UCLA Football: 10 Things to Take Note of In Spring Practice

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10 Things, Continued…

5.Offensive Line-The Bruins have to replace three offensive linemen from last year’s unit. Perhaps the biggest hole on the line is at offensive center where Jake Brendel was a four year starter. His spot looks like it has been occupied by Scott Quessenberry for the time being but he’s undersized and will have a fight on his hands when Texas transfer Jake Raulerson comes aboard in the Fall.

As of this posting time it is being reported that Quessenberry has struggled to anchor thus far in camp which has led to some shaky quarterback play. Kolton Miller and Conor McDermott anchor the line at right and left tackle respectively. Those two bookends are massive walls that will hopefully make it difficult for edge rushers.

I expected Kenny Lacy to lock down a starting guard spot but so far Najee Toran and Poasi Moala are inside. Both are scrappy, blockers with a nasty streak to them but may be overmatched as pass blockers. Of course it is only spring but keep an eye on the development of the offensive line as we work our way towards the season. A bad line means trouble for Rosen and trouble for Rosen means trouble for UCLA Football.

UCLA Bruins /

UCLA Bruins

6. Running Backs-Paul Perkins is gone and will likely see a nice pay check from the NFL in just under a month. Looking to replace him as the bellcow of this offense are a trio of returners and a couple of talented freshmen that will arrive in the fall.

Nate Starks, Soso Jamabo and Bolu Olorunfunmi were with coach Polomalu last year so they know what he expects out of his backs. Although Starks is the old man of the unit, he doesn’t have a lot of tread on his tires but has occasionally been in the doghouse. Soso began to put it all together at the tail end of the season last year and has the most raw talent of any of the backs on the roster. Keeping his pads down and being more physical will earn him more reps.

Bolu is a violent bowling ball of a runner with surprising athleticism. On any other team he would be the undisputed starter but needs to shake his habit of constantly being a little dinged up. The new kids on the block will be Jalen Starks, who was brought in to play fullback but may become the hammer this team needs in the backfield, and Brandon Stephens has drawn comparisons to Perkins with his running style. Of course when you have this many talented guys you want them all to get touches but the question who establishes himself as the go-to guy?

7. Tight Ends– As we talked about earlier, the Bruins are now going to have an established tight end position but who are the ends on this team? UCLA hasn’t recruited any the past few years because of the offensive system, much to this writer’s chagrin, and the closest thing to a TE on the roster declared for the draft. A guy I have been lobbying for in terms of getting more touches in the offense is Nate Iese.

A big bodied H-back with good speed and soft hands, Iese is without a doubt the starting TE for this team. Colby Cyburt is more an blocking TE and Austin Roberts has moved from wide receiver to the TE position to provide depth. The Bruins also signed Jordan Wilson this past recruiting cycle and former USC walk-on Caleb Wilson will join the team in the Fall.

A solid pass catching tight end can be a quarterback’s security blanket but there will be some trial and error as the Bruins figure out how to use their new toys.

Next: 10 Things, Concluded