Correction: The original version of this article contained an error. The word “reins” was misspelled.
After months of speculation, predictions and patience, UCLA has chosen its starting quarterback.
Coach Jim Mora announced on Friday that redshirt freshman Brett Hundley will start the season behind center over senior Richard Brehaut, redshirt senior Kevin Prince and freshman Jerry Neuheisel.
“Brett has consistently demonstrated the qualities we value in a starting quarterback and is an outstanding leader who commands the respect of his teammates,” Mora said in a statement. “He has shown excellent decision-making skills, and his accuracy and timing continue to improve with each practice. In addition, he has shown the mobility and creativity needed when a play breaks down.”
Hundley takes the reins as Mora’s first quarterback after Prince opened the last three seasons as the starter under former coach Rick Neuheisel.
The 6-foot-3-inch, 223-pound signal caller entered UCLA in January of 2011 as a highly touted prospect. He was given a chance to compete for the starting job immediately, but the position was eventually handed over to Prince.
With Prince struggling and going through injuries, an opportunity for Hundley to get playing time arose, but in an attempt to preserve his redshirt, Neuheisel never put Hundley into live action during all of last season.
While redshirting was difficult for Hundley during last season, he now has four years of eligibility and the responsibility of leading UCLA for the first season under Mora.
“When I look back on it, redshirting was probably the best thing for me,” Hundley said. “It was tough to have to watch for a year but now I’m still a redshirt freshman. It was a great experience, I learned a lot and now I have a great foundation under me.”
The decision came six days before Mora and offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone’s deadline for choosing a starter, which was set at the end of spring ball. But for the new coaching staff, there are no hard feelings about beating the cut-off date.
“We’re ahead of deadline,” Mazzone said with a smile on his face. “This allows (Brett) to focus on understanding that he is going to be the guy and he is going to take that first snap of the game.”
Healthy again
After three frustrating years of fighting injuries, redshirt junior running back Damien Thigpen is healthy and looking to make an impact on offense.
Thigpen spent his freshman year as a running back but received limited reps. His sophomore year was no better, as he broke his collarbone during the season, ending his year prematurely. On top of that, he tore his hamstring before last season, sidelining him most of last year.
“I’m very confident in saying that everything happens for a reason,” Thigpen said. “All that happened, God did that so I could learn and be humble and take advantage of this opportunity. I feel like that’s what helped with this new staff so now I have an extra year to work with them. I feel like everything happens for a reason.”
Finally, Thigpen is healthy and from the looks of things he could be a major asset for UCLA’s offense. In practice he has shown excellent vision and speed along with tenacity in his run blocking, which coach Mora lauded earlier this week.
On Sunday, Thigpen was a star, breaking off a 60-yard run along with several other impressive carries, warranting cheers from his teammates and fans.
“I’m glad to be back in the swing of things and being able to contribute to the team,” Thigpen said.
Injury update
UCLA’s extensive injury list got a little bit shorter Sunday as junior running back Malcolm Jones (hip), junior defensive end Cassius Marsh (heat) and redshirt junior wide receiver Shaq Evans (hand) returned to practice.
Still, several major contributors continue to sit out including redshirt senior offensive lineman Jeff Baca (concussion), redshirt senior linebacker Patrick Larimore (concussion) and junior linebacker Jordan Zumwalt (heat).