With the UCLA Football team shifting from a spread to a power offense, many questions will arise about how this team will operate going forward, especially with the receiving unit.
Under former Offensive Coordinator Noel Mazzone, the UCLA Football team had three to four (and possibly five) receivers on the field at any given time in his spread offense.
The purpose of the spread, by definition, is to “spread” the offense out and create mismatches for defenses while having multiple receiving options for the quarterback (who starts from shotgun).
RELATED: UCLA Football Spring Practice – Quarterbacks
That changes this season as new Offensive Coordinator Kennedy Polamalu gets the Bruins offense set up for some power. Along with a stronger running game, which we discussed in our Running Backs Spring Preview, the Bruins will need to utilize a beefier offensive line.
UCLA Bruins
Things also change for the receivers. With all honesty, no information has been released about how the UCLA receivers will be used and in what capacity, which means that we can only speculate what will happen.
Power offenses normally use fewer receivers and run tighter schemes, which would be beneficial to the Bruins who are a little thin with their WRs.
After last season, UCLA lost five receivers, including three who are hopefuls for the NFL Draft: Thomas Duarte, Devin Fuller and Jordan Payton (all three collectively had more than half of UCLA’s receptions in 2015).
Still, as power schemes go, UCLA’s offense will be in transition, so what we see on the field on Tuesday, March 29 will be new to everyone outside the UCLA Football program.
Depending on how Polamalu wants to shape the offense, we could see as little as one receiver on the field, but considering the offense they are transitioning from, it would not be a surprise if we see a few remaining elements from the spread. With that, we look at four potential spots with the current roster.
Next: Receiver Positions
Receiver Positions
With the restructuring of the offense, UCLA Football Head Coach Jim Mora said that there will be position changes to accommodate the new power schemes. That mostly entails a few wide receivers moving to the tight end spot which will be highlighted a lot more this season (could we possibly see two-TE sets?).
For now, here is what we could see with the receivers during Spring Practice:
Slot End/X-Receiver
1. Kenneth Walker – 5’10”. 180lbs. – Walker could be a stand out receiver if it was not for his hands. He is known for not having the best pass catching skills, which is unfortunate because he is the fastest player on the team. We saw some changes in that last season as he had several big receptions. Despite only catching nine balls, he had a team high 25.7 receiving yards per catch, but only had a 17.8 yards per game average. Both stats should improve next season as the Bruins look to play the long ball a lot more.
2. Theo Howard – 6’0″, 174 lbs. – Howard will be a perfect back-up to Walker as he gets acclimated to the UCLA offense… and the sooner the better as Howard is that speedster UCLA Football has yearned for in the Mora-era. Aside from his speed, he also has good hands, so hopefully we see a lot of routes down the sideline from a pin-point accurate Josh Rosen.
Flanker/Z-Receiver
1. Eldridge Massington – 6’3″, 210 lbs. – Massington received high praise from Brett Hundley two years ago. Unfortunately, he did not live up to those expectations in 2015. With only nine receptions, Massington averaged 9.9 yards per game. Look for that to improve in the fall as he will be expected to step up and be a leader in the receiving unit now that he is an experienced upperclassman.
2. Alex Van Dyke – 6’4″, 210 lbs. – Van Dyke received high praise when he committed to UCLA, though we have not seen a lot of him in the last two years. Though he may turn out to be a quality receiver, it is not unfathomable to see him move to TE in spring.
Slot Receiver
1. Darren Andrews – 5’10”, 185 lbs. – The biggest WR surprise in 2016 was Andrews. In 2014, Andrews had four catches for 54 yards. Both numbers jumped up in 2015 as he caucht 43 passes for 443 yards, which put him in third on the team in both categories. Expect Andrews to play an even bigger role this spring/fall.
2. Stephen Johnson – 5’11”, 195 lbs. – Johnson was another surprise, mostly for his consistency. Though he only had 8 receptions, he was good at getting into the open field and making plays. Look for Johnson to take on a bigger role and battle for a starting spot.
Tight End
1. Nate Iese – 6’3″, 250 lbs. – It is up in the air what position Iese will actually play in 2016, tight end or fullback. Iese is a big player that that is good on the block, but also has exceptional hands. If any thing is certain, we should be seeing a lot more of him in different positions on the field.
2. Colby Cyburt – 6’3″, 250 lbs. – Offensive lineman turned tight end Cyburt has not yet seen time on the field in his three years at UCLA, but seeing as he is the only official TE listed on the roster, we should expect to see more of him in spring and in the fall, even if it is only to help out with blocking responsibilities.
Next: Extra Depth
Extra Depth
Jordan Lasley – 6’1″, 200 lbs. – Lasley is another receiving threat that should get an increase in playing time in 2016. Lasley has been praised for his improvements in practice, but has not seen that translate to time on the field. With many younger receivers needing to step up because of depth, we expect Lasley to be one those that has a breakout spring.
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Austin Roberts – 6’2″, 215 lbs. – Roberts could be another receiver that makes the switch to tight end. Despite how the coaches want to use Roberts, it is inevitable that his time increases on the field.
Aaron Sharp – 6’3″, 205 lbs. – This quarterback turned receiver was still adjusting to his new role in 2015, which explains why he did see any action last season. With depth issues and new positions being created, it will be interesting to see what capacity he is used in.
Cordell Broadus – 6’2″, 192 lbs. – The son of Snoop has returned to UCLA Football and has been working out with the Bruins for several weeks to get back into game shape. The Bruins let it be known that Broadus is definitely returning to the team, though it will be as a walk-on. Still, with his skill set, we could possibly see him in a few back-up roles.
Demetric Felton – 5’8″, 178 lbs. – Like Howard, Felton has enrolled early and will be able to participate in Spring Practice. That will give him time to work with the receiving unit, though it is yet to be seen how much of an impact he will make, especially if he is pegged to be a slot receiver.
Next: UCLA Football Spring Practice Schedule
In the next UCLA Football Spring Practice Preview, we will be looking at how the new offensive line shapes up after the exit of three starters.