With the UCLA football team halfway through Spring Practice, we recap some of the biggest news in the last two weeks.
Just as the UCLA football season seems to come and go in the blink of an eye, the same appears to be the same of a Spring Practice.
After two weeks, the Bruins are halfway to the Spring Showcase on Saturday, April 23 at 11:30 a.m. And what will we see at that glorified practice that will be held at Drake Stadium in the campus of UCLA? Hopefully, even more progress.
The offense, defense and special teams have all had big changes since the end of the 2015 season, so if the majority of the team seems be understanding the new systems, then it could be a smooth flow into next season.
Since the beginning of Spring Practice, though every unit and player has their hiccups, there has been visible progress with several members of the UCLA Football team. Veterans are improving, there is an emergence of young players and overall we can see the evolution of this football program.
Notable Spring Practice Articles
- 2016 Spring Practice Schedule
- UCLA Football’s Philosophical Gamble
- Spring Practice Begins, Position Changes
- Tom Bradley Talks About the Defense
- Standout Bruins
- Spring Practice in Pictures
- Steven Manfro Retires
- Bringing Back The Tight End
- 10 Things To Take Note of In Spring Practice
Next: Offense
OFFENSE
With the Bruins moving to a power-based offense, new Offensive Coordinator Kennedy Polamalu has made some tweaks to their system.
First off, do not ask Head Coach Jim Mora about this being a “pro style” offense. He will get mad at you.
UCLA Bruins
However, he did state that going forward, the offense is definitely making tweaks which should help the Bruins as they go away from the spread offense.
Some of these changes include the Bruins utilizing the fullback and tight end positions a lot more. Along with that, several position changes were made which, so far, seems like that process is going smoothly.
A week ago after practice, Mora said the coaches are taking more time in between plays, sets and drills to teach the players about the new offense, which is why practice seems to be going a little bit slower.
But with that, we noticed that the Bruins are coming out of a huddle in between plays and quarterback Josh Rosen is taking more snaps under center. That is in stark contrast from last season when he started in the shotgun without huddles.
Come Spring Showcase, we will be able to see exactly how and what this offense will do. Will the offensive line be ready to handle themselves? Will the running game improve with the committee of Soso Jamabo, Nate Starks and Bolu Olorunfunmi? And how will the receivers fit into the new system?
Offensive Standout Players
Ishmael Adams – One of the more surprising position changes was Adams flipping from defensive back to receiver. So far, according to Mora, it is working out. Adams still needs to learn the nuances of the receiving position, but for the most part he is excelling with the change.
Conor McDermott – When you’re returning for your final year of eligibility and people are noticing that you are still improving, that is a good sign especially for the offensive line that needs to adapt to the new power schemes.
Soso Jamabo – The early word on Jamabo is that his development and confidence could land him the #1 RB spot in the fall. Jamabo has been very impressive during the first two weeks of practice, but there is a lot of time before the first game
Josh Rosen – Bigger, better, better. Though Rosen has to adapt to the new offense, he’s looking pretty flawless returning as the offensive leader in spring.
Next: Defense
DEFENSE
And what about the defense? There was a subtle change from last season as the Bruins are evolving from a 3-4 defense, to a 4-3. But really, the only subtlety is that they are properly defining the defense as a 4-3.
More from Go Joe Bruin
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Last season, the Bruins essentially allowed an outside linebacker to start on the line. Though they added to the defensive front, they still had their assignment as LBs. In this altered system, the outside player will have new assignments with the line.
This year, the Bruins will work with two defensive ends, a nose tackle and a defensive tackle. One of the main reasons for this is to improve the porous rushing defense from last season.
The point here is to put more guys in the line to plug gaps in the middle and limit the runs to the outside. But like everything that makes changes, it is not perfect, but there are a few bright spots.
Defensive Standout Players
Takkarist McKinley – Takk is looking stronger and smarter playing on the edge. He looks to be blossoming in the 4–3 defense which is a good early sign for the D-line.
Keisean Lucier-South – Almost out of nowhere (fans of recruiting know exactly what Lucier-South was able to do), this defensive end looks to be almost Anthony Barr-like as a quick outside rusher.
Nick Terry – Terry is at JC transfer that has looked very good thus far in Spring Practice. He’s able to plug gaps and has even shown that he can bust though the offensive line. His development should be closely watched through the fall.
Jaleel Wadood/Randall Goforth – Both of these defensive backs look strong as they return to lead the top secondary in the Pac-12. Both have displayed consistent and aggressive play against the passing offense.
Next: Other UCLA Football News
OTHER NEWS
Injuries
Earlier this week the UCLA Football team found out they lost Steven Manfro who suffered a shoulder injury in practice.
The Bruins also limited freshman linebacker Mique Juarez who took a hit to the head and strained his neck last week in practice. He has been kept out of practice, team meetings and even class. Mora said that his first priority is to rest as the Bruins take all head trauma issues very seriously.
Tickets for the Spring Showcase
As noted above, the Spring Showcase will take place on Saturday, April at 11:30 a.m. at Spaulding Field. For more information and tickets, visit UCLABruins.com.
Wasserman Football Facility
If you have been to practice, you might have noticed that the Bruins are not in their usual surroundings. In fact, the football team has moved north of Pauley Pavilion because of the construction being done around Spaulding Field. This is due to the construction of the new Wasserman Football Facility.
Next: 10 Things To Watch During Spring Practice
Last week it was announced that the long awaited football-only building will be completed by the end summer of 2017.