Go Joe Bruin continues the “Spring Practice Preview” series with a look at one of the deepest, talented and most experienced position groups the UCLA football team has had since Jim Mora began construction of the powerful secondary that has terrorized the Pac-12 in the last few seasons.
One of the things that former UCLA football coach Jim Mora can hang his hat as head of the Bruins was how good his secondary was. Since he took over in 2012, Mora focused on securing the defensive backfield, first with recruiting, then with coaching.
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Though there is criticism about development in the Mora era, the former HC and his DB coach Demetrice Martin consistently had his DBs playing at a high level. (Un)Fortunately, only the players remain. Mora was let go. Martin is gone. It is a whole new ball game with the UCLA secondary in 2018.
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Since Chip Kelly has taken over the Bruins, there have been several coaching changes. Kelly brought in Jerry Azzinaro to run the defense, then they brought in former head coach and DB coach Paul Rhoads to handle the secondary.
In 2016 at Arkansas, where Rhoads handled the DBs, the Razorbacks were 5th in the nation in touchdowns allowed. They took a step back a bit in 2017, but for the most part, Rhoads led an aggressive secondary, which is why he should fit perfectly in with Azzinaro.
Word on the street is that UCLA is going to run a 3-4 defense, with the use of a DE/OLB EDGE rusher. There is also another hybrid position Azzianro looks to incorporate, though it is something Bruins fans have seen before, the nickel defense.
With UCLA in a 3-4, Rhoads could use one off those LB spots, especially with the Bruins a bit thin in the middle. If UCLA is going to be dedicated to stopping the run, it will be important to have that nickel be assigned to a runner or a receiver, depending on what opponents try to throw at the Bruins. But ultimately, UCLA should work in a basic four-player defensive backfield setup with two corners and two safeties. Let us see what they have on their plate right now.
UCLA Football Spring Practice Preview 2018: Defensive Backs (cont.)
A list if Defensive Backs that should get the majority of reps this spring:
Nathan Meadors, Sr, 5-11, 195 lbs.
Darnay Holmes, So, 5-10, 195 lbs.
Adarius Pickett, Jr-R, 5-11, 195 lbs.
Colin Samuel, Jr-R, 6-3, 205 lbs.
Octavius Spencer, Sr, 5-11, 180 lbs.
Will Lockett, Jr-R, 5-11, 190 lbs.
Denzel Fisher, Sr-R, 6-1, 175 lbs.
Mo Osling III, So, 6-2, 185 lbs.
Elijah Gates, So, 5-10, 180 lbs.
Keyon Riley, So-R, 6-0, 200 lbs.
Quentin Lake, So, 6-1, 185 lbs.
This missing piece here is Jaleel Wadood. Other than that, a whole lot of players return and there is going to be a lot of experience flowing through the secondary this fall, but first spring. Though there should be new terminology with Azzinaro’s defense, expect the returning DBs to quickly grasp the new concepts as there are a lot of intelligent players in this group.
Let us start with the corners. When Meadors said he was coming back, there wasn’t so much a sigh of relief but more of a collective fist-pump by the fanbase. Meadors has been a very but impressive players since his freshman year. He was 4th in tackles last season with 55 (UCLA’s top four tacklers last season were DBs) and had one interception and 9 pass breakups. Meadors is a big hitter and excellent in coverage. His athleticism was not used to its potential last season, so I can see him making a jump in development under Rhoads.
Holmes was impressive as freshman, who was projected to get a lot of playing time and ended the season starting 11 times. He had three interceptions and was 9th on the team in tackles with 39, so he got around. He also had a few targeting calls, which showed a little bit of his freshmen tendencies. If the coaches can compress that energy, Holmes could have a break out season as his athleticism should help him flourish in this system.
Backing them up will be Fisher and Samuels who we expected to have a jump in development as last season, they did not exactly make a huge impact. They are two of the biggest DBs in the group, which give them a size advantage, so if the coaches get them to play quicker, they could be reliable lockdown corners.
UCLA Football Spring Practice Preview 2018: Defensive Backs (cont.)
Now to the safeties. Wadood leaves a lot to replace. The NFL hopefully had 79 tackles, third most on the team. Luckily the player that had the second most tackles on the team behind team leading Kenny Young is returning as Adarius Pickett will help keep consistency with the safeties. Last season he had 85 total tackles, one interception and three pass breakups.
Pickett is a big hitter and very instinctive. Hopefully the rest of the team, noteably the players in front of him, will lock up defenders so Pickett doesn’t have to do all the work this season, but it is good to know the Bruins have such an active and experienced player returning at the safety position.
Next to him should rise Spencer who brings a lot of experience (he played in all 13 games) but did not a lot of starts. He has progressed nicely and under the tutelage of Rhoads, Spencer should be able to take the next step in development. The coaches are going to demand speed and these two have the potential to be a killer defensive backfield combo, but there are a few others that will make an impact.
Lockett is durable because he can play both safety positions, so it would not surprise us if he plays along side Pickett. Lockett played in every game last season, but did not have a lot of stats under his belt as he only had 15 tackles and 1 pass breakup. With Wadood gone, the coaches are aging to need another vet to step up.
Looking towards the future, the Bruins will be brining in six freshmen.
★★★★ S Stephan Blaylock , ★★★ CB Rayshad Williams, ★★★ S Kenny Churchwell, ★★★ ATH Patrick Jolly, ★★★ CB Elisha Guidry, ★★★ S Je’Vari Anderson
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Though they will be coming in the fall, Kelly, Azzinaro and Rhoads did some work in getting these “long and fast” players. Sure it will be fun to see this stack secondary in the spring, but the fall will tell the tale of how well the Bruins will defend the skies.