Amid a season of frustrating losses for the 2010 UCLA football team, practices were long. Oftentimes, practices would extend far past the time they were scheduled to end.
Even after late position drills ended, then-junior safety Rahim Moore could be counted on as being the last player to trot off the field after everyone else had gone home.
A similar scene unfolded Thursday at UCLA’s second spring practice. Rising sophomore safety Dietrich Riley got caught working too late at Spaulding Field by new defensive coordinator Joe Tresey.
After a stern talking-to, Riley slinked off the field, a victim of his own work ethic.
“Coach Tresey wants the safeties to be the quarterbacks of the defense so I have to know what everyone else is doing,” Riley said. “I have to study so much of the playbook, and I’m always quizzing myself.”
Moore was a captain on last year’s team and the unquestioned vocal leader of the defense. He started every game at free safety and is now headed for the NFL Draft.
But his departure is of no concern to rising senior Tony Dye.
“Things don’t change much for me this year,” Dye said of his role on the team. “I opened my mouth a lot last year but Rahim just happened to be louder.”
Dye, who started every game last season at strong safety, has been playing at free safety this spring because rising junior Dalton Hilliard is recovering from knee surgery. Hilliard is listed as the No. 1 free safety on the depth chart.
Coach Rick Neuheisel stressed that nothing is solidified but that he’s open to moving players between the two positions to see what the best fit is for his team heading into the fall.
Secondary coach Tim Hundley said that they’ll have some tough decisions to make in the fall but that Dye fits better as a free safety.
That’s fine by Dye.
“Of course I’m going to say no,” Dye said when asked if he had a preference between the two. “But I love free safety. It’s a lot of fun.”
Riley, on the other hand, might be aiming to take Dye over for the No. 1 spot at strong safety.
“Safeties my size don’t come around too often,” Riley said. “I can cover running backs and receivers, and I’m a big body that can blitz. I love strong safety. It’s my spot, and I feel comfortable with it.”
Injury update
Offensive tackle Jeff Baca was carted off the field with a left ankle injury, the severity of which is not yet known. Neuheisel said he’s “crossing his fingers” until X-rays are returned. The rising redshirt junior Baca missed all of last season because of academic ineligibility and was expected to bring experience to the ill-fated offensive line.
“We’ll watch to see how that develops and make some decisions as to whether or not we’ll need to move everybody, but I’m trying to stay optimistic,” Neuheisel said.
Rising redshirt junior quarterback Kevin Prince has been severely limited in the first two spring practices but could be cleared to participate in more drills Saturday, according to Neuheisel.
“I think that he’s going to have his doctor out here on Saturday, and maybe we’ll get him cleared to do some more things,” Neuheisel said.
Extra points
UCLA will participate in pads for the first time this spring when the Bruins take the field Saturday. Neuheisel said that rising redshirt sophomore Stan Hasiak is back on the team after missing last season because of academic ineligibility.