A new calendar year also comes with the beginning of a new era for the UCLA Football team. While there’s no way to know which exact players will have breakout 2018 seasons, here are the top five players of the 2017 for the Bruins.
While some might argue that the results of the 2017 season, the firing of Jim Mora and the subsequent masterful hiring of Chip Kelly, were exactly what this team needs to continue moving forward, there’s no doubt that it was a disappointing season for all parties involved. Just because the team itself wasn’t up to par doesn’t mean there weren’t some phenomenal performances from UCLA Football individuals throughout the season.
Below is my list of five UCLA Football players who, despite a poor team performance in 2017, were absolute studs and had a season worthy of recognition.
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We start off our list with a guy who went from being a transfer to one of the best receiving threats on the team all in a matter of two seasons.
5. Caleb Wilson-TE
Wilson, a former walk-on for crosstown rival USC, arrived at UCLA before the start of the 2016 season. While he saw playing time in a number of games, it was the way he ended the season that saw the buzz around him start to climb. He played in 10 of 12 games a red-shirt freshman catching 16 passes for 220 yards. However 10 of those catches and 146 yards came in the final three games of the season. They also came with backup QB Mike Fafaul.
2017 saw him not only get his starting QB back, but he almost immediately became a go to receiver for this offense. After dominating Texas A&M for 15 catches and 208 yards it was clear no defense was going to be able to slow down Wilson. A broken foot after the fifth week of the season ended Wilson’s season but only after amassing 38 catches for 490 yards and one score. He will return to a new offense next season but after proving that he’s a nightmare for defenders I think we can safely assume we’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg as far as Wilson’s potential goes.
4. Stefan Flintoft-P
Okay so some of you out there are going to throw a fit after you realize I’m putting a punter on this list. “He’s a punter!”, yeah and a really good one too. The UCLA Football offense was explosive this season but when they needed to punt they knew were going to get great production from Flintoft. A former walk-on, Flintoft took over the punting duties about midway through the 2016 campaign from scholarship punter Austin Kent who was brought in to be the future of Bruin punting.
It was all Flintoft for the 2017 season and he didn’t disappoint. In fact, Flintoft was so effective for the Bruins that he received a scholarship one month into the season. He kept the ball out of the endzone on punts, only one touchback in 2017, and his 42.9 average yards per punt allowed the Bruins to flip the field which was incredibly valuable given the leaky UCLA defense. He didn’t receive much help from his coverage units which gave up almost 13 yards per return but issue was largely with former LB/ST coach Scott White. I’d look for Flintoft to continue efficiency in 2018 and likely be a very draftable punter.
3. Nate Meadors-CB
The true junior, five-foot-eleven, 195 pound corner back has been beating up, outrunning, and shutting down PAC-12 receivers for three years. He’s also been the one constant across a recently fluid backfield lineup for the UCLA Football Bruins. Constantly lined up across from the number one receiver of UCLA opponents, Meadors is another shining example of why recruiting stars aren’t everything.
You could be sure in 2017 that Meadors was going to have his man and that’s about it. With a rotating cast due to injury, suspension and sometimes just bad play, you never knew just what was going to happen from snap to snap. He is a candidate to declare early for the NFL Draft but there’s a good chance he will return and help lead a revamped defense under new defensive coordinator Jerry Azzinaro.
2. Jordan Lasley-WR
I could have put a number of pass catchers on this list. Darren Andrews was spectacular this season before injury put him on the shelf. However I’d argue that what Lasley was able to do down the stretch for this UCLA Football team very well saved their bowl lives. In the last three regular season games of the year and the Cactus Bowl, Lasley dominated opposing secondaries with 37 catches for 721 yards and six scores. It wasn’t just the last four games either. In 2017 Lasley went 69/1,264/9. Those numbers could have been a lot better if he didn’t miss four games of the season including a three game stretch for disciplinary issues.
Lasley is trying to decide if he will declare for the 2018 NFL Draft. The production he was able to amass in nine games would be a great year for most wideouts. He could return and be part of the Chip Kelly offense but right now his stock is high. Could he make it higher by playing a full season without any issues? Sure and after what he was able to accomplish with the next guy on our list I don’t blame him.
1. Josh Rosen-QB
If you didn’t see this coming you might want to get your eyes checked. It isn’t just because this is a UCLA site, or because he’s the QB for the UCLA Football team. This selection is because Josh Rosen truly carried this team in 2017. Yes, the offensive line was improved, the running game had a stronger pulse and the receivers cleaned up the drops. Yes the offensive play calling and design was much improved and most importantly, personnel was managed more efficiently. But it was on the arm and the mind of Rosen that this offense was able to operate the way it did and the Bruins were able to win the games that they did.
2017 was Rosen’s best year statistically across almost every category and he did it while only playing in 11 games really. He missed a half against both Washington and Cal respectively and due to the concussion sustained against the Huskies, he didn’t travel when the Bruins faced Utah. Even though him not returning in the second half was called “precautionary” by interim head coach Jedd Fisch, Rosen was placed into concussion protocol and wasn’t cleared for the Cactus Bowl. Somehow that has qualified him as “injury prone”.
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Rosen is the only draft eligible non-senior who is essentially a lock to declare for the NFL Draft. On the off chance that he returns, he could be looking at a great opportunity to finally be the signal caller in an offense that can run the football when it wants to. Alas, that is likely to never happen and the Bruins will be breaking in a new QB next year. No matter what course Rosen decides to take it will be difficult to look back at 2017 and not recognize him as the engine that not only drove the offense but drove the UCLA Football team.