Takkarist McKinley is currently focusing on the more specific aspects of football, like adding body weight to gain an advantage over other defensive linemen.
“I got here (at) about 225 (pounds). I’m at 243 right now. That’s what (former defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich) wanted me to be at – 245,” said the junior defensive end. “(Current defensive coordinator Tom) Bradley wants me at 255 to stay up on the D-line. So, (I) gotta eat. Gotta eat, eat, eat.”
Last season, McKinley’s priorities were a bit different. As a player who transferred from a junior college to UCLA in early September, he didn’t have much time to focus on the intricacies like eating the right foods. McKinley just had to consume a whole lot of football, quick.
It wasn’t a picnic.
At times, he had to ask some of the connoisseurs where to start.
“When I first got here, I was looking at (junior defensive linemen) Kenny Clark (and) Eddie (Vanderdoes) and (former defensive lineman Owamagbe Odighizuwa) like, ‘Man, what should I do in the play? I’m stuck.’”
McKinley signed with UCLA on Sept. 11 and was thrown into his first Division I game with the Bruins on Sept. 25 against the Arizona State Sun Devils. He quickly had to adjust his tendencies while digesting a new and more complex playbook all at once.
“(At junior college), I mean everybody’s grinding, but here it’s a whole different level,” McKinley said. “You actually had to do the plays. (At) high school and junior college, you kind of just freestyled, but here you’ve got an assignment – you’ve gotta do that assignment.”
McKinley finished the year with 10 games and one start under his belt. He showed flashes of speed and potential off the edge, recording 3.5 tackles for losses and 2.5 sacks.
But there was still a sense that McKinley could only get so far with his development in one season alone. It would take time for McKinley to absorb what he’d learned and grow into a leading role on defense.
Over winter quarter, he developed a more balanced diet of frequent film study, meetings with coaches and training time, instead of ingesting it all at once. He has seen himself develop as a result.
“We’ve got meetings in the morning, meetings in the afternoon, we’re getting a lot of time to get to know the playbook,” McKinley said. “It’s a big difference. … I feel a lot better.”
Now over a week into spring practice, McKinley has supplemented that learning with playing time on the field. He said after Thursday’s practice that he’s currently slotted to replace Odighizuwa at the starting strong-side defensive end spot.
“It was a huge adjustment, but – like I said – I had the whole winter quarter plus the fall quarter, my first game and the spring quarter to get better,” he said. “It’s just (about) replacing Owa now. … Just missing that position, someone’s gotta step up.”
Goforth onto the field
While McKinley was overloaded with a new level of football last season, Randall Goforth was unable to take part in the action. The redshirt junior safety was sidelined from game two onward because of injuries to both of his shoulders.
Watching from a distance, Goforth said he developed a new perspective on the game and a new level of appreciation for it.
“When you’re out there, there’s some things you don’t see. But when you sit back and watch, you see what’s really going on,” Goforth said. “(Now) I’m more humbled and blessed to be back with (my teammates).”
Even after sitting out for the length of the season, Goforth is not short on playing experience. He played significant time as a freshman in 2012 and then started every game at safety in 2013. Thus, coach Jim Mora said the year off actually helped his most veteran safety.
“As hard as it was for him to sit out last year, I think it benefited him,” Mora said. “I think that he missed the game and he saw what he was missing, and I think that it’s focused him more.”