Beyond Their Years: Freshman contributed skill to UCLA football’s season

1. Kylie Fitts (DE)

Kylie Fitts appeared in six games, recording a single tackle for a loss against Cal in early October. The defensive end would miss every game following the Oregon trip later that month. He underwent surgery in mid-November to treat fractures in the same wrist that he dislocated at the end of his high school career. Should Fitts be close to full health in 2014, he may well see extensive playing time on a defensive line that will be without sack leaders Cassius Marsh and Keenan Graham.

 

2. Thomas Duarte (Y)

Thomas Duarte flashed big-play potential in a three-catch, 76-yard performance against Cal that featured a 27-yard touchdown. A sneaky degree of elusiveness from the 6-foot-3-inch Y-receiver materialized in his two biggest gains of the season: A 31-yard gain against Cal and a 38-yard gain at Arizona featured Duarte shaking and spinning past a defender or two for several yards before being brought down. The Cal game proved to be his peak: He crossed the 40-yard barrier just once in 12 games during a 206-yard, two-touchdown campaign.

3. Jayon Brown (ILB)

Jayon Brown received conference honors for his kick coverage efforts against Colorado and was named Pac-12 Special Teams Player of the Week in early November. Brown’s performance consisted of two tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery that set up a 14-yard scoring drive. The safety-turned-linebacker collected six tackles, all of the solo variety, across the 10 games that he played.

 

4. Deon Hollins (OLB)

Deon Hollins drew rave reviews during the summer. Coach Jim Mora went as far as to say that Hollins and Anthony Barr were perhaps the fastest edge rushers in the nation. For now, the outside linebacker’s potential remains unrealized. As a mostly situational pass rusher, Hollins recorded five tackles, one for a loss, and no sacks through nine games. UCLA’s top three sack producers will leave at year’s end, making the development of Hollins key for the future of the Bruins’ front seven.

5. Kenny Clark (DT)

Nose tackle Kenny Clark began the season behind Seali’i Epenesa, but worked his way into taking away several snaps each game from the senior. Clark would end the year with starting nods against Oregon and USC. At a spot devoid of eye-popping numbers, a position that defensive line coach Angus McClure said is double-teamed on most plays, Clark boasted considerable production. The former wrestler collected 13 more tackles and 2.5 more tackles for loss than Epenesa, while appearing in just one more game. Clark nearly generated his first turnover at USC, shooting out of his stance to immediately dip underneath a center en route to a strip-sack of quarterback Cody Kessler. The loose ball, however, was recovered by a Trojan.

 

6. Sean Covington (P)

Sean Covington could hardly be expected to make UCLA forget about the first punter taken in the 2013 NFL draft, Jeff Locke. Indeed, the freshman’s first year fell well short of Locke’s final season: Covington trapped opponents inside of their own 20-yard line 20 less times and booted 13 less punts of 50 or more yards. However, the specialist nonetheless led the Bruins to a top-15 finish in net punting average, a measure that factors in how good of a position a punter puts his coverage team in to limit return yards. Covington dabbled in kick returns as well, booting 38 to placekicker Ka’imi Fairbairn’s 44; Locke handled all kickoff duties during his senior year.

 

7. Alex Redmond (RG)

Right guard Alex Redmond ended the season as one of only two offensive linemen who started every game at his original position for UCLA. Weighing in at 300-plus pounds, the high school wrestler can move when he needs to. On a 36-yard Hundley rushing touchdown in the closing minutes against Utah, Redmond was the lone lineman sent to block down field on the quarterback draw. Against a talented USC front, Redmond was forced to adapt after Caleb Benenoch was ejected for striking. The line, which saw the insertion of redshirt sophomore Ben Wysocki, seemed to play just fine, surrendering just two sacks one week after giving up nine to Arizona State.

 

8. Tahaan Goodman (S)

Backup safety Tahaan Goodman stepped into a more prominent role during the final three weeks of the season. Against Washington, Goodman used his facemask to dislodge a ball from the left arm of Washington running back Bishop Sankey, resulting in a fumble recovery by Eddie Vanderdoes. Goodman went on to record four of his 12 tackles on the season against Arizona State, pressed into action when fellow safeties Randall Goforth and Anthony Jefferson saw reps at cornerback to compensate for a hobbled Fabian Moreau. Goodman saw a healthy number of minutes versus USC as well, as Moreau sat out and safety Goforth frequently left his spot for cornerback in the Bruins’ nickel package.

 

9. Scott Quessenberry (C)

Originally a backup center, Scott Quessenberry slid to left guard after junior Xavier Su’a-Filo moved to left tackle to compensate for the loss of Simon Goines. Quessenberry could be seen diagnosing movements and fronts during his first start against Oregon, and the guard has held down the spot ever since the trip to Eugene, Ore. His propensity for making adjustments even earned him a comparison to NFL quarterback Peyton Manning from quarterback Brett Hundley, according to a laughing coach Jim Mora. Offensive line coach Adrian Klemm pointed out that the interior of his line struggled against an Arizona State led by Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year defensive tackle Will Sutton. Quessenberry often drew the unfavorable task of guarding Sutton, but Mora expressed pride in his freshman guard fighting for every bit of position against the monstrous fifth-year senior.

 

10. Caleb Benenoch (RT)

Caleb Benenoch took over at right tackle after a broken right ankle and ligament tear ended former starter Torian White’s season during the first quarter against Utah. As pointed out by coach Jim Mora, Benenoch did not have the benefit of playing adjacent to an experienced lineman, given that right guard Alex Redmond is also a freshman. Offensive line coach Adrian Klemm said that Benenoch “played pretty well” in arguably the toughest day of pass protection for the Bruins, a nine-sack day against Arizona State that saw redshirt sophomore quarterback Brett Hundley pressured and hit a multitude of times.

 

11. Jalen Ortiz (WR)

Jalen Ortiz logged four catches for a net of 27 yards. The backup F-receiver nearly scored against Colorado, showing off his quickness to take advantage of good blocking by his fellow receivers on a 10-yard catch-and-run to set the Bruins up at the Buffaloes’ 2-yard line. Ortiz played in all 12 UCLA games, but failed to record a catch in the final third of the season.

 

12. Charles Dawson (DB)

Walk-on defensive back Charles Dawson played in three games this year, recording two tackles during the second half of a 59-13 win against New Mexico State in September.

 

13. Isaako Savaiinaea (ILB)
Isaako Savaiinaea participated in plenty of reps throughout fall camp, with starting inside linebacker Eric Kendricks missing all the practices with an ankle issue. Savaiinaea made good on what he learned in the preseason, answering the call to the tune of five second-half tackles against Stanford when Kendricks left the game because of a kidney injury. The Hawaii native started in place of a battered Kendricks two weeks later against Colorado and produced just like UCLA’s leading tackler: Savaiinaea racked up seven of his 24 tackles against the Buffaloes, ranking second among Bruins for the game. Each of his Colorado tackles occurred no more than three yards past the line of scrimmage.

 

14. Eddie Vanderdoes (DE)
Five-star recruit Eddie Vanderdoes joined the team during fall camp, but wasted no time in becoming productive on the field, debuting with six tackles against Nevada. Vanderdoes provided more of a traditional, big-bodied 3-4 defensive end presence than frequent counterpart Cassius Marsh. The freshman did not supply much of a pass rush in the way of recording sacks, but made his 305-pound frame felt near the line of scrimmage. He ranked second among Bruins’ defensive linemen in tackles with 38, four and a half of them for a loss. Vanderdoes went on to record at least one stop per game until playing against USC. Though held off the defensive stat sheet in the regular season finale, Vanderdoes scored a 1-yard rushing touchdown on the Trojans and hauled in a pass for an 18-yard gain to convert a fourth-and-2 near midfield during UCLA’s final scoring drive against Arizona State.

 

15. Cameron Judge (ILB)

Primarily a special teams player, inside linebacker Cameron Judge collected 10 tackles and played in all 12 games. Judge changed the complexion of a 14-10 second quarter game against Colorado by using his shoulder to force a fumble on kickoff coverage. Teammate Jayon Brown wound up recovering the ball and setting UCLA up at the Colorado 14-yard line to take a two-possession lead three plays later.

 

16. Myles Jack (OLB/RB)

UCLA entered the season seeking a complementary piece to All-American outside linebacker Anthony Barr. UCLA ended up with the Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year and the Pac-12 Freshman Offensive Player of the Year. On defense, Myles Jack’s presence near the ball often resulted in good things for UCLA. He finished fourth on the team in tackles, fifth in tackles for loss, recovered two fumbles and registered a blocked punt. Yet what distinguished Jack as a defender were his coverage skills and instincts. He defended 11 passes on the season, earning an interception for one of those deflections. The linebacker could even be seen, at times, in the vicinity of big-time receiving threats like Ty Montgomery and Marqise Lee. Jack continued to set himself apart as a football player by scoring a rushing touchdown in each of UCLA’s final four games. The high school running back scored seven touchdowns as a short-yardage jackhammer and showed off his ample athleticism in ripping off runs of 29, 37 and 66 yards.

 

17. Darren Andrews (WR)

Darren Andrews played in eight games as a Z-receiver behind redshirt senior Shaquelle Evans, hauling in four passes for 52 yards. His first reception came in the season opener, converting a third-and-10 against Nevada for 17 yards by going to the ground for a low catch in a window among three defenders. Andrews also returned some kicks to start the year, totaling six combined punt and kickoff returns for 105 yards. The reserve tore a lateral meniscus in UCLA’s home finale loss to Arizona State, which brought a quiet end to his season: All of his offensive production came within the first six games on the schedule.

 

 

18. Priest Willis (CB)

Priest Willis, a highly touted recruit who officially joined UCLA during fall camp in August, struggled in limited action through seven games. The cornerback turned and slipped on a long pass that resulted in a 33-yard score, ending what had been a UCLA shutout in the fourth quarter. Willis hit the field early against Arizona State, helping to fill in for an injured Fabian Moreau. Willis notched a pass deflection, but had his side of the field targeted when UCLA’s secondary gave up a 26-yard catch that put the Sun Devils on the UCLA 3-yard line during an eventual touchdown drive. Given coaches’ choice to frequently use safeties Goforth and Jefferson at cornerback in response to injury issues, Willis figures to have some ways to go before earning consistent play time in the defensive backfield.

Compiled by Emilio Ronquillo, Bruin Sports senior staff.