The most dependable receiver on the UCLA football team last season only played in five games, but TE Caleb Wilson did enough in half a season to ignite a grounded passing game. So just imagine what he can do with Chip Kelly leading him next season.
The revolutionary band Faith No More once wrote a song called “From Out of Nowhere” which best describes UCLA football tight end Caleb Wilson’s emergence during the 2017 season.
RELATED: Ranking the 2018 games form easiest to hardest
“Tossed into my mind/Stirring the calm/You splash me with beauty/And pull me down/Cause you came from out of nowhere/My glance turns to a stare.”
That is exactly what it was like to watch Wilson work last year. In the season before last, UCLA did not do well passing the ball. Josh Rosen was out for the second half of the 2016 season and the Bruin receivers were known as the group that could not catch balls.
That changed in 2017. Jedd Fisch came in as the new OC, Rosen was back and WR coach Jimmie Dougherty was making improvements with his players. One of those that stood out was redshirt junior tight end Wilson.
Last TE is UCLA's Caleb Wilson. May not leave (Red. Soph) but damn talented. 5 games b4 foot injury. Body is long & rangy (6'5, 235), very toolsy: decent top end speed, long strides, always open, tough to tackle, great hands, solid run blocker. Love his skill set. Top 5 TE, IMO. pic.twitter.com/796g86rMd6
— Jake Burns (@jake_burns18) November 15, 2017
In the first game of the season, UCLA rallied from 34-points down to beat Texas A&M, 45-44. In that game Rosen threw for 491 yards, 208 of which went to Wilson. The display that was put on was tossed into all of our minds and stirred the calm of passivity in regards to UCLA football.
In that first game, Wilson slowly turned heads as he was both reliable in blocking schemes and in the passing game. At 6’5, 235 lbs., Wilson has the frame and strength to not just hold off attacking defenders, but to move them backwards. Yet he also possesses the speed and vision to get him into open space, which mixed with great hands and raw athleticism, gives UCLA one of the most impressive tight ends in the country.
And as simply as that, Wilson came from out of nowhere and our glances turned to a stare.
Unfortunately we only got to see him perform in only five games as he suffered a foot injury that kept hm out the rest of the season and during this most recent spring practice. Yet in that time, he accumulated 490 yards (which was 5th on the team, IN ONLY FIVE GAMES!), averaged 12.9 yards per catch and 98.0 yards per game.
He was not the most explosive, but he was the most consistent and with Chip Kelly taking over his development, Wilson should continue his success in blue and gold.
Kelly is going to implement a style of football that is run-based, but also utilize short passes. This is exactly why you want a player like Wilson on your squad. With Kelly, it is all about looking for mismatches. The new Bruin coach “evolved” his offense when he ran the Philadelphia Eagles, using the tight end position to create mismatches on the fly.
With Wilson, Kelly has a player that can help create space in the run game, but can also pop out for a 5-10 yard gain. Add to that Wilson’s ability to get extra yards after contact and you have a very deadly weapon.
Next: The 30 Greatest UCLA Football Players of All-Time
So now you know why Bruins fans are excited about his return. Not only will he bring consistency, he will bring yards and touchdowns. Is it September yet?