You’d be hard pressed to find a UCLA Football fan that isn’t over the moon about Chip Kelly‘s hiring. Those who vividly remember what those Oregon teams were capable of are beyond ecstatic imagining their Bruins that dominant. Recruits are excited as well. But what positions actually benefit the most from the Kelly hire?
Explosive offense, aggressive defense. That’s what the UCLA Football team should look like under newly hired head coach Chip Kelly. Of course the idea the Bruins will become thoroughly explosive in all facets of the game doesn’t just get the fan base giddy.
Recruits and of course current players have to get excited playing in an offense that produced college stars like, Darron Thomas, D’Anthony Thomas, LaMichael James, Josh Huff and Jeff Maehl. While those guys all had varying degrees of success in the NFL they dominated the college landscape.
Now let’s set some ground rules, this list will only include players that are actively on the UCLA Football roster and also those that I believe will not declare for the NFL Draft early nor look to transfer. So there will be no incoming recruits or players who will likely leave school before the start of the 2018 season.
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Also, players can play offense or defense since this list is going to look at who benefits from Kelly and his hire which also includes the hires he makes. Alright, enough wasting time, let’s get to the list.
1. Soso Jamabo
Yes I know Soso Jamabo might be an obvious selection but hear me out. Jamabo was one of the top recruits in the 2015 signing class and together with QB Josh Rosen and DE/LB Keisean Lucier-South, was expected to take the UCLA Football program to new heights. More on KLS later.
Alas that wasn’t to be the case and despite some very nice flashes as a freshman, Jamabo hasn’t been the factor the Bruins had hoped he would be. Injuries have robbed him of playing time and he’s fighting for carries in a very crowded backfield. Worse though is the fact that he has been miscast in the UCLA Football offense.
No I’m not going back to clamoring to move him to wide receiver. While I still believe he could make a huge impact out wide catching passes, it’s Jamabo’s abilities in space that really are the driving force in my calls to change his position. In UCLA’s more pro-style run game in 2016, Jamabo struggled to get going behind an offensive line that was more suited for spread concepts than power ones. He was having to deal with two or three defenders in the backfield before the handoff was complete.
2017 was far more successful for him but he still missed games with injuries and battled for carries against Bolu Olorunfunmi and later in the year, Brandon Stephens. Now those two guys will return in 2018 so it isn’t as though there will be fewer mouths to feed but the offense should provide plenty of opportunities to Jamabo because he reminds me of a certain player I’ve seen before in Kelly’s offense.
Though not nearly as big as Jamabo but just a little faster, former Oregon Duck Kenjon Barner runs with the same type of smooth gait that you see from Jamabo. Both are capable of running between the tackles and bouncing to the outside and both are more than able to break ankles of would be tacklers in space with cut after cut.
It isn’t their running ability and style carrying the football that make them so similar. They both are dangerous receivers out of the backfield and because of Jamabo’s size and speed he’s a mismatch in the open field. Too fast for most linebackers but bigger than most defensive backs, Jamabo should see a major revitalization of his UCLA Football career and that has to get the fans excited.
2. Caleb Wilson
You don’t typically think of the TE position when you think of Chip Kelly offenses. Instead you often think about running back position, wide receivers and even the QB threats that those Oregon offenses had at their disposal.
Colt Lyerla, Ed Dickson and David Paulson weren’t just glorified safety valves. All three were players that could take the dump off pass and make something happen with it. They could threaten the seam of a defense and be major factors in the outside run game. Wilson was already proving to be the real deal at the TE position for the Bruins before foot surgery ended his season prematurely. He had developed a great rapport with Rosen but at the tail end of 2016 was becoming a go to target for then backup QB forced into the starting role, Mike Fafaul.
That indicates to me that Wilson isn’t just a system guy or a guy that will disappear in a new offense. He’s too talented and valuable than that. A better blocker than all three were at this point, I expect Wilson to be a go-to target for whoever QB is starting for the UCLA Football team in 2018. He’s going to have to be especially considering the Bruins will be thinner in the receiver position next year with Darren Andrews to set to graduate and Jordan Lasley potentially declaring early for the NFL draft.
The Chip Kelly offense never produced a TE with at least 50 catches in a season. Much of that is due to the design of the offense and the run heavy lean of the offense but in only five games this year Wilson was able to rack up 38 catches for 490 yards and one score. You better believe that Kelly will install some wrinkles in this offense to take advantage of his new toys.
3. Rick Wade
So in our first slide I said we would get back to KLS. While I believe he’s going to have a huge 2018 season as an OLB in the 3-4 defense. He was forced to play LB in the 4-3 the Bruins ran this season due to injury and he actually performed well showing an improved ability to change direction and more awareness in zone coverage.
He’s going to have a big year as the new Dion Jordan for this defense. Jordan, if you don’t remember, was a strong pass rusher for the Ducks but was used in a variety of ways defensively. They’re not only physically very similar but they’re both high end athletes. However it’s not KLS’s name that makes our list.
Now if you’ve been paying attention to me, and oh how I need it, you know that I love Rick Wade on this UCLA Football defensive line. His length, strength, athleticism and temperament are perfect fits for the aggressive 3-4 defense that was favored during Kelly’s time at Oregon. He’s also getting some extra coaching from former Oregon DL coach and current UCLA Football DC for the 2018 season, Jerry Azzinaro.
During his time at Oregon with Kelly, Azzinaro was responsible for creative and aggressive defensive lines and produced a number of NFL selections with the biggest two in recent history being Arik Armstead and DeForest Buckner. Both are long, powerful defensive ends in the 3-4 fronts. Body-wise Wade, six-foot-six and 275 pounds, is closer to Armstead in his build but just both former Ducks has played across the defensive line for the Bruins.
Wade is able to use his length and strength to hold the edge against the run. He has the range to go sideline to sideline to track down ball carriers and he has a solid burst to close on RBs and QBs in the open field. As a pass rusher Wade can go through offensive linemen or around them. He’s strong enough to bullrush tackles and can out leverage taller offensive linemen with his good pad level. If you prepare for a power Wade will hit the juice and put you on his highlight reel on his way to a big tackle or sack.
Wade should also be primed for tons of playing time as most of the guys that I would have projected to the five technique position or DE in the 3-4 are graduating. Jaelan Phillips would likely be the other starting DE but unless the Bruins can find depth along their DL they’re gonna need Wade to have a big year. In my opinion he’s been miscast as a DE/DT in a 4-3 system. His length, speed and strength will be taken full advantage of in the 3-4 front that Azzinaro will bring to the Bruins.
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Of course we are going to see plenty of guys have big breakout years in the new offense and defense. We couldn’t possibly name all the guys that have the potential to do big things as Bruins with the changes in philosophy but we can tell you, these guys listed are primed for a big 2018.