Football Notebook

Good as new

The Bruins got a reason to cheer during the first week of spring
practices in the return of junior quarterback Cory Paus from the
broken collarbone he sustained at the Sun Bowl against Wisconsin.
Paus was back to his usual self during first week, throwing crisp
passes with confidence in Spaulding Field.

Also notable for the Bruins was the return of defensive end
Kenyon Coleman to the practice field. Coleman, who got a medical
redshirt last season after suffering a season-ending knee injury in
the Michigan game, has been in a rigorous rehab program and is
likely to return to form next season to play his senior year before
entering the draft.

Though he’ll sit out this season’s spring practices,
senior DeShaun Foster offered some additional relief to coaches
when he returned successfully from surgery on the little finger of
his left hand last Wednesday.

The surgery was delayed, but his recovery won’t interfere
with the upcoming season, and youngsters Akil Harris and Manuel
White may get more attention and reps in practice the next few
weeks.

Replacing Freddie

With the early departure of underclassman Freddie Mitchell to
the draft in the offseason, the UCLA coaches are faced with the
daunting task of replacing the Biletnikoff semi-finalist. While
returning starter Brian Poli-Dixon (6-foot-5, 219 pounds) is
already slated in at the split-end position for his senior
campaign, much of the spring drills have focused on finding new
blood to fill the flanker position vacated by Mitchell.

True sophomore Tab Perry is likely the most attractive suitor
for the current vacancy, as he was the third option last year
behind Mitchell and Poli-Dixon. His large 6-3 frame makes for an
imposing presence at the position.

Perry added some extra muscle to his legs in the offseason, but
the recent development shouldn’t be any cause for alarm.
Though weighing in at about 225 pounds, Perry seems to have little
trouble alluding and shedding defenders during spring drills.
There’s little doubt that Paus is salivating at the thought
of having two big targets in Poli-Dixon and Perry next season.

Two other receivers to keep an eye on are redshirt sophomore
Jerry Owens and redshirt freshman Craig Bragg. Though Bruin fans
have seen little of either (Owens saw only limited action on
special teams last season), receivers coach Ron Caragher is already
raving about the two’s performances thus far in the spring.
At 6-3 and 183 pounds, Owens is a lighter version of Perry, though
Perry’s work ethic elevated him above Owens in past seasons.
Coaches have high expectations of the speedy Bragg, a player making
a strong impression so far with his constant hustle on the
field.

Uncertainty in the secondary

The thinnest area for the Bruins this spring is in the
secondary. New coaches Phil Snow (defensive coordinator and
safeties coach) and R. Todd Littlejohn (cornerbacks coach) are
working with a unit that has only two returning starters with
serious playing time last season. Though cornerback Ricky Manning
Jr. and strong safety Marques Anderson are among the
conference’s finest, a large cloud of uncertainty hangs over
the other two positions.

Though spring drills are geared toward filling vacated holes,
the secondary may not see the emergence of a starting corner until
the summer, when incoming recruits Matt Ware (6-3, 195), Marcus
Cassel (6-0, 170), Matt Clark (5-9, 160) and Jabril Raymo (6-3,
195) join the team. Coaches have high expectations of the incoming
recruits, and are anticipating one or two of them to step up and
earn significant playing time next season.

Of those returning players, redshirt freshman Ben Emanuel, who
nearly won the job last season, seems to be the favorite to replace
Jason Zdenek at the free safety position. Other top players
competing for time at safety are senior Jason Stephens and redshirt
sophomore Kevin Bryant.

Because Manning stands at 5-10, coaches would prefer a taller
corner to man the other side of the field for strategic matchups.
This remains a concern, considering the top two returners competing
for playing time are junior Joe Hunter (5-11) and true sophomore
Keith Short (5-9).

There still remains, of course, the option converting Anderson
back to cornerback, where he played his freshman and sophomore
seasons before switching to strong safety last year.

“We’re looking forward to the young guys coming in
the fall with the hopes that one or two of them can step up and
play, so it can allow us to keep Marques at the position he’s
used to playing,” Littlejohn said. “The safety position
is critical, so it would be hard for us to just move Marques from a
position that he knows well.”

Notes compiled by Joshua Mason, Daily Bruin Reporter.