UCLA football’s training approach adapts to new roster, coaching staff

Last season UCLA football relied on a collection of highly-touted individuals.

Eric Kendricks anchored the linebackers. Running back Paul Perkins and wide receiver Jordan Payton fueled the scoring. Quarterback Brett Hundley led the Bruin offense and the team as a whole.

This year, the Bruins find themselves with a different identity based on a new strength: depth.

“The thing that’s interesting for me I think, and probably the players (also) and they don’t even notice, is I’m so used to having (Hundley) as the quarterback and the rhythm of practice that he plays with,” said coach Jim Mora. “Just getting used to these other guys, I think we’ll settle in and practice will get more crisp.”

Instead of the team’s success hinging on a few key players, most of the positions on the team are being decided based on spring and summer training, with few clear starters decided by the third day of spring practice.

“I love it. Definitely the competitiveness, the energy level, the guys are ready to rock and roll. They came here not to be a backup, they came here to be a starter,” said quarterbacks coach Taylor Mazzone on the four-man battle for starting quarterback. “So now, you know, the spotlight’s on them – it’s their time. Every rep counts, every meeting counts. Everything from off the field to on the field is being graded and being evaluated.”

Saturday marked the first session in pads, with the Bruins taking advantage of the opportunity to heighten the competition.

Toward the end of a red-zone drill, redshirt sophomore quarterback Asiantii Woulard scrambled out of the pocket and sprinted for the end zone. Suddenly there was the smack of hard plastic-and-metal helmets as junior linebacker Jayon Brown laid out the quarterback a mere yards from the end zone.

The play added an exclamation point to what was a frustrating outing for Woulard, who struggled in 11-on-11 exercises, throwing interceptions and failing to execute many plays.

Woulard’s miscues allowed redshirt junior quarterback Jerry Neuheisel to shine in the Bruins’ current two-quarterback-a-day system, but aside from a 33-yard touchdown completion Neuheisel also struggled.

The quarterback position is not the only one up for grabs. While the redshirt junior Perkins has clearly established himself as UCLA’s primary option at running back, the race for backup is close. Sophomore Nate Starks opened his campaign Saturday, flashing twice for long touchdown runs, but Mora’s attention was on redshirt sophomore Craig Lee, who is ready for a contributing role with the team after biding his time for two years.

“Craig is so fast and explosive, he has quickness. Once he really understands what to do, he can play with certainty; and when you play with certainty, you play with more speed and then your natural ability shows,” Mora said. “I think it’s important that we find a role for him because he has true speed. Everyone comes along at a different pace, everyone figures it out at a different pace. I just feel like the light’s coming on for him, you notice it.”

The imminent arrival of freshmen Sotonye “SoSo” Jamabo and Bolu Olorunfunmi in the fall only heightens the competition within the running backs.

“We like to be balanced. When we have to run it, be able to run it. There’s times you’ve gotta sling it and be able to sling it,” Mora said. “What is nice is to have a veteran offensive line and the Pac-12 leading rusher (Perkins) returning, with some good ones behind him and some good ones coming in. We should be able to run the ball and any time you can run the ball it does take some pressure off the quarterback.”

The depth of the team allows for a different approach to training in addition to a new mindset. Without Hundley dictating the pace of play for the Bruins, practice has a different feel and a different intensity, Mora said.

“In the past we’ve had to alter a lot of our practices. We’ve had to cut reps out, we’ve had to slow down and right now we’ve got enough guys that can play at a high level we can practice the way we want to practice,” Mora said.

The transition from last year’s program to this season starts from the top down, with changes in both the roster and the coaching staff. Linebackers and special teams coach Scott White has had to step into a new role following the departure of Jeff Ulbrich to the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons.

“We’re doing a lot of the same stuff,” White said. “A lot of things that Jeff and I did were all collaborative and we just take it to the next level.”