Josh Rosen wasn’t talking about Kenny Young, but he just as well might have been.
“You’re more athletic when you know what to do,” the sophomore quarterback said after Saturday night’s 45-24 win over Arizona.
Though Rosen was answering a question about freshman wide receiver Theo Howard, the sentiment served as an effective explanation for why Young, the team’s junior middle linebacker, has become such an impactful force for the UCLA defense in recent weeks.
“He’s a young man who understands where he needs to be with our defense,” said coach Jim Mora. “He really understands now how to play his position in this defense. When you do that, you play with certainty and when you can play with certainty, you can play fast and that is what I see.”
The former four-star recruit from New Orleans, who had previously been slowed by hesitation and indecision, has showed off his sideline-to-sideline speed with regularity, flying around the field with confidence and purpose to record 25 tackles, two sacks, an interception and two pass breakups over the past three weeks.
“He can run fast and tackle well,” Mora said. “He’s stout against the run inside and against the edge.”
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Young made a mistake late in the game when he took too aggressive of an angle in pursuit of Arizona’s quick freshman quarterback, Khalil Tate, and let Tate escape to the edge, but even that play was an example of the Bruin linebacker’s increased faith in his own instincts and athleticism.
“I feel really, really comfortable right now,” Young said. “But I’m not comfortable, I should say – I have to take it to the next level … my main approach is just stay comfortable but keep reaching higher as far as my performance.”
Young’s improvements have played a large role in helping the UCLA defense improve as the season has progressed, said defensive coordinator Tom Bradley.
“For us to get better, Kenny, as he improves, will greatly help us,” Bradley said. “And a lot of ways he has improved are maybe some things you don’t see. He’s improved on his practice habits, how he prepares for the game, how he goes about everything he’s doing.”