Continuing our Spring Preview series, we now shift from the offensive backfield and take a look at the wide receiver position. If there’s excitement about the riches at the running back position there should be just as much excitement about what’s lining up out wide for the UCLA Football Bruins.
Under Chip Kelly the Oregon Ducks had a highly efficient passing attack based off their ability to spread opponents thin and run the ball at will. Some might oversimplify it and say that they Ducks ran to throw the ball and while that doesn’t do it justice it will suffice in this situation. However Kelly never really had such a wealth of talent outside like he does now with the UCLA Football program.
Now what do I mean by that being an over simplification?
The Chip Kelly offense is predicated on creating mismatches in space by spreading the field while forcing defenses to respect every motion and formation in terms of defending the run and pass. That’s admittedly not the most thorough dive into the philosophy of the offense but you can clearly tell what a strain that puts on defenses. Now imagine that Kelly was able to do this without much four and five star talent and then look at the UCLA Football roster including the freshmen coming in and you can’t help but salivate.
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It won’t be a complete walk in the park however. The Bruins could have used Jordan Lasley‘s ability to stretch the field and his reputation as a deep threat would have further strained defenses. However with his early departure for the NFL the Bruins will need to find a new go to receiver and look to bolster their depth with Eldridge Massington, Alex Van Dyke and Darren Andrews also leaving UCLA.
Still, this receiving group is one of the most talented that Kelly has had a chance to work with and with WR coach Jimmie Dougherty returning for another year with this group fans should have a solid reason to believe this won’t be anything less than a stellar year for this group no matter who the QB is.
We are going to start off with those returning for this UCLA Football team before looking at who will join this team in the spring as early enrollees.
- Stephen Johnson, R-Jr. 5’11, 195 pounds.
- Theo Howard, Jr. 6’0, 180 pounds.
- Christian Pabico, R-Sr. 6’0, 195 pounds.
- Dymond Lee, R-So. 6’2, 185 pounds.
- Damian Alloway, R-So. 5’9, 175 pounds.
- Audie Omotosho, R-So. 6’2, 185 pounds.
- Demetric Felton, R-So. 5-10, 185 pounds.
That’s a deep list of players and while they all won’t see equal snaps I fully expect all of those names to see action in 2018. Alloway and Lee both need to demonstrate that they’ve sharpened their route running skills before they’ll get a chance to see much action. Alloway, was a raw route runner come out of high school but is a dangerous athlete with the ball in his hands. He could see the ball on sweeps and screens but look for him to mainly be used as a returner. Think Tavon Austin.
Lee, a former QB turned WR is still learning the finer points of the game but with his athleticism it’s undeniable that he can really help this team if he’s able to get on the field. The other factor working for Lee, at least in the Spring, is that he’s one of the taller veteran receivers on the team. Creating jump ball scenarios or 50/50 balls, especially in the redzone, helps this team keep from being one dimensional as it enters scoring range.
With taller receivers on the brain, if Omotosho is recovered from knee surgery early in the 2017 season he’s another player to keep an eye on. Not only is Kelly’s passing strategy to stretch the field horizontally with quick developing routes that forces the defense to pick their poison but he also wants to push the ball upfield against the single high safety looks that defenses have to employ against his run/pass attack. Omotosho is someone who can take full advantage of man coverage and before his injury he was making big catch after big catch in practice.
Felton and Stephens are both guys that should see time in the slot working mostly on sweeps and quick routes out of the backfield. Felton was also mentioned in our RB preview and we could see him used in a Pery Harvin type role. Stephens is someone who could have made my list of players who need a fresh start in 2018 however I think he’s just someone who needed the opportunities. Buried on the depth WR chart in 2017, Stephens is closer to a pure receiver than Felton or Alloway but needs to show some big improvement and recapture some of the buzz he created as a freshman.
Pabico, the former walk-on, is someone I can see doing plenty of damage in the new offensive system. Remember, Kelly typically didn’t regularly have four and five star guys out wide for him at Oregon until the latter stages of his time there. Pabico has clearly won the confidence of coach Dougherty and after a little bit of a bumpy start to last season he finished strong showing off solid hands and the willingness to block defenders. Mark my words, he’s going to get some NFL looks after next season should he stay healthy.
Speaking of blocking, it’s almost ironic to think that Howard didn’t play much as a freshman because of “blocking issues” but is now almost certainly going to be a starter in a system predicated on running the football. Capable of playing inside or outside, Howard has the speed to take the top off of defenses but where he will make his money is running the curl and pivot routes that Kelly loves to employ in this offense.
Now let’s take a look a couple new names joining the UCLA Football team in time for spring practice.
- Chase Cota, Fr. 6’3,185 pounds
- Kyle Phillips, Fr. 5’11, 175 pounds
It won’t be a major influx in terms of numbers for the Spring but both of these players bring a ton of talent to the Bruins. First we’ll take a look at Cota who, like Howard, should be able to make an instant impact in this offense.
Cota has the frame to add bulk and while there will always be concerns about adding bulk and losing speed, he doesn’t just win with speed although he can run with the best of them. Cota is a sharp and nuanced route runner for someone his age and you can only expect that to get better with college coaching. He also has impressive hands so no matter who the starting QB is for the Bruins in 2018 they’ll be throwing to as reliable target.
Oh is sharp route running a theme here? Because Phillips fits right into that mold. Quick feet, sharp routes, soft hands and surprising toughness for such a thin frame, Phillips is the dream slot receiver. The Bruins lost their starting slot receiver, Darren Andrews, to an ACL late in the season and he won’t return after graduating so replacing him is of paramount importance. At this stage in his football career Phillips is already more polished than Andrews was as a freshman and should thrive in this wide open offense.
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We are going to see a number of combinations tried before the coaching staff settles on a tentative lineup before breaking spring camp but there has to be a a general sense of excitement not just from fans but from this coaching staff. Yes the Kelly offense could be simplified to a “run to throw” philosophy but with all of these weapons outside I have a feeling we are going to see a little fine tuning from this offensive guru as he shapes the UCLA Football offense.