UCLA defensive coordinator Larry Kerr will tell you Brigham
Harwell is almost there. Almost ready to become the impact player
he thought the freshman defensive end would be when the Bruins
signed him last year. Harwell, UCLA’s top recruit, has shown
a hint of what he could do already, but the reality is that he just
hasn’t gotten there yet.
“He’s right on the verge of playing a lot,”
Kerr said. “He plays hard, and he is just getting to the
point where he’s starting to feel comfortable with what
we’re doing.
“I’m really hopeful that this is the week where he
can have a breakthrough and get some playing time for
us.”
Even though he missed all of fall camp after undergoing
arthroscopic knee surgery, Harwell has been healthy enough to help
the struggling defensive line for weeks, but he has not played much
all season.
Harwell provided a glimpse of what he could do in UCLA’s
win at Illinois last month, registering five tackles, three of them
solo. But even though the Bruin defensive line has been woeful
against the run, he hasn’t had a chance to make an impact in
the last three games.
Against both Washington and San Diego State, Harwell came off
the bench but was not credited with any tackles. Even though UCLA
gave up 258 yards rushing against Arizona, Harwell saw limited
playing time. But still, the true freshman isn’t
complaining.
“The coaches place you where you’re supposed to
be,” Harwell said. “I’m grateful for my two snaps
a game or whatever I get. As long as I’m playing or with the
team, I’m happy. If I get benched for the game that’s
the way it is.”
Part of the reason for Harwell’s lack of playing time is
the play of junior college transfer Justin Hickman, one of the
Bruins’ starters at defensive end. Since the coaches have
been happy with Hickman’s play, it’s been hard for his
back-up, Harwell, to get on the field.
Hickman’s injuries gave Harwell a chance to play against
Illinois, but since then playing time has been scarce.
“It’s not like we’re totally loaded at
defensive line but it happened to fall that way,” Kerr said.
“We toyed with making some moves, but Brigham will get to
play some.”
Though he is in the defensive line rotation as a true freshman,
many thought the 6-foot-1, 259-pound Hacienda Heights native would
make a bigger impact at UCLA as a freshman. As a senior at Los
Altos High, Harwell had 22 sacks and was considered one of the top
prep defensive lineman on the West Coast.
But Harwell thinks some of the growing pains he’s endured
this season date back to his August injury.
“When I first came, I expected to play, but I had surgery
so it set me back,” he said. “I expect to play, but if
I don’t, I’m not going to cry about it. Every week I
have to improve myself and keep moving on.”
Though the time off allowed him an opportunity to digest the
Bruins defensive schemes, it still kept him from the practice time
he needed.
“My knee surgery set me back a bit but it gave me a chance
to learn more about the defensive schemes,” he said.
“But it’s not the same as getting in there and doing
the plays.”
As the Bruins’ defensive woes continue to mount,
specifically their inability to stop the run, coach Karl Dorrell
will be looking for ways to reinvigorate the defensive line.
Harwell may be one of those ways.