The UCLA football team has finally released their roster for the 2018 season, and there are several notable changes, including freshman numbers, player additions, and notable changes.
The 2018 UCLA football roster is finally set and with that, we can see what the foundation looks like for Chip Kelly as he gets set to begin his first season as the Bruins’ coach.
RELATED: Chip Kelly Tidbits at Pac-12 Media Day
Since the coach has taken over, one thing we have noticed is the amount of turnover there has been from 2017 to 2018. The new coach hit the ground running and with that included making changes to his player personnel as several players have left the program. Though graduating seniors are given departures, UCLA has lost 47 players from last year.
Note: this information was taken from Matt Joye of Bruin Report Online and his season-by-season comparison of the 2017 and 2018 rosters.
I did a year-by-year roster comparison for UCLA. The full breakdown is in the link below, but here are some notes:
— Matt Joye (@mattjoye) July 28, 2018
-Rahyme Johnson added 15 lbs. (215 ⬆️ 230)
-Mique Juarez dropped 10 lbs. (255 ⬇️ 245)
-Moses Robinson-Carr added 20 lbs. (260 ⬆️ 280)https://t.co/f1ybRhvkRP
Click HERE for the full 2018 UCLA Football roster.
With the loss of several players, Kelly has also added many to the roster, which includes 36 freshmen, both scholarship, and walk-ons. Last February, UCLA reeled in 26 players on National Signing Day (WR Bryan Addison has since been released from the program), and since then, has brought in a handful more to help fill in the gaps.
With that in mind, let us look at the newest Bruins and their numbers.
Freshman Numbers
- #2 WR Kyle Phillips*^
- #3 DB Rayshad Williams*
- #4 DB Stephan Blaylock*
- #7 QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson*
- #17 QB Josiah Norwood
- #19 RB Kazmeir Allen*
- #19 DB Alex Johnson
- #21 TE Michale Ezeike*
- #21 K Quentin Wallace*
- #22 RB Kenroy Higgins II
- #23 DB Kenny Churchwell*
- #23 WR Chase Cota*^
- #26 RB Martell Irby*
- #27 DB Patrick Jolly*
- #29 WR Delon Hurt*
- #30 DB Elisha Guthry*
- #31 DB Zack Huffstutter
- #40 LB Bo Calvert*
- #43 LB Je’Vari Anderson*^
- #49 P Colin Flintoft
- #50 DL Tyler Manoa*
- #51 DL Ethan Matus
- #53 DL Winston Polite
- #57 OL John Gaines*
- #65 OL Stephan DeFranco
- #66 OL Mohamed Khalil
- #66 DL Atonio Mafi*
- #70 OL Alec Anderson*
- #71 OL Baraka Beckett*
- #76 OL Chris Murray*
- #78 OL Lucas Gramlick
- #82 TE Matt Alaimo*
- #83 TE David Priebe*
- #85 TE Greg Dulcich
- #91 DL Otito Ogbonnia*
- #99 LB Elijah Wade*
* Players that were added on National Signing Day
^ PLayers that joined the program in the spring
Number Changes
- #75 OT Andre James (formerly #75)
So as you can, the team will look a lot different from last season. It will be a completely different ball game from what we saw when Jim Mora was in control. Not only will there be a new look on offense and defense, but there will be a lot of new names and numbers UCLA football fans will have to get acquainted with.
Though Chip Kelly has been in charge since last November, things will be turned up a notch starting on Friday, August 3 when fall camp begins. Soon after that, on Saturday, September 1, we will see it all come together as the Bruins start the 2018 season against Cincinnati at the Rose Bowl. Go Bruins!