An interesting connection was seen on the field numerous times during Monday afternoon’s football practice – a yellow jersey passing downfield to, surprisingly, another yellow jersey.
Everything about Aaron Sharp made him seem like a wide receiver – except the fact that he was outfitted in the same color as the competing quarterbacks.
When the redshirt freshman was recruited, rivals.com slated him as a three-star quarterback and the No. 17-rated dual threat quarterback in the nation. While his high school football statistics were impressive, including 2,449 passing yards, the Texas native also lettered in track and field, and, with a 40-yard dash time clocked in at 4.5 seconds, it’s not hard to see why.
That speed was seen Monday as both freshman Josh Rosen and redshirt junior Mike Fafaul passed to the quarterback-turned-receiver on multiple occasions, even launching him varying deep and low passes.
Though recruited as a quarterback, Sharp hasn’t been getting any snaps. However, last season, the coaching staff began sticking him in the back field as a receiver and noticed his ability to adapt. Coach Jim Mora said that the best path for Sharp to get playing time is by evolving into a receiver role.
“He can certainly run, and he catches pretty well; he’s just got to learn how to run routes,” Mora said. “He knows the offense from a quarterback’s perspective, so we’ll see where that goes. I don’t know if it’s permanent or temporary, but at least it gets him some repetitions, and he wants to contribute. … I commend him for it.”
A stabilizing offensive line
Though the Bruins have been experimenting with switching up roles on the offensive side of the ball, the offense was finally meshing on Monday. The practice’s competing quarterbacks, Rosen and Fafaul, had a significant chunk of time in the pocket for which to look down field.
This was largely due to progressive maturity on the offensive line, a group of players that were largely overshadowed by the defense last season.
Redshirt junior offensive lineman Conor McDermott, who started the last seven games of last season at left tackle, has been developing into a strong asset.
Mora said that he noticed McDermott’s body mass change from that of a tight end, which McDermott played in high school, to that of a massive lineman without losing his athleticism.
“He’s so much more physically strong in all areas than he was in the past, but he’s still flexible,” Mora said. “He’s a very conscientious young man; it’s very important for him to be a good football player. He looks the part, that’s for sure.”
Other veterans have made a healthy transition back onto the field, adding to the offensive line’s revived vigor.
Redshirt junior offensive lineman Simon Goines, a starter in 2012 and 2013 before he broke his leg against Arizona State in the seventh week of the 2013 season, underwent offseason surgery on his knee before last season and then faced surgery to remove bone spurs in his ankle during training camp.
The 325-pound lineman has been practicing in all of the Bruins’ four spring practices thus far, serving as a crucial addition. A bulk of Goines’ training has been focused on working upper body, adding in one-legged exercises and learning how to shift weight due to the fragility of his ankle.
“It’s a blessing that I get to go back out there,” Goines said. “I feel like I’m the most mobile I’ve been since surgery. More fluid motions … I don’t think that just comes with healthiness, it comes with maturity.”
Maturity has been one major growth point for the offensive line that Goines has noticed since his absence on the field.
“We’ve gotten better each day and we’re learning the plays better for the younger guys, really focusing on our technique,” Goines said. “I don’t really have to say anything anymore. I don’t have to make the calls for everybody.”
Quarterback competition heats up
Rosen has stood out throughout the bulk of spring practice, but a new curveball was thrown his way Monday – playing with the first team starters for the first time.
Mora noticed that the No. 1 quarterback recruit adapted well to an advanced offense and remained calm in the pocket despite an energetic defense.
“He didn’t seem overwhelmed,” Mora said. “(Quarterbacks coach) Taylor (Mazzone) had to step in there and help him a little bit with the verbiage at times, (such as) communication with the offensive lineman and the backs and the receivers.”
The Pac-12 leading rusher last season, redshirt junior running back Paul Perkins, received several hand-offs and caught multiple passes from both Rosen and Fafaul. Additionally, Perkins showed mobility in pad work and an ability to break tackles while staying in bounds on wide passes. He said that he has been improving on reading defenses and seeing holes faster.
“It’s good coming out here and trying to build a relationship with the new quarterbacks,” Perkins said. “It’s a process, and I’m having fun. Josh runs comfortable (in the pocket). The sky’s the limit for that guy.”
Redshirt junior receiver Kenneth Walker III has also been adapting well to the individual playing styles of the quarterbacks.
“It’s a great battle between them,” Walker said. “They all have a lot of spin on the ball. (Redshirt junior quarterback) Jerry (Neuheisel) has a lot of spin, he’s more of a ‘put it on the money’ quarterback. Josh Rosen puts it on the money too, and he has a hard ball.”
While he found that receiving the ball has been relatively easy from each of the competitors, he denied a statement about who is winning the race to the starting position.
“Whoever is the quarterback … I just have to be ready,” Walker said.
Injury update: Eldridge Massington
Redshirt sophomore receiver Eldridge Massington limped off the field during Monday’s practice after tweaking his hamstring and did not participate in the rest of the day’s drills. After practice, Mora said that he thinks the injury is not serious and that Massington will likely only miss a day or two.