SAN BERNARDINO — Jordan Payton said it was a random selection.
The senior wide receiver found himself paired up with freshman quarterback Josh Rosen when UCLA football announced its roommate list for fall training camp.
“It just so happened, I guess it’s random selection, Josh got put in the same suite,” Payton said.
But was it really just a coincidence that UCLA’s top receiver is now stationed with the top candidate to succeed Brett Hundley as the starting quarterback? Maybe it was a designed play by the UCLA coaching staff.
Coach Jim Mora didn’t speak on this matter, but Payton spoke about how the roommate pairing will help him and Rosen build a rapport.
“It’s great, I can help (Rosen) with the plays and kind of get him acclimated with San Bernardino,” Payton said.
The acclimation process was relatively slow for the entire team on Monday. The players weren’t wearing pads, and there were only six short series of competitive 11-on-11 scrimmaging. Rosen and redshirt junior quarterback Jerry Neuheisel both took snaps with the first-team offense, and neither really outshined the other.
“As we go through camp, we will continue to add competitive periods,” Mora said. “We are slowing down the tempo in the first couple days (of camp). … I don’t want to just break ’em (during) the first two days.”
Highlights from day one
The limited period of competitive scrimmaging was not without a few standout plays. Redshirt junior defensive back Marcus Rios asserted himself by making two strong pass deflections. Rios looks to be ready for a big role in the Bruin defensive backfield this year after making a strong return from a fungal infection last year.
“(Rios) is just a true warrior,” said senior cornerback Fabian Moreau. “He’s one of a kind, and he comes out here every day to work, to compete. … He’s a true inspiration to our team.”
On the offensive end, the biggest highlight came from Rosen, as he connected on the longest pass of the day to redshirt sophomore wide receiver Eldridge Massington. Rosen hit Massington in stride, just beyond the defensive back’s reach, to complete the 35-yard streak down the right sideline .
Injury report
After practice, Mora announced that redshirt junior offensive tackle Simon Goines will be out for the entirety of fall training camp due to an undisclosed medical issue that’s not related to any of his previous injuries.
“We’re not sure the severity of it,” Mora said. “Hopefully it’s not real serious, but it’s something that we’ve gotta keep our eye on.”
Another player missing from camp was freshman tight end Chris Clark. Mora said Clark has had mononucleosis for the past couple weeks, but added that Clark should be back to practicing within the next couple of days.
Non-injury absences from camp
Redshirt sophomore running back Craig Lee was out of practice Monday because he’s finishing schoolwork on campus.
“He’s had a really good summer in the workout program and a good summer academically, but he’s got some work that he’s gotta get done,” Mora said. “As soon as he’s able to get that done, then he’ll be able to rejoin us.”
Freshman wide receiver Cordell Broadus was excused from practice Monday for personal reasons, Mora said.