After two grueling weeks in San Bernardino – which coach Jim Mora called the most productive trip of the three UCLA has made with him at the helm – and a third back at Spaulding Field, UCLA’s fall camp officially came to a close Saturday.
Attention now turns to UCLA’s season opener at Virginia on Saturday. Although UCLA’s introspection may decrease as it focuses on opponents rather exclusively on its own, the team certainly learned a lot about itself throughout those three weeks. Here’s a look at what the Daily Bruin took away from fall camp.
1. Defense comes first
Redshirt junior quarterback Brett Hundley may be the main attraction for UCLA, but make no mistake, this is a defense-oriented team. The Bruins are loaded with talent at every position on defense, and not just within the starting unit. It is a deep group that has quality players two or three back on the depth chart that can contribute at a high level, particularly at defensive back where Mora said he expects nine players to contribute. During one-on-one drills and scrimmages in San Bernardino, the offense routinely struggled to gain yards against this stringent defense. From a big and strong defensive front line, to a fast and versatile group of linebackers, to a dominant secondary that can provide both tight coverage and big hits, the Bruin defense has the entire field covered.
Sophomore outside linebacker Myles Jack leads the defense after being named the defensive (and offensive) Pac-12 freshman of the year in 2013, but in camp, he looked significantly improved, able to stick with the team’s quickest receivers in passing drills. Sophomore nose tackle Kenny Clark and redshirt senior defensive end Owamagbe Odighizuwa both look ready for huge season on the defensive line and junior cornerback Fabian Moreau looks like one of the conference’s best corners. The offense should be able to score points, but expect the defense to keep the Bruins in games, especially against tougher opponents.
2. Offensive line depth concerns
Coming into fall camp, the offensive line seemed to be one of UCLA’s top position groups, as several young players, such as sophomore right tackle Caleb Benenoch and redshirt freshman right tackle Poasi Moala, boasted much improved bodies and fitness in the spring. However, those bodies began falling in San Bernardino, as multiple players missed time with injuries and heat-related issues. The result is a patched-together line that left San Bernardino with none of its starters in the same spot they entered camp.
Redshirt senior Malcolm Bunche shifted from left guard to left tackle, sophomore left tackle Caleb Benenoch filled in at right guard, sophomore Alex Redmond moved from right guard to center, freshman NaJee Toran entered as left guard and redshirt sophomore Conor McDermott stepped in as right tackle. Those five returned from San Bernardino appearing to be starters.
But Mora said he expects to get his starting center – redshirt junior Jake Brendel – back for the Virginia game, allowing some players to shift back to their more natural positions, but the depth that the team originally expected to have seems a bit less than anticipated now.
3. Lack of a pass rush
Mora expected that his team’s pass rush would suffer after its top three sack leaders from last season – outside linebacker Anthony Barr (10 sacks) and defensive ends Keenan Graham (six sacks) and Cassius Marsh (five sacks) – graduated. Replacing a combined 21 sacks looks like it will be a challenge the Bruins will deal with all season, and Mora said during fall camp that he was still concerned.
There still are some options of players who can help fill the pass-rushing role. Sophomore linebacker Myles Jack said he worked in the offseason to improve his pass-rushing abilities, but didn’t look dominant in that area during fall camp.
At the other outside linebacker spot, sophomore Deon Hollins excelled as a pass rusher in camp after dropping 15 pounds in the offseason to improve his speed. Outside linebackers coach Mike Tuiasosopo said Hollins’ first step is one of the fastest he’s seen.
Redshirt senior defensive end Owamagbe Odighizuwa, junior outside linebacker Kenny Orjioke and redshirt junior outside linebacker Aaron Wallace also could factor into the pass rush. Whether that group can cause enough pressure on the quarterback to be effective remains to be seen.
4. Names to know
Hundley and Jack routinely make the national headlines, but the Bruins have plenty of talent across the board that could have their names called on game day.
– Junior cornerback Fabian Moreau, who switched to defense from running back two years ago, has blossomed into the team’s top defensive back. In the spring, Mora called Moreau a potential first-round NFL draft pick and an All-American, and the junior looked the part during fall camp. While not listed on the preseason All-Pac-12 team, let alone the All-American team, Moreau looks certain to change that by the end of the season with his lock-down abilities, length and speed.
– On the other side of the ball, Moreau’s frequent matchup, redshirt junior wide receiver Devin Lucien, also looks ready to take the next step forward in his development. Throughout fall camp, he was regularly seen making acrobatic catches, leaping and diving for balls. When facing cornerbacks less talented than Moreau, Lucien should be even more impressive.
Lucien was involved in a scary moment in San Bernardino when he taken off the field in an ambulance with an apparent head injury. However, Lucien passed the concussion test and rejoined the team the next day. He should be available for the Virginia game.
– The loss of Jordan Zumwalt looks to be alleviated significantly by the arrival of freshman inside linebacker Kenny Young, who already looks to have the body of an NFL player, listed as 6-foot-1-inch, 230 pounds. Young spent his spring break constantly in defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich’s office, mastering his understanding of the defense, and shows no signs of his youth. Young looked dominant in fall camp in both pass protection and run stopping, and was frequently seen bowling over running backs during pass protection drills. He could quickly become a star in the center of the defense.
– After missing all of last year with a hip injury, redshirt senior defensive end Owamagbe Odighizuwa is finally healthy, and his performance in fall camp matches what is expected from his body. “Owa” is a physical specimen and figures to be one of the Bruins’ top pass rushers this year.
– Despite playing behind Seali’i Epenesa for parts of last season, then-freshman nose tackle Kenny Clark quickly became a dominant force inside, finishing the year with 31 tackles and four tackles for loss. Now a sophomore and starting for an entire season, Clark figures to have even more of an impact. His size and strength, combined with his ability to get leverage make him extremely difficult to block, and his motor is constantly running. He likely won’t get many sacks, nor an excess of tackles, but Clark’s strength and disruptive ability in the middle of the line allow his teammates to make plays around him.
Compiled by Kevin Bowman, Bruin Sports senior staff.