UCLA football spent its day off last Sunday escaping the heat of San Bernardino with a trip to Bruin Woods for a day of relaxation at Lake Arrowhead. Adarius Pickett spent his day studying.
Just days after switching from defensive back to running back, the freshman wasn’t about to take time off, instead burying himself in the playbook for the day.
Now, with just over a week of offense under his belt, Pickett has already looked the part and drawn praise from his coaches.
“Surprisingly to me, he’s really picked up the offense, understanding, he’s got a good feel for the game and I’m happy we’ve got him at offense,” said offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone.
But for coach Jim Mora and Pickett himself, there doesn’t seem to be much shock in the early success of the switch. Pickett starred as a running back and a defensive back at El Cerrito High School, and was named the East Bay Football Player of the Year by the Bay Area News Group after his senior season. He was recruited by several teams as a running back, including UCLA’s first opponent of the 2014 season, Virginia, who offered Pickett a scholarship as a running back.
But Pickett instead chose defensive back and UCLA, enrolling early to participate in spring practice this year.
Yet after spring camp and a week of fall camp, Pickett hadn’t quite stood out on defense as a player who was likely to contribute early on. However, he did catch his coach’s eye during a tackling drill. Only he wasn’t doing the tackling.
“When we have tackling drills and Adarius is carrying the ball, none of the DBs can tackle him,” said defensive backs coach Demetrice Martin. “He’s never been tackled in the tackling drills where he is the ball carrier.”
So with Pickett not yet amongst the top five defensive backs on the roster, Martin decided to try mixing things up to allow Pickett a chance to contribute earlier.
Martin spoke with Pickett about playing running back, and Pickett was open to the idea.
“I think that his quote to coach (Martin) … was, ‘I’ll leave here the starter,” Mora said. “Not in an arrogant type of way but a determined type of way.”
His actions have reflected that determination, most notably his time spent studying the playbook. Pickett said he’s still working on mastering the playbook, adjusting to the offense and the tempo after spending months preparing to play defensive back.
In addition, he said he’s been helped by the veteran running backs, who have made an effort to ensure Pickett understands the plays and his responsibilities.
But soon, Pickett could be taking some snaps away from those teammates.
On a team with speedy, shifty running backs like redshirt senior Jordon James and redshirt junior Steven Manfro, Pickett offers a different flavor, a bite to complement their burst.
“I know a lot of running backs like running outside, but as for me personally I like running inside the tackles,” Pickett said.
His skill set seems to match his inclinations. Mora described Pickett as a “heavy runner,” someone who, despite weighing in at 185 pounds, can put some force behind his pads.
“You feel it when he’s running,” Mora said. “He doesn’t run like a feather. Some guys run like feathers. They look really pretty and they’re really fast, but they can’t get it up in there and bring it, and he brings some oomph and we need that.”