Five days into spring ball, many changes in the football team’s practices are already evident.
The Bruins have traded in their old UCLA practice jerseys with stripes on the shoulders in favor of simple dark blue for the offense and white for the defense.
They’ve added a section of synchronized stretching with ropes after practice and plenty of new faces on the coaching staff.
But one thing remains the same from past springs: The top of the quarterback depth chart is still yet to be decided.
During the team’s first live scrimmage on Tuesday, five quarterbacks received reps: Ben Olson, Pat Cowan, Kevin Craft, Osaar Rasshan and Chris Forcier.
However, with the first-team reps being split so many ways, none of the quarterbacks are getting a lot of experience individually.
“What happens when you try to do that is it’s so thinned out because you have so few reps that no one can step up and be better,” offensive coordinator Norm Chow said. “We all understand that.”
Expect all that to change over the next couple of days as the coaching staff prepares to trim down the first-team reps to three or four quarterbacks.
“Certainly we need to start focusing and getting reps to the guys who we think are going to end up in the front of the line,” coach Rick Neuheisel said.
“It’s not necessarily fair. I feel badly, but we’ve got to get moving for the sake of the team.
“We’ll start having those conversations (today), but it’s not at the point where we’ll be telling anything definitive. We just have to start moving in a direction as soon as Thursday.”
Olson and Cowan, who combined to start 10 games last season, received the most reps during the scrimmage on Tuesday and look to be the top contenders for the starting job, along with transfer Kevin Craft.
RUNNING GAME IMPRESSES: With two of the Bruins’ top running backs, Kahlil Bell and Raymond Carter, recovering from injuries, a pair of backs lower down on the depth chart have had an opportunity to impress the new coaching staff so far this spring.
“Especially considering Kahlil and Ray Carter and a host of freshman aren’t here yet, Christian Ramirez has been outstanding,” Neuheisel said. “I’m pleased with Craig Sheppard. I’m pleased with Chane Moline and Ryen Carew. The kids have been playing well at the tailback position. I’m encouraged there.”
He added, “They all knew this was an opportunity to take advantage of some chances, and I think they’ve answered the bell.”
Ramirez has been receiving the most carries out of the group and drew praise from Neuheisel for his athletic versatility.
INJURY UPDATES: Late in scrimmage play on Tuesday, Carew went down with what looked to be a knee injury, adding to the list of injured Bruins.
On Monday, redshirt freshman safety Glenn Love broke his thumb, but he will not require surgery.
“As soon as the swelling subsides a little bit, he can get casted and come out here and get a lot of work done,” Neuheisel said.
Love redshirted this past season while recovering from hip issues that kept him from playing.