UCLA Football: Special Teams Preview

The UCLA Football team is having a complete revolution with special teams as coach Scott White landed three top position players.

The UCLA football team fielded some of the best special teams in the nation in the two seasons before 2015. That was when former linebacker and special teams coach Jeff Ulbrich was still in charge of things.

In 2013, Jeff Ulbrich was the Special Teams Coordinator of the Year. He had everything ST opportunity planned for and had the players to run it. Unfortunately, the college game was not for him and after 2013 he took a job as linebackers coach with the Atlanta Falcons. When he left, so did the dominance of special teams.

Scott White was then promoted in his place, taking over both linebackers and special teams. Though he showed he could handle both positions, parts of special teams were shaky last season.

Kicking was good as Ka’Imi Fairbairn proved to be the best kicker in the nation by winning the Lou Groza Award. Though he did have a few late-season snafus, overall he was a huge benefit to the Bruins.

Punting was a different issue as it was just average. Punter Matt Mengel was unable to get the ball down field consistently (though he did have his moments). What that often did was put the Bruin’s defense in an awkward spot which was often tough to get out of. Still, Mengel averaged 40.1 yards per punt last season and did the best he could considering what the offense gave him to work with at times. So what happens in 2016?

This season Scott White is bringing in a kicker, punter and even a long snapper to fill the void of Bruins that have moved on. The great thing about it is all three of these players were ranked #2 at their position last season. Boom!

Kickers

J.J. Molson, 6’0″, 202 lbs., Fr.

Andrew Strauch, 5’10”, 165 lbs., R-Fr.

Despite being a special teams player, Molson was one of the more highly-touted signees of the 2016 recruiting class. Hailing from Quebec, Canada, Molson brings his wrecking ball-esque leg to Westwood with a good chance to land the starting role.

It will be tough to match the production of Fairbairn from last season, but as we have seen in practice (and from what Molson has showed us on Twitter), he should have no problem filling that role. You think Fairbairn’s 60-yard record tying field goal was amazing? Just wait until Molson is called upon.

Punters

Austin Kent, 6’1″, 220 lbs., Fr.

Adam Searl, 6’0″, 200 lbs., Sr.

Though there will be a position battle, it seems apparent that the newbie will land the starting job. Searl has experience, but has also been away from the team after some legal trouble. With that, the freshness and talent of Kent should land him the job.

Though Kent had a few rocky days during fall camp, what he has brought to practice already looks like an improvement. UCLA beat writer Thuc Nhi Nguyen commented on the What’s Bruin Show that Kent has a very peculiar punting style that appears to go sideways when kicked, which will make it hard for returnees to catch.

Long Snapper

Johnny Den Bleyker, 5’11”, 195 lbs., Fr.

A less heralded position just got a good player to fill the void. Den Bleyker comes in as the #2 LS in the nation. So far he seems to be acclimating to the system and should help improve the Bruin’s punting game this season.

Returners

With top returners Devin Fuller and Roosevelt Davis gone, the obvious choice should be Ishmael Adams. Admas came onto the scene and became a major returner two years ago after volunteering for the final few games of the 2013 season.

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He not only proved to be effective but deadly. But with that, teams started kicking away from him, which is part of he reason Fuller was so heavily used in 2015. This year Adams and Stephen Johnson III should get the first looks at returns.