UCLA secondary works to overcome its youth, inexperience

SAN BERNARDINO — At Pac-12 media day in late July, coach Jim Mora didn’t beat around the bush on the subject of his secondary.

Candidly saying he had “no clue” who would start in the defensive backfield this season, the former NFL defensive backs coach had an uneasy confidence about him. Though sophomore safety Randall Goforth was his only remaining weapon that had seen starter’s downs in the secondary, he said he was slightly reassured by an incoming class of athletic defensive back recruits.

“They’re talented young guys,” Mora said. “If they weren’t talented, I might be singing a different tune, even though the tune sounds bad right now it might sound even worse. I can’t wait to see them play.”

A week into Mora’s observation of the young talents, freshman cornerback Priest Willis has seen field time with the first unit in the nickel package, while others, like Tahaan Goodman, said they have had to undergo some initial adjustments in San Bernardino.

“The main difference is the tempo,” said Goodman, who hauled in an interception off an overthrown ball by redshirt freshman quarterback Jerry Neuheisel Monday. “Sometimes they’ll go out slow, sometimes they’ll go out fast and the speed and just learning the plays is a lot harder. We’ve got a couple plays every day to pick up and learn and figure out.”

There to help orientate the new defensive backs – among them Willis, Goodman, safety Tyler Foreman and cornerback John Johnson – are redshirt junior cornerback-turned-safety Anthony Jefferson and Goforth. A starter of five games last season as a true freshman, Goforth said he understands the difficulty of debuting at a multifaceted position like safety.

“You just have to have a lot of vision at safety,” Goforth said. “You have to see the whole field. The safety’s kind of like the quarterback of the secondary because they have to see everything, so that’s pretty much it.”

Jefferson, now making the most of an opportunity to prove himself at safety after suffering from foot and back injuries in his first two seasons, said he remembers older defensive backs helping him along in his rough early goings and has tried to duplicate their efforts, both on and off the field.

“We had Tony Dye, Rahim Moore, Aaron Hester, (and) Sheldon (Price),” Jefferson said. “They were all my brothers, and they still are my big brothers, to this day. I’m doing the same thing they did for me, (because) I think that’s a good thing.”

Described both as versatile and lengthy by Mora, Jefferson looks to improve on a redshirt sophomore season in which he made just five tackles in eight games as a special teams player and reserve cornerback.

With time to learn how to cover more athletic offensive specialists and cope with more up-tempo offenses, Jefferson said he feels UCLA’s defensive backs, once an unknown, will prove to be a strength for defensive coordinator Lou Spanos.

“A lot of people are kind of skeptical about us, but I think as a group, if we keep learning our plays and getting the scheme a little bit more with our young guys, I think we can be one of the strong points of this defense sooner or later,” Jefferson said.

Adams back in action

Several months after having his contact limited in spring practice with a shoulder injury, sophomore cornerback Ishmael Adams said he is ready to prove his worth on Aug. 31 against a Nevada offense that features many players from California.

Much of spring ball saw the 5-foot-8 Adams jawing back and forth with redshirt senior wide receiver Shaquelle Evans and quickly growing frustrated when unsuccessful in one-on-one drills, but after a summer of training, he said he’s a much more mature football player.

“It’s all a composure thing,” Adams said. “I have to stay calm and play my game.”

Now donning the UCLA defense’s white in place of a non-contact red jersey, Adams, who could start in 2013 opposite Willis or converted running back Fabian Moreau, a sophomore, appears eager to embark on his first full season.

“In spring, I had that mentality but I had to stay back, and now that I don’t have the red jersey I’m not going to miss a beat,” Adams said. “It’s eating at me.”

Injury Notes

  • Freshman offensive tackle Christian Morris missed Monday’s morning practice with flu-like symptoms.
  • Freshman Y receiver Thomas Duarte was cleared for Monday night’s practice after being held out with cramps on Saturday.
  • Sophomore defensive end Ian Taubler, redshirt sophomore offensive guard Kevin McReynolds and freshman offensive tackle Poasi Moala were all sent back to Westwood to be checked for concussions after Saturday’s practices.
  • Freshman defensive end Eddie Vanderdoes underwent X-rays for a sore back, but according to Mora is “feeling better.”
  • Senior linebacker Jordan Zumwalt has been held out of some team drills with cramps due to dehydration, but was cleared for evening drills in pads according to Mora.

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