It’s been difficult to ignore Aaron Hester through the first week of the UCLA football team’s Fall Camp practices.
The redshirt freshman cornerback has been making plays that a redshirt freshman shouldn’t make. He has been running all over the field while rarely allowing the Bruin receivers any room to breathe.
But after being tucked away on the sidelines as a redshirt last season, who could blame him?
Hester now feels liberated and knows that this is the time to become visible.
“A lot of people wrote me off,” Hester said. “I just used that as motivation.”
Hester’s unwavering focus has been on clear display this summer. Following an impressive showing during Spring Practice, Hester arrived at Fall Camp as the leading candidate to replace departing senior Michael Norris at one of the cornerback positions. So far during camp, Hester has earned the majority of the reps at corner opposite to senior Alterraun Verner, arguably one of the premier defensive backs in the country.
As part of a first-unit defense that returns seven starters from a season ago, the newcomer has held his own.
“He wants to be the best and now he knows what it takes to get there,” said Verner, who is on three preseason watch lists and was named an
ESPN.com first-team All-American. “He has great potential to be one of the greatest corners ever to come through UCLA. I really believe that.”
Hester, along with the other defensive backs, will have opportunities this season. Opposing quarterbacks are not expected to consistently throw the ball anywhere near Verner, who led the nation last season in passes broken up with an average of nearly two per game.
“I already know that,” Hester said. “I’m preparing real hard and trusting my training. We’re going to match up real good: Verner with his skills and me with my size and aggressiveness.”
At 6-foot-1 and 203 pounds, Hester has the physical length to match up against some of the bigger Pac-10 receivers. Hester also has the speed to oppose some of the smaller conference receivers, having been a three-time All-State performer in track for Dominguez High School.
The only knock on Hester is his lack of experience. Yet sophomore safety Rahim Moore, who knows a thing or two about inexperience after starting all 12 games as a true freshman last year, believes Hester has nothing to worry about.
“Some people feel like he’s going to be the weak link,” Moore said. “That doesn’t mean a thing. He’s learning and he’s learning fast. Aaron’s a smart and intelligent dude; I wish I could have had his type of brain last year because it took me a while to pick up on things.”
Redshirt senior linebacker Reggie Carter, the most experienced player on UCLA’s defense, also likes what he has seen from Hester.
“He loves to hit,” Carter said. “That’s rare for a corner, regardless of what’s going on. If he can take a shot on a receiver, he’s going to hit him. I like that.”
The 19-year-old Hester has quickly earned a reputation as one of the team’s most vocal and competitive defenders, so he is sure to make noise when he happens to lay a big hit.
“He has the swagger,” Carter said. “You need that in a corner. You won’t know that he’s a freshman out there on the field.”
Last season, the UCLA’s pass defense ranked second in the conference and eighth nationally, allowing just 167.7 yards per game. The team anticipates much of the same this season.
“There’s a difference between good and great,” Hester said. “Our defense has the potential to be great.”
A year later and nowhere near the sidelines, Hester will undoubtedly play a large role in that success.
“It’s time to play some football now,” he said.