Molson on the other hand looks to be a lot more consistent with his game. On top of that, kicking 40-yard field goals seems second nature to this Canada native.
Punter Austin Kent will be a breath of fresh air for the Bruins after some pretty evident struggles last season with Matt Mengel. Though I do not want to get ahead of myself, I can easily predicted that the days of the 30-yard punt are over for the UCLA Football program.
Along with Den Bleyker, UCLA has all three of their specialists ready to take over in 2016. Oh happy days!!!
Next: The Newest Linebacker
Mique Juarez, LB
If Mique Juarez does not start in 2016, then something is wrong with UCLA coaching staff.
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Juarez still has some developing to do, especially adjusting to the college game, but for the most part he is more than ready to come in and dominate at the inside linebacker spot.
The biggest comparison to Juarez lately has been to Myles Jack. The new Bruin LB could be a carbon copy of Jack as his stance, execution and tackling all have shades of Myles in them.
Juarez has such great upper body strength that he does not need to put all of his effort into tackling. Like Jack, Juarez is prone to catching the ball carrier and throwing them to the ground, not just tackling them.
Juarez also has great vision and knows where to be from play-to-play. He also has decent hands which will help the Bruin’s pass defense, in which I expect Juarez to have a few key interceptions next season.
Putting all of this together, Juarez should not just play next season, but start from Day 1, especially since the Bruins did not have a lot of consistency coming from the majority of he LBs in 2015.