At 6-foot-5, 255 pounds, the frame of former UCLA outside linebacker Anthony Barr casts a large shadow wherever he goes.
Now, with the All-American linebacker off to the NFL, that shadow may as well cover the entirety of Spaulding Field.
In Barr, the Bruins lose not only a ferocious pass rusher who produced 23 career sacks, but a steady locker room voice and on the field leader. As for who will step into Barr’s role, look no further than his former protege, sophomore outside linebacker Myles Jack, who is embracing his role as a leader.
“It’s definitely new, coming in as a sophomore, it’s a little bit weird but guys believe in me and they value what I say and everything,” Jack said. “I just have to have the confidence to step up and speak up when things aren’t right, just have my voice be heard. Not really talk down on people but just speak up when things aren’t right and hold myself accountable when I’m not doing right, so I mean, it’s definitely a big role but I’m ready to fill those shoes.”
While the sophomore appears ready to offer his leadership, it remains to be seen who will replace Barr’s actual spot on the field, opposite Jack at the other outside linebacker spot. As for now it seems to be a three-way battle between junior Kenny Orjioke, sophomore Deon Hollins and early spring enrollee and freshman Zach Whitley.
Whitley in particular has impressed coaches and teammates for a player who is only a couple of months removed from his last high school game. While Jack may be looking to follow in the footsteps of Barr, UCLA may be hoping that it has a player in Whitley who is able to replicate the success of last year’s Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year.
“I think he’s the type of kid, the more work he gets, the further along we go into spring he’s gonna start to get stronger,” said coach Jim Mora. “I don’t think he’s gonna be the typical freshman that falls off. This is a determined kid. You guys have seen it. I mean he is bound and determined to win that job and be an impact player, I love that about him.”
Mora acknowledged that Whitley is behind his competitors from a mental standpoint and it is worth noting the 18-year-old from Texas is just four practices into his UCLA career. Thus far, Orjioke has seen most of the reps with the first team, while Hollins performed well in one-on-one pass rushing drills Monday.
Meanwhile, Whitley lined up outside for the first time after playing at inside linebacker in the team’s first three practices. As of now, the job remains firmly up for grabs.
“We moved him around a little, we are going to do some experimenting there and find the right person to play opposite Myles. Zach’s got length, he’s got really long arms, he can separate,” Mora said. “There’s competition there, I don’t want anyone to assume that anyone’s got the job. So I think between Kenny and Deon and Zach and whomever else shows up. There is going to be strong competition out there, but we want to get the four best players on the field and part of that is moving guys around a little bit.”
Under construction, like always
Spring remains a work in progress at a number of other positions as well, even those clearly decided.
Following Saturday’s practice, Mora said that redshirt junior quarterback Brett Hundley is experimenting more this spring. Hundley noted that he has been trying different footwork on certain plays and has spent more time under center, after playing almost exclusively out of shotgun his first two years.
“We are playing around with a lot of stuff right now, so right now I’m not trying to kill myself on mistakes or anything like that but I still expect a lot out of my performance,” Hundley said. “We are just getting along, trying to learn as much as I can as we go these next couple of weeks and hopefully we’ll figure it out by then.”
While Hundley passed on the draft, it isn’t clear yet exactly yet who he will be passing to. Redshirt junior Devin Lucien and junior Jordan Payton have received the first-team reps at wide receiver, while junior Devin Fuller is a lock for the slot. However, a pair of other receivers have drawn praise early into spring practice. Freshman Mossi Johnson has displayed both athleticism and great hands, while Hundley named redshirt freshman Eldridge Massington as someone to watch out for.
“I told him … as long as he handles his business he can do big things this year and I’m putting it out there that he will,” Hundley said. “He’s a special guy, he’s my height, maybe a little taller, probably one of the fastest on the team and can jump out of the roof. So he has a lot of upside and he’s going to be a big-time receiver for us.”
The offensive line saw yet another change Monday, as Miami transfer Malcolm Bunche participated in his first practice as a Bruin. The redshirt senior lined up at left guard, a position he figures to hold down after playing at tackle while at Miami. Mora acknowledged that Bunche struggled at times Monday, but remained optimistic about his development.
“I think, some of the freshmen, what you’ll see is they’ll start to fall off a little bit, they’ll get tired, they’ll get worn down a little bit,” Mora said. “I think what you’ll see with Malcolm is that he’ll start to ascend every practice just because he’s starting to get his rhythm back.”
Injury Update
Redshirt junior guard Ben Wysocki suffered a moderate medial ankle sprain Saturday. While X-rays were negative, Mora said Monday it remains to be seen if he can return for spring practice.