Josh Rosen’s pass floated far downfield, high over the heads of the defense, arcing down toward the outstretched arms of Kenny Walker.
It was a familiar scene for UCLA fans, who time and time again have seen Walker speed past his defender for a chance at a huge reception, only to watch as the ball bounced off his hands.
This time, though, the ball settled in Walker’s hands for a long catch down the right sideline, much to the delight of the Bruin supporters that had shown up at Drake Stadium for Saturday’s Spring Showcase.
Walker’s catch came early in the Bruins’ pass-oriented 7-on-7 drills and highlighted a spectacle that, for all the emphasis on the running game this spring, featured a lot of aerial action.
Aside from 20 plays of run-focused 9-on-7 drills, UCLA largely displayed its passing game for its fans, letting rising sophomore quarterback Rosen and rising redshirt senior Mike Fafaul show off their arms throughout the latter half of the day.
The fact that Rosen threw three picks on the day, two during 11-on-11 drills and one in 7-on-7, was no cause for alarm to coach Jim Mora.
“If you saw him over the course of the last seven or eight practices, they’re not all great, but you saw some pieces of improvement every time,” Mora said. “I think a lot of it is just getting a feel for the receivers he’s throwing to. You know, a lot of these guys he really hasn’t thrown a lot of passes to.”
That’s the result of the departure of reliable receivers like Jordan Payton and Thomas Duarte, but Rosen said he’s begun to like the offense’s lack of reliance on one or two options.
“I think it works really well this year because we don’t really have a ‘dude,’ we don’t have one guy,” Rosen said. “(Payton) and (Duarte) were my guys I was really looking for on the field (last year) but I don’t really see numbers on the field, I’ve just got four guys out there that I trust.”
Who those four guys will be once the season starts is still very much up in the air, with competitions still ongoing at the team’s pass-catching positions.
At tight end, Mora said, rising junior Alex Van Dyke and rising redshirt sophomore Austin Roberts improved vastly throughout spring camp. Each made a few impressive plays Saturday.
Van Dyke dazzled during 7-on-7 drills, making a tough catch while falling to his knees and later snaring a deep post for a touchdown.
Among the wide receivers, rising redshirt senior Darren Andrews had a productive day, and rising redshirt junior Eldridge Massington hauled in a contested touchdown catch. Massington noted afterwards that rising redshirt senior Ishmael Adams’ transition to offense has helped not only because Adams is a dynamic playmaker but also because the two of them argue and compete each day over who can make more plays.
And Walker, though he might not develop into the dependable third-down outlet that receivers coach Eric Yarber wants to find, is certainly one of the more tantalizing pieces of the pass-catching corps. If he can haul in bombs like the one he did Saturday, he’ll add a significant threat to the offense.
“Kenny’s problems have not been getting open – his problems have never been speed,” Mora said. “We’ve all seen at times he doesn’t catch the ball as consistently as you’d like. But the last few weeks, he just has.”
Walker, who was ruled academically ineligible for the Alamo Bowl at the end of the 2015 season, has earned better than a B grade in every class since, Mora said, a testament to his overall growth as a person.
“To see him excel academically, and now to see him excel athletically – to me, he could be one of the surprises this year,” Mora said “I know that’s probably a really big statement to make, but I just have a gut feeling about the kid.”