Ishmael Adams is entering his redshirt senior season at UCLA, meaning he’s one of the most experienced players on the roster.
Yet Adams is ironically one of the newcomers this spring.
He’s making the position change from cornerback to wide receiver – the first major position change of his college career. Usually, major position changes are saved for first- and second-year players; but for Adams, the change is coming right before his final season.
The position change was disclosed to Adams this winter, following the conclusion of the 2015 season. Coach Jim Mora called Adams and told him it would be best for the team if he switched to offense.
“They just realized that I have a great ability when I have the ball,” Adams said. “And they just wanted to see what else I could do with the ball.”
Adams has only touched the ball a few times in the last two seasons – on special teams and on defense – but he’s been responsible for some of the Bruins’ biggest plays.
In 2014, Adams had a 95-yard interception return for a touchdown and also a 100-yard kickoff return touchdown against Arizona State. He also had an 85-yard punt return touchdown in the season opener at Virginia, but it was nullified because a UCLA player lost his helmet during the play.
In 2015, Adams had another 90-plus yard play, taking an interception back almost the length of the field for a touchdown against Colorado.
“He’s so dynamic when he has the ball in his hands,” said defensive backs coach Demetrice Martin.
So dynamic that Martin even saw Adams’ position change coming. After all, UCLA had lost three of its top four receivers after last season – Jordan Payton, Thomas Duarte and Devin Fuller.
“We kind of knew that (Adams’ position change) was maybe going to happen,” Martin said. “But we haven’t X’d him out all the way at nickel (corner) – he’s still a guy that we know we can put him at nickel, plug him right back in and he wouldn’t skip a beat.”
But for now, Adams is bent on running routes, not defending them.
“I do a lot of extra film work with (wide receivers) coach (Eric) Yarber one-on-one,” Adams said. “Coach Yarber seems to like me a lot right now but I’m not satisfied.”
Adams isn’t the only one unsatisfied. His former position coach, Martin, still wants restitution after having one of his most experienced players stolen from him.
“I’m waiting for somebody to emerge and be like, ‘Hey, you guys got (Adams), let me get (a player from the offense),’” Martin said.
Martin said he was thinking about asking for the services of sophomore receiver Mossi Johnson or freshman receiver Stephen Johnson. Mossi Johnson played a little bit of safety in fall camp last year in San Bernardino.
“Every once in awhile, if I see them, (I tell them) ‘You don’t need a quarterback to throw you the ball in my position,’” Martin said. “‘Just come play some man-to-man and come steal the ball.’”
Practice notes
- Mora announced after practice that rising redshirt freshman linebacker Dwight Williams has left the team.
- Several UCLA football alumni showed up to UCLA’s practice on Monday, such as running back Maurice Jones-Drew, tight end Marcedes Lewis, cornerback Alterraun Verner and linebacker Eric Kendricks.
- Incoming freshman linebacker Lokeni Toailoa saw some playing time with the first-team defense on Monday. Mora said that he has been “very impressed” with Toailoa four practices into spring camp, adding that “he’s very smart, he’s very calm … (and) he looks like a throwback middle linebacker.”
- Rising redshirt junior cornerback Marcus Rios missed Monday’s practice with a groin injury, but Mora said it was not a serious injury.