16. DC Tom Bradley More Comfortable in the 4-3?
The 4-3 formation was something that Bradley ran when he was at Penn State. When he got to UCLA, Jim Mora wanted to stay in the 3-4, but with issues of run defense, Bradley is stacking the line. In moving to a style he is more familiar with, the defense should run a lot more efficiently.
17. True Freshmen, Everywhere
The Bruins had one of the biggest recruiting classes this past National Signing Day which means we could see a lot of the newbies take the field in 2016. It is no secret that Mora is not afraid to play freshman, so expect to see new faces out there as early as Game 1.
18. Adams at Wide Receiver
UCLA has a lot of questions at receiver, but maybe the most interesting is what exactly will Ishmael Adams do as a converted defensive back. He looked good in spring and adapted to his new position, now he just needs to put it to action.
19. How Will The Run Defense Be?
With a change to a 4-3 defense and the return of Eddie Vanderdoes, the hope is that UCLA can reduce the average rushing yards given up to way below 198.5 yards per game (their average from last season). In spring we saw transfer Nick Terry and Eli Ankou Imporve on attacking the gaps and saw some good things against from pass rushers Deon Hollins and Keisean Lucier-South. If the Bruins looked anything like their spring production, they should vastly improve their run defense.
20. Wadood Breakout Year?
Wadood is a beast. Know this. The UCLA DB has been consistent from the first game he played in blue and gold and he has only gotten better. This week, Wadood was named to the Jim Thorpe Award watch list (best defensive back in the nation) and we can see why. He is quick, aggressive and hard hitting. Wadood. It’s a name the entire nation will soon know.
Next: 21-25