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UCLA Football: LB Josh Woods out for the season with a knee injury

By Mike Regalado

PASADENA, CA - SEPTEMBER 30: Steven Montez #12 of the Colorado Buffaloes passes over the defense of Josh Woods #2 and Boss Tagaloa #75 of the UCLA Bruins during the first half of a game at the Rose Bowl on September 30, 2017 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
PASADENA, CA - SEPTEMBER 30: Steven Montez #12 of the Colorado Buffaloes passes over the defense of Josh Woods #2 and Boss Tagaloa #75 of the UCLA Bruins during the first half of a game at the Rose Bowl on September 30, 2017 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /
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It was reported on Sunday morning that UCLA football’s senior linebacker Josh Woods will miss the entire 2018 season due to a knee injury.

Things just got a little harder for UCLA football‘s defense as head coach Chip Kelly announced that potential starting inside linebacker Josh Woods will miss the entire upcoming season due to a knee injury.

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Kelly made the announcement on Sunday morning during his meeting with the media. Woods had apparently injured his knee back on Thursday. The type of knee injury has not been disclosed. Woods still has a redshirt available.

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Woods had recently returned to the Bruins after missing most of the 2017 season with a shoulder injury. Fall camp was the first time he saw action with the Bruins since getting injured as he missed all of spring practice.

Woods was one of three seniors on the defense and was expected to make a big impact with the linebacker group that is already scarcely thin and considering that defensive coordinator Jerry Azzinaro has switched up the Bruins’ scheme to a 3-4, UCLA is going to have to shuffle guys around the inside of linebacking corps.

With Woods out, it is possible we could see junior Lokeni Toailoa or JUCO transfers Je’Vari Anderson or Tyree Thompson step into the starting ILB role. Another possibility is moving redshirt sophomore, Mique Juarez, back into the middle of the group. Juarez has a lot of experience playing middle linebacker, though he has been moved to the outside spot since fall camp started.

Either way, the Bruins are going to have to figure out how to balance things out as they are only about 2-deep at each one of the four linebacking positions.

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In other injury news, RB Bolu Olorunfunmi returned to practice after three straight absences. He had apparently suffered an injury last week, though he appears to be fine. UCLA’s big freshman DL Atonio Mafi is no longer in a yellow jersey and is practicing without restrictions. LB Bo Calvert, DB Keyon Riley and LB Je’Vari Anderson were absent from practice on Saturday. LB Elijah Wade and DB Colin Samuel are both in yellow jerseys.