Rain soaked the Spaulding Field turf Saturday morning.

Players in drenched jerseys stumbled and slipped across the field.

Balls sailed across the field, often crashing to the ground as receivers and cornerbacks battled to corral them.

Saturday’s practice seemed far from ordinary for UCLA football, especially given Los Angeles’ typical sunny weather and clear skies.

Despite the dreariness that seemed to drape over the Bruins’ practice, nothing else looked amiss in the Wasserman Football Center confines.

Music blasted over the walls of the facility to greet the early risers moseying about campus, players and coaches danced, and friendly jests were heard from the sidelines.

It’d be easy to whine about the downpour. But the Bruins leaned into it.

“Guys had great energy, and they brought the juice a little bit more because of the rain,” said coach DeShaun Foster. “They wanted to have fun, and I enjoyed the way that they approached today.”

The headline-grabbing commitments of former Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava – the top prize in the transfer portal – and his younger brother Madden Iamaleava have commanded the spotlight, sweeping other position groups under the radar.

This is especially true in the secondary, a room that also underwent considerable turnover after last season. Every 2024 starter in the Bruins’ defensive backfield either graduated, left for the NFL or transferred.

And to bolster the secondary, which added eight transfers during the offseason, the Bruins recently welcomed former Oregon cornerback Rodrick Pleasant – the former four-star recruit who brings a threatening trait that can stifle opposing receivers: speed.

Before transferring from Oregon last week, the sophomore was also a member of the Ducks’ track and field team, recording collegiate-best 6.69- and 10.26-second marks in the 60- and 100-meter dashes, respectively. Pleasant is fresh off a 10.66-second mark in the 100-meter dash at the 2025 Oregon Team Invite but has yet to announce whether he will join UCLA’s track and field team.

However, the Gardena, California, local is joining a secondary that seems overfilled with talent and hunger.

“One thing I like about this group is they do what I ask,” said defensive backs coach Demetrice Martin. “I pick one thing every day, and they get better at that one thing.”

Among UCLA’s eight defensive back transfers is senior Key Lawrence, who has seemingly become an exuberant personality on the team.

During a catching drill, the safety shouted, “That’s some DHop stuff right there,” in reference to star NFL wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins as he grasped the ball and toe-tapped to keep himself in bounds.

Throughout UCLA’s 12th spring practice Saturday, Lawrence bobbed his head and swayed his body to “Mo Chicken“ by BossMan Dlow. Although his banter concerning the future Hall of Fame wideout and his rhythmic gestures embraced the fun of the sport, Lawrence’s leadership seems to be what sets him apart – especially among a secondary with novel and inexperienced pieces.

“I just like being a good teammate,” Lawrence said. “A wise man learns from others, and I just want to teach what I have and give my knowledge to everyone.”

A squad’s defense is often anchored by its secondary. And despite the Bruins’ No. 6 nationally ranked rush defense from the 2024 season – one that allowed just 96.2 rushing yards per contest – the defensive backs struggled, which stunted the unit’s production.

Opposing field generals and wide receivers racked up 244.7 passing yards per game against the Bruins in 2024, which ranked in the latter half of the Football Bowl Subdivision.

However, a revamped secondary may provide UCLA with an improved passing defense that can build upon the flashes they showed last season.

And Foster said he expects his secondary to embrace the culture he has sought to implement – founded on the principles of discipline, respect and enthusiasm – and to establish itself as a formidable unit in his second year at the helm.

“Three phases, one goal, zero excuses,” Foster said.