After losing three starters on the offensive line, the UCLA Football team looked to be fairly stable with three key players returning, but with a shift to a power offense and a transfer that was denied admission to a graduate program, things may not be as peachy as once thought.
I am an optimist (get it, UCLA?). After last season, the UCLA Football team lost three players on the offensive line: Jake Brendel (graduation/NFL), Caleb Benenoch (decalred/NFL) and Alex Redmond (declared/NFL).
Even with the loss of these players, I fully believed (with my you-can-do-it attitude) that the Bruins would be alright.
Now before I dive into the concerns I have for the offensive line, I still believe UCLA will be alright, but to an extent. Here is the thing, last season, UCLA had the most experienced offensive line in the country. They were returning five starters and had a few backups that had enough experience to protect and let true freshman quarterback Josh Rosen thrive.
Related Story: The Philosophical Gamble That Could Define The Jim Mora Era
For the most part, that was true. One of the biggest pieces of evidence to support that theory was the fact that in 2014, the offensive line allowed 41 sacks. Last season, that number dropped dramatically to 15.
But once again, that was with an experienced offensive line. UCLA does not have that luxury this season. With only a few starters retuning and one vital player coming back from injury, they are in a better position than believed after the end of the 2015 season, but there are still several questions concerning the offensive line.
Next: What will the offensive line look like?
What Will The O-Line Look Like?
The biggest sigh of relief came when LT Conor McDermott made it known that he would return for his final season of eligibility. Quite possibly the best lineman from last season, McDermott was a major factor in the drop in sacks. Because of his production, several outlets are already selecting him as a preseason All-American.
Kenny Lacy is another starter at guard that will help stabilize the trenches, but from the center to the right side is where things get fuzzy.
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UCLA returns Scott Quessenberry from injury, which is a plus, but he was expected to play guard. The Bruins got a bit of bad news two weeks ago when it was revealed that potential transfer center Jake Raulerson had not been admitted to a graduate program, thusly squashing his chances of playing for UCLA (he would have been a two-year starter as well).
Because of this, Quessenberry is projected to play at center. This could be troubling. As we saw during spring practice, Quessenberry started at center and had trouble grasping the position. Though he improved, the offensive line was for the most part unstable. And then there is also a question of who is going to handle the other guard spot.
Poasi Moala seems to be the quick fix, though he has not exactly grown into the type of player the Burins need on the O-line. Other options are redshirt freshmen Josh Wariboko and true frosh Mike Alves, but with very little experience, it is hard to project them starting.
At least there is consistency with the right tackle as Kolton Miller, who showed a lot of improvement last season, will handle the strong side. Miller also projects to be a back-up on the blindside if anything happens to McDermott (or the following season).
But then there is another problem. The shift to a power offense.
Next: Adding Power
Adding Power
After former Offensive Coordinator Noel Mazzone bolted for Texas A&M, UCLA Football Head Coach Jim Mora promoted Running Backs Coach Kennedy Polamalu to OC. With that came a change in the offensive philosophy.
The Bruins appeared to be heading to a more power-based offense which would include the use of the fullbacks and tight ends. The reasoning for this seems to be that the Bruins can match up better against other power teams like Stanford and USC. Though we learned during spring practice that these changes were going to be “tweaks” rather than a complete offensive overhaul, it still brought up some concerns about the change.
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Mora stated in spring that they were more or less adding to the offense they already had. Instead of settling into the power formations for every play (which was the conclusion many jumped to), the Bruins are simply making adjustments to help add power to their spread offense. This is what Go Joe Bruin writer Jake Merrifield calls the “Amoeba Offense”. Simply put, it is an offense that can utilize the aspects of spread and power.
We saw signs of this new offense during the Spring Showcase where the Bruins continued to use four-receiver sets as well as use fullbacks for a power running game. This could be effective, depending on the teams they play, but it still draws some concern.
Next: A Philosophical Gamble
A Philosophical Gamble
Many of these changes to a power-based offense were addressed by Go Joe Bruin writer Michael Hanna in his piece, The Philosophical Gamble That Could Define The Jim Mora Era Of UCLA Football (which I highly recommend you read).
Hanna simply states that with the players UCLA has on the offensive line, it will be a huge risk to move to a power-based offense, simply because the Bruins do not have the man-power, size or discipline to do it.
If UCLA is going to try to move to an offense with a line that pushes people around, they may not be as successful as hoped. As an example of this, let us quickly look at the height and weight of the projected starting offensive lines for UCLA and Stanford (a team that is well embedded in the power system).
Stanford
UCLA Bruins
Casey Tucker 6’6″ 296 lbs.
Brandon Fanalka 6’3″ 318 lbs.
Jesse Burkett 6’4″ 304 lbs.
Johnny Caspers 6’4″ 296 lbs.
David Bright 6’5″ 301 lbs.
Avg height and weight: 6’4.4″, 303 lbs.
UCLA
Conor Mcdermott 6’9″ 310 lbs.
Kenny Lacy 6’4″ 285 lbs.
Scott Suessenberry 6’4″ 280 lbs.
Poasi Moala 6’4″ 290 lbs.
Kolton Miller 6’9″ 295 lbs.
Avg height and weight: 6’6″, 292 lbs.
Now mind you, this is a Stanford team that also lost three players from last season and, on average, the team is still bigger than UCLA, at least when it comes to weight. The other thing to note is that the Cardinal has also been running this system for years, so they have that going for them.
Though the Bruins may have height, if they are going to give up nearly ten pounds per player against a team like Stanford, they could be in for a rude awakening.
Next: Projecting the Depth Chart - Quarterbacks
Though it seems UCLA has a good philosophy when it comes to the future of their offense and their offensive line, it could be something that back fires. It could also be something that takes this team to new heights. At this point, we just do not know.