UCLA Football: The Survival of the Defense-Defensive Line
A Look at the Defensive Line (cont.)
The defensive tackle position is a little more uncertain but the Bruins do have some gems just beneath the surface. Matt Dickerson will move into the 3 tech position and provides an internal pass rush option. He’s tall at 6’4″ so maintaining leverage will be key. I like Dickerson more as a base end because of his length and height but pushing him inside does give the Bruins more beef and athleticism in the interior.
His running mate, Boss Tagaloa will function more as the run stuffing option and was baptized by fire last season as a true freshman. From reports, Tagaloa has spent the off season reshaping his body and getting stronger which only bodes well for the middle of the defense.
Mora commended Boss Tagaloa and Mike Alves for how they look physically this spring.
— Bruin Report Online (@BruinReport) April 4, 2017
Behind those two, the Bruins return a gang of potential. Osa Odighizuwa, Chigozie Nnoruka, Aniuu Taua and Nick Terry make for a formidable platoon of players that can come in and do more than spell the starters.
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Osa, while not as tall or as athletically gifted as his brother Owa possesses a fantastic first step and is an up the field penetrator that will work really well at the 3T. Taua is undersized but can contribute as a designated interior pass rusher. Terry could start for a number of teams in the PAC-12 and almost every team in the Mountain West.
The new guys, Rogers and Andrus, will be interesting story lines to follow. Andrus likely needs another year in the weight room and in a college meal plan before he’s ready for the field but Rogers is a guy that could earn minutes this year.
Adapting to the college game from high school is a learning curve but Rogers has the size, strength and athletic ability to get onto the field. his biggest obstacle will be the depth ahead of him and it might be a win-win if he redshirts.
Next: Lavar Ball Makes a Racist Comment
Next time I’ll break down the situation at linebacker and how the loss of Jayon Brown, Cameron Judge and Isaako Savaiinaea impacts the Bruins and whether they can survive in 2017.