What will life be like for UCLA Football after next season’s starting quarterback Josh Rosen leaves? Go Joe Bruin takes a look at the 2018 QB situation.
With a healthy Josh Rosen returning to the Bruins after a shoulder injury against Arizona State ended his 2016 campaign, this year’s UCLA Bruins team is looking to improve on their disappointing 4-8 record from last year.
Behind Rosen this year are redshirt freshmen Devon Modster and Matt Lynch. Both have yet to take a real game snap for the Bruins. If Rosen gets hurt again, it will be one of these inexperienced QBs that will have to take the reigns. We could witness either the birth of another great Bruin quarterback or a repeat of the disappointment from last year.
Fortunately, things are looking up for the Bruins’ quarterbacks for the 2018 season. With a highly touted recruit joining two other quarterbacks gaining another year of experience under their belts, UCLA’s quarterback corp should be loaded for at least three more seasons.
Let’s take a look at who could be vying for the starting quarterback spot for the 2018 Bruins’ season.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Bishop Gorman High School (NV)
2016-17 high school stats (According to maxpreps.com)
Passing: 21-31 269 yards 3 TDs
Rushing: 22 carries 171 yards 6 TDs
Dorian Thompson-Robinson has been stuck behind Ohio State commit Tate Martell his entire career at Bishop Gorman High School (NV). This explains why his numbers from last year don’t reflect a typical 4-star recruit. But now that Martell has graduated, DTR will be able to showcase why he is, according to 247sports.com, the #3 dual threat quarterback in the 2018 class.
STRENGTHS
Thompson-Robinson has really impressed at offseason camps such as the Adidas National 7 on 7 and the Elite 11 Quarterback Camp where he earned the award for quickest release. This ability may come in handy if the UCLA offensive line continues to struggle with pass protection.
It’s obvious from footage of Thompson-Robinson that he has a strong, accurate arm. Anyone else ready to hear “DTR to Theo Howard for another touchdown!”
He can also tuck the ball and run when needed as shown by his eight yards a carry last year.
WEAKNESSES
Yes, it’s true that DTR has impressed at a few offseason camps. Now we’ll see how he performs as the starting quarterback for Bishop Gorman. He looked good in the limited action he saw last year but could the lack of game experience possibly cause a slow start to his senior season?
In only 50 or so plays DTR saw at quarterback last year, he didn’t have to read too many different defenses, at least not as many as a starting quarterback would see during PAC-12 play. But now that he will be the starting QB, he will have to handle disguised defenses and different defensive schemes.
It’s a big jump from the Southwest Division where Bishop Gorman plays to the Pac-12. If DTR has trouble reading defenses in high school, the transition to the PAC-12 may be a tough one.
With all that being said, the fact that he will be getting so many more reps his senior year will do nothing but improve DTR in all aspects of his game.
PREDICTION FOR 2018
There are so many “ifs” that will come into play to determine how much playing time (if any) DTR will get his freshman year at UCLA.
- Will Josh Rosen leave after the 2017 season?
- Can Modster or Lynch see enough playing time this year to give them the experience and confidence to be the #1 quarterback going into 2018?
- Will DTR’s performance this year prove he can step in as a freshman and lead the Bruins?
That’s a lot of “ifs” but I think the biggest factor will be how much we see of Modster this year. If he comes in and shows flashes of brilliance, he may become the de facto frontrunner to become Rosen’s successor. But if Rosen takes a majority of the snaps this year, DTR will have the same chance as the other Bruins’ QBs to take the starting spot in 2018. This is especially true if he enrolls at UCLA early.
Devon Modster, R-Fr.
According to uclabruins.com, coming out of high school Modster averaged 305 passing yards a game with 25 TDs and 5 INTs for the Tesoro Titans (CA).
Modster become the backup last year after Josh Rosen was injured but never saw any action, saving his redshirt.
STRENGTHS
Although he will be in his first year under new OC Jedd Fisch, Modster will be in his second year in the UCLA program. This means he has more than a year of reps getting comfortable with receivers like Eldridge Massington, Jordan Lasley, and Theo Howard. This familiarity could give Modster an advantage over the other UCLA quarterbacks as he starts to understand the little nuances of each receiver; such as where each guy likes the ball delivered or when they like the ball thrown during their routes.
WEAKNESSES
Devon Modster, as talented as he is, has yet to take a snap in Division 1 football. Coming out of Tesoro High School Modster was, according to ESPN.com, a four star recruit and the #13 pocket passer in the nation. He has practiced more than a year with D1 players but has yet to take the field against a D1 opponent. Like many other high school talents, we don’t know if Modster’s abilities will transfer to the next level.
PREDICTION FOR 2018:
Based on the facts that he has been in the UCLA system the longest and has built relationships with the remaining receivers, Modster will probably enter the next offseason as the starter. That’s not to say that he won’t be pushed for the job by Dorian Thompson-Robinson or another quarterback in the Bruins’ system.
Matt Lynch, R-Fr.
Lynch was ranked #30 pro-style quarterback coming out of Legacy High School (CO) in 2016
Like Modster, Lynch redshirted last year. He did not expect to see any action with three quarterbacks ahead of him.
STRENGTHS
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Lynch spent time as the scout team quarterback in 2016. This gave him the opportunity to receive regular snaps during practice, albeit running the opponents’ offense.
Lynch, at 6’5” and 218 lbs, at least has the look of a prototypical Division 1/NFL quarterback.
WEAKNESSES
Like other QBs mentioned here, he has yet to take a snap during a D1 game. Lynch will most likely find himself third in the quarterback hierarchy with DTR coming next year. This will put him in a difficult spot trying to move up the ladder and find significant playing time.
PREDICTION FOR 2018
At this point, Lynch should stay prepared in case of an injury. He will either be behind Rosen, Modster, and DTR or (if Rosen leaves) Modster and DTR. He could possibly be called upon in the same manner as Fafaul did last year and fill in for an injuried quarterback or Fisch may set up an offensive package or two for him.
Austin Burton, Fr.
Originally committed to Boston College, Burton decided to take his talents to the west coast and sign with UCLA.
Unless the Bruins QB corp gets decimated by injuries, I can’t see the Massachusetts native seeing any action this year
His best option would be to redshirt, learn the playbook, and get a ton of reps on the scout team.
He could be a four year player that ends up playing the role of an experienced backup in certain situations.
Luckily for the Bruins, their depth at the quarterback position in the upcoming years will be much deeper than we have recently seen.
Next: Grading UCLA's 2018 recruiting class
Even if Josh Rosen decides to leave for the NFL after this season, the quarterback cupboard will be full for years to come.