In his first game as a Bruin, against Utah at the Rose Bowl, Alterraun Verner stepped in front of quarterback Tommy Grady’s pass, intercepted it, and took it 34 yards for a Bruin touchdown.
Just a quarter into his career at UCLA, with that play, Verner began to establish his reputation as a reliable, exciting defender. Over the season, the cornerback from Lakewood racked up 59 tackles, two interceptions and two touchdowns.
Verner arrived as a three-star recruit in Westwood after an accomplished career at Mayfair High School and immediately made his presence felt in the Bruins’ nickel and dime defensive packages.
His 89-yard interception return for a touchdown against Arizona made him the first UCLA freshman to score twice on interceptions in one season. But more importantly it reaffirmed his status as a playmaker for the Bruin defense.
He cracked the starting lineup for the first time of his career at Oregon and responded with a seven-tackle performance. But his most memorable moment of the season came in the Bruins’ final regular season game against USC.
At the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Trojans elected to try for a conversion on fourth and two. USC running back C.J. Gable was met by Verner and middle linebacker Christian Taylor in the backfield, and thrown down for a loss. Verner exploded in celebration after the hit as UCLA regained possession and the momentum. Besides Eric McNeal’s interception, it was the most important defensive stop of the game for the Bruins.
Verner followed up that memorable moment with an excellent performance at the Emerald Bowl against Florida State. The freshman led UCLA with nine tackles in addition to two passes broken up in the 44-27 loss.
In many ways Verner ended the season in a way similar to how he began it. His play in San Francisco, like that first interception months earlier, highlighted him as a bright spot of the program and a key member of UCLA’s improving defense for seasons to come.