As Rick Neuheisel spoke to the press Thursday afternoon after his first practice as UCLA football coach, a small roar erupted just a few yards behind him.
It was cornerback Alterraun Verner, whooping and dancing with the rest of the secondary gathered around him.
It was loud enough for Neuheisel to stop and look, and then turn back around with a smile.
“We call it a “˜feel-me’ session,” Verner said. “It’s just for us to get hyped, to bring a new attitude. We’re about business but we can still hang it loose a little bit.”
On a day that featured the typical sloppy play of a first practice, that energy and excitement was one of the most noticeable changes from the days of former coach Karl Dorrell.
“I know we’ve got a million mistakes out there, but they tried hard,” Neuheisel said. “They ran around out there, and they’re eager. When you have that you have a chance.”
Neuheisel seemed to lay low, allowing new offensive coordinator Norm Chow to work extensively with the five quarterbacks competing for the starting spot: Ben Olson, Patrick Cowan, Kevin Craft, Osaar Rasshan and Chris Forcier. Chow will install a new offense this spring.
Defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker was one of the only familiar faces from last season, and his defense looked a little bit sharper than the Bruin offense in drills.
“Our defense is ahead of our offense given that their system is in place,” Neuheisel said. “But our offense will grow each and every day.”
One of the biggest parts of the offense’s development is the quarterback position. Neuheisel and Chow hope to pick a starter by the end of spring ball, though Neuheisel has said he isn’t against waiting until training camp if he’s not ready to make the decision.
On Thursday it was Olson, Cowan and Craft who received the most reps. Olson and Cowan are the obvious favorites because of their experience. Craft is a junior college transfer, and his size and arm strength make him a contender.
Rasshan and Forcier worked with the second teams for most of the day.
All five quarterbacks are working to learn Chow’s new offense as well. Neuheisel wants to give them all a shot.
“It’s a great opportunity to have the chance to work with coach Chow,” Olson said. “I’m just going to try to learn as much as I can from him and appreciate the chance to work with one of the greatest.”
Neuheisel said that he is looking for a quarterback who “knows how to take fast action and make it slow motion.”
One of the major things Neuheisel hopes to change this spring is the tempo in practice. He graded the speed of the Thursday practice as a “B-minus” but said he believes it will improve.
“We want full speed,” Neuheisel said. “The object is that you are not walking on this practice field, you are moving.”
The team is scheduled to practice again today at 4 p.m. and Saturday at 11 a.m.
“There’s too many things to mention that need to be fixed, but we do have great effort and great character, and I am excited about the future,” Neuheisel said.
NOTES: The Bruins are without the full service of their top two runners for the spring, but both Khalil Bell and Raymond Carter were on the field Thursday. … Neuheisel called the sight of defensive tackles Brian Price and Brigham Harwell “a beautiful thing.” … Tight end Adam Heater has switched to center, and he fumbled the snap exchange a few times in practice.