Go Joe Bruin takes a look at the best UCLA football players at every position during the Jim Mora era (2012-2017).
One of the biggest grievances UCLA football fans had about the Jim Mora era was that the former coach was able to recruit top talent, but was not able to turn that into championships.
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Though that is unfortunate, Bruins fans were able to watch a plethora of great players wear blue and gold in the last six seasons. That is why we look at the best players at each position to come up with a Jim Mora All-Star team, if you will.
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Special Teams
K: Ki’ami Fairbairn, 2012-15 | 97.7 XP%, 76.4 FG%, 413 total pts
P: Jeff Locke, 2009-2012 | 275 punts, 12,163 yds, 44.2 yds/punt
KR/PR: Ishmael Adams, 2012-16 | 1,815 KR yds, 24.2 KR avg, 323 PR yards, 7.5 PR avg
When looking at the best kickers during the Mora era, there is really only one, the fabulous Ki’ami Fairbairn. The Hawaii native was quite consistent in the four years he booted balls. His achievements, especially during his senior season, eventually won him the Lou Groza Award for the nation’s best kicker.
Jeff Locke has been the most consistent UCLA punters since Chris Sailor. Whenever he was called upon to send the ball downfield, he never disappointed. During his senior season, he averaged 43.3 yards per punt, which is the least per season in his four years.
Back at the start of the Mora era, special teams was no joke under Jeff Ulbrich and that also goes for returners, but we have just one we want to look at. Ishmael Adams came out of nowhere. In 2013 as the coaching staff was looking for an answer to their return game and with his speed, Adams was instantly the go-to guy for kick and punt returns.
Defensive Backs
NB: Ishmael Adams, 2012-16 | 139 tkls, 4.5 TFL, 0.5 sack, 8 INTs, 3 INT-TDs
CB: Nate Meadors, 2015-current | 112 tkls, 2.0 TFL, 1.0 sack, 2 INTs,
S: Jaleel Wadood, 2014-17 | 287 tkls, 9.0 TFL, 1.0 sack, 3 INTs, 1 FF, 1 FR
S: Randall Goforth, 2012-16 | 250 tkls, 5.0 TFL, 10 INTs, 1 INT-TD, 3 FR, 4 FF
CB: Fabian Moreau, 2012-16 | 149 tkls, 4.5 TFL, 3 INTs, 2 FF
Adams was indeed a talented guy, but he also had some ups and downs. In 2015, he was overtaken at the cornerback position by Marcus Rios and reassigned as a nickelback, though once in this position, he proved to be quite the weapon, which Mora’s defenses were starting to make a permanent fixture in the defense.
Nate Meadors has been one of the toughest cornerbacks to play under the former coach. Since his freshman year he has been a solid defender, especially when going man-to-man. This year, we get to see him one final time as he returned for his senior season with Chip Kelly.
Wadood might have been slightly undersized but he was a fierce competitor. Though he had his downs, he made up for it for in aggressiveness. In each of his four years, he was always one of the top five tacklers on the team.
Goforth was good because the was reliable. One thing Mora did consistently well with is recruiting and developing DBs and Goforth was as solid as they came ini Westwood.
Fabian Moreau was the best CB in the Mora era, though Darnay Holmes is gunning for that title. Moreau was another reliable defensive back. Quarterbacks thought twice about sending the ball to his side of the field as he was relentless in his defensive pursuits.
Linebackers
LB: Anthony Barr, 2010-13 | 152 tkls, 41.5 TFL, 23.5 sacks, 4 FR, 4 FF
LB: Eric Kendricks, 2011-14 | 476 tkls, 26.0 TFL, 10.0 sacks, 5 INTs, 1 INT-TD, 1 FR, 1 FF
LB: Myles Jack, 2013-15 | 178 tkls, 15.0 TFL, 1.0 sack, 4 INTs, 1 INT-TD, 2 FR, 1 FF
UCLA has had a number of good linebackers at various positions, but we would be remiss to not name the three best during the Jim Mora era. What was even better is that they all played together for one season as they terrorized offenses throughout the 2013.
Anthony Barr was a defensive phenomenon. He started his UCLA career as a running back but was buried on the depth chart. Mora and his staff had the idea to move him over to the defensive side, specifically as a pass rusher and it paid off. In two years as a defender, he averaged 71 tackles and over 10 sacks a season. That got him enough attention to land with the Minnesota Vikings where he has been doing very well.
Eric Kendricks is UCLA’s all-time leading tackler. That is pretty much all you need to know about him. He helped UCLA’ s defense make a statement every time they stepped on the field. He was reactive, aggressive and he was consistent. After he left for the NFL, things were never quite the same in the LB corps.
Myles Jack had a shortened career, but he made his time count while he was in blue and gold. Not only was he a defensive nightmare that could rush the pass and handle the opposition in pass coverage, he was a freak of nature and nice bridge from the Barr-Kendricks era. But it was not just on defense where he made his presence felt. He proved himself to be a Iron Man as he was also a formidable weapon as a short yardage running back. In his freshman year against Washington, he rushed for four touchdowns and seven total that season.
All three of these Bruins have made such an impact that they will be remembered for years to come. They all had their talents and will all be remembered for their contributions and for the five years they each played for UCLA, it was magical.
Defensive Line
DE: Takkarist McKinley, 2014-16 | 99 tkls, 28.0 TFL, 16.0 sacks, 1 FR, 6 FF
DT: Eddie Vanderdoes, 2013-16 | 122 tkls, 13.5 TFL, 4.0 sacks, 2 FR, 2 FF
DT: Kenny Clark, 2013-15 | 159 tkls, 20.0 TFL, 6.5 sacks, 1 FR, 1 FF
DE: Cassius Marsh, 2010-13 | 149 tkls, 22.4 TFL, 15.0 sacks, 2 FR
UCLA has had some excellent defenders in the last six years and the line was no exception. There have been some big, scary DLs in the Mora era, which made their pass defense something to be feared… once upon a time.
“Takk” McKinley was the answer to the pass rush after Anthony Barr left. He only played two and a half seasons as he transferred in halfway through the 2014 season, but he made it count every time he was on the field.
Eddie Vanderdoes and Kenny Clark could have been a monster front line combo, unfortunately EV injured his knee lifting up Clark in the first game of the 2015 season. We can play the “what if” game with both of them, but having these characters on the DL made a huge difference as the Bruins have not really had a presence like them since. They were massive, they could move pretty quickly for big men and generally terrorized their opposition.
Cassius Marsh was the type of defensive lineman that any coach would love to have on his team. He had no fear and he had no problem getting in the face of those across the line from him. Essentially, he was a bit of a madman and he fit perfectly in UCLA’s defense.
Offensive Line
LT: Conor McDermott, 2013-16 | 35 games played, 31 starts
LG: Alex Redmond, 2013-15 | 31 games played, 31 starts
C: Jake Brendel, 2012-15 | 52 games played, 52 starts
RG: Caleb Benenoch, 2013-15 | 36 games played, 35 starts
RT: Kolton Miller, 2015-17 | 30 games played, 26 starts
The offensive line was once a source of power, especially around 2014. Not only did the Bruins have one of the most experienced lines in Pac-12, but that resulted in one of the best rushing offenses in the conference. UCLA averaged 209.5 yards on the ground that year with McDermott, Redmond, Brendel and Benenoch, second only behind Oregon.
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The line was anchored by four years starter Brendel who was extremely reliable. It also helped that he was a part of almost every snap Brett Hundley took. That consistency helped the Bruins finish 10-3 during the 2014 season and go on to win the Alamo Bowl against Kansas State.
Redmond and Benenoch were two extremely large individuals that were moved around the line, but their work at the guard spot solidified the best offensive front UCLA had seen in a few seasons. They were not the most athletic, but both were able to use their size and strength to their advantage.
McDermott quickly emerged as a solid choice at left tackle. It was not that long ago when the Bruins had a good O-line. In 2014 and 2015 McDermott helped out a line that allowed Paul Perkins to have consecutive 1,000 yard seasons.
Receivers/Tight End
TE: Caleb Wilson, 2016-current | 54 rec, 710 rec yards, 1 TD
WR: Shaq Evans, 2011-13 | 126 rec, 1,895 rec yards, 14 TDs
WR: Jordan Payton, 2012-15 | 201 rec, 2,701 rec yards, 14 TDs
WR: Darren Andrews, 2013-17 | 162 rec, 1,977 rec yards, 15 TDs
We are going big on this one and saying that Caleb Wilson is the best tight end in the Jim Mora era… with only five notable games in 2017. He is a ball magnet. Wilson has sure hands, has a big frame and is consistent with his blocking schemes. Though Nate Iese and Thomas Duarte were relable TEs, Wilson was just fantastic for UCLA and will continue ti be this fall.
Shaq Evans was a bit of a speedster and a sorcerer. Evans had the ability to make difficult catches look easy. Whether it was with his body twisted for a catch or nabbing a reception in traffic, Evans was one of the most exciting receivers in the last six seasons.
If the Bruins were throwing the ball in Jordan Payton’s direction, they were almost guaranteed to a reception. He was not a speedster, but he was solid and used his body to get extra yards after contact,
Darren Andrews had a quiet freshman year, but exploded onto the scene for his next three. Like Payton, he was not known for his speed, but his consistency was unmatched.
Running Backs and Quarterback
RB: Jonathan Franklin, 2009-12 | 788 att, 4,402 rush yards, 31 TDs, 517 rec yards
RB: Paul Perkins, 2013-15 | 621 att, 2,488 rush yards, 29 Tas, 739 rec yards
QB: Brett Hundley, 2012-14 | 67.2% comp, 9,966 pass yards, 75 TDs, 150.8 QBR
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Jonathan Franklin only played for one season under Mora, but it was the season he broke UCLA’s all-time rushing record. The occasion was memorable because Mora stopped the game to present a video by former UCLA all-time rushing leader, Gaston Green, congratulating Perkins on his accomplishment. Such a classy move.
It was hard to lose Franklin, but Paul Perkins quickly rose up to take his spot as the go-to ball carrier. Even when he was injured, he ran like a bull and was the perfect offensive combo with Brett Hundley.
Speaking of Hundley, he gets the nod as the best quarterback in the Mora era. This might cause some controversy as many would say Josh Rosen was the better quarterback, especially since he “did more with less.”
But when it comes to Hundley, you can’t deny his talents as he holds the record for most passing touchdowns, he added 1,747 rushing yards to his passing yards, won 2 bowl games (Sun and Alamo) and went 3-0 against USC.
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So there you have it… the best player at each position during the Jim Mora era. It is quite the collection of very talented Bruins. Hopefully we see more of the same under Chip Kelly, though with more championships.