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UCLA Football: Dorian Thompson-Robinson’s next step

By Mike Regalado

PASADENA, CA - SEPTEMBER 15: Dorian Thompson-Robinson #7 of the UCLA Bruins passes during the second quarter against the Fresno State Bulldogs at Rose Bowl on September 15, 2018 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
PASADENA, CA - SEPTEMBER 15: Dorian Thompson-Robinson #7 of the UCLA Bruins passes during the second quarter against the Fresno State Bulldogs at Rose Bowl on September 15, 2018 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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 The UCLA football team is transitioning to phase 2 of the Chip Kelly era and Dorian Thompson-Robinson is the main figure to help out with this evolution.

Dorian. Thompson. Robinson. The future. There is no doubt he will be able to help the UCLA football team next season, but what can we expect in 2019?

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If 2018 taught us anything about the Bruins under Chip Kelly, it is that this team is improving and we can expect the same thing from DTR.

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Not only was it important for the freshman to get reps this past season, but he also had Wilton Speight as a mentor. It is not every day a young QB gets the chance to work behind a signal caller with experience and know-how. That alone will help him adjust to his second year at UCLA, especially knowing what Kelly expects.

This past season we saw a lot of innovation with the offense and that will continue into 2019. With DTR developing with the scheme, he should be able to help take it up a notch. What is even more tantalizing is knowing that the Bruins will have more help next season.

The offensive line made major improvements under Justin Frye and they will only get better next season. They lose two key members, but they also bring in four talented bodies, including one of the highest-rated tackles in the nation, Sean Rhyan. If anything, Frye will have everyone on the same page by the end of August.

In addition to that, the running game returns Joshua Kelley, Kazmeir Allen, and Martell Irby. UCLA also signed two intriguing backs in Jahmon McClendon and Keegan Jones, a bruiser, and a speedster. This means Kelly will have a lot of tools at his disposal with DTR being the one player that makes it all run.

Speaking of running, we should also expect the soon-to-be sophomore to be doing a lot more of that. With the Bruins’ run game taking a step forward, we should see more plays that involve the dual-threat QB carrying the ball downfield.

We also saw the Bruins pass more than many expected, so that should continue. Kelly is an expert at game planning and adding this extra layer really helped the Bruins get out of several jams last season. In 2019, DTR’s arm will be put to good use.

So next season, we are not just going to see the next phase of UCLA football, but the next phase of Dorian Thompson-Robinson.

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The point of all this is that the offense will be moving forward and DTR is the centerpiece to it all. His evolution will be UCLA’s evolution and it will be something that will entertain us all.