With fall camp two weeks away, I figured it was time to dust off the football blog and do a little preview of the upcoming season in a few parts.

Part one will be examining the offensive depth chart with the addition of the freshman, part two will do the same, but with the defense, and part three will be prediction time.

So if you have been following the Bruins since the days of Cade McNoun you may have noticed that the offensive side of the ball has been pretty hit or miss due to the lack of a consistently good quarterback or a decent offensive line.

While I am not ready to say those woes will end this year, there should be marked improvement from last year’s squad.

Quarterback:

1. Kevin Prince RS Sophomore
2. Darius Bell Sophomore OR
3. Richard Brehaut Sophomore
4. Nick Crissman RS Sophomore

Looking at the quarterback position, Kevin Prince will be the quarterback at UCLA until he graduates, it is just that simple. Last year Prince was very inconsistent. One good half followed by a bad one. But what needs to be understood about last year was that Prince was playing in his first live action football in nearly two years. He lost most of his senior year to a knee injury and then redshirted his first year on campus.

I think Prince will cement himself as a top five conference quarterback this year. He has added weight to help prevent injury and he is a lot more athletic than people give him credit for.

Backing up Prince will either be new transfer Darius Bell, younger brother of former Bruin Kahlil, or Richard Brehaut. Ideally the Bruins would like Bell to come in and lock up the back up position and allow Brehaut to redshirt. It’s not a great thing to have four scholarship quarterbacks on the roster that are all the same class.

Bell is the definition of a dual threat. He went to the same JC as former Oregon QB Jeremiah Masoli and put up great numbers last year. With the newly installed “Revolver” Bell should thrive in certain situations.

Tailback

1. Malcolm Jones Freshman OR
2. Jonathan Franklin RS Sophomore OR
3. Derrick Coleman Junior
4. Jordan James Freshman
5. Anthony Barr Freshman *

The running game is where the Bruins have really struggled under Rick Neuheisel, but that appears to be in the past with the added talent to the Roster. Malcolm Jones was named Gatorade National Player of the Year last year. He has the talent to come in and start immediately and be a player who demands 25-30 carries a game. He is the best pure running back talent since Deshaun Foster.

Jonathan Franklin had a decent year last year, but struggled with holding onto the football. If he can cure his fumbleitis, he could be a good back. Derrick Coleman is a power back who, in his time at UCLA, has constantly been knocked backwards. This is the year for him to prove he deserves to stay at the tailback position or move to another position.

The other two freshmen coming in are the speedster Jordan James and the versatile Anthony Barr. James could be a great compliment to Jones, but I think he will end up redshirting this year. Barr is projected at a lot of different positions but he is listed as a tailback on the roster right now. However he is 6’5’’ and weights 228 lbs. A little big for tailback, if you ask me. I would like to see Barr on defense but his ball skills are good enough that he could stick around at the new F-back position.

“F-back”

1. Morrell Presley Sophomore OR
2. Christian Ramirez RS Senior OR
3. Damien Thigpen Sophomore OR
4. Jayson Allmond RS Freshman
5. Anthony Barr Freshman *
6. Tobi Umodu RS Senior

The F-back in Norm Chow’s dream. Basically it is a position where you try to get as many mismatches as possible. Between Presley, Ramirez, Thigpen, and Allmond no two guys are alike. You have a tight end/h-back/wide out, a powerback, a scat-back, and a beastly fullback. It is going to be a nightmare to gameplan against the Bruins for this position alone.

Barr has apparently been working out at f-back and has looked very good at the position, so I could see him sticking here.

Wide receivers

1. Nelson Rosario Junior
2. Taylor Embree Junior
3. Josh Smith RS Junior
4. Randall Carroll Sophomore
5. Jerry Johnson RS Sophomore
6. Ricky Marvray RS Freshman
7. Jerry Rice Jr. RS Freshman

The wide receiver position at UCLA is by far the most talented position on the team and could rank up with the top units in the country. Nelson Rosario is a star in the making. His 6’5” frame makes him a huge target for Prince and his leaping ability make him nearly impossible to cover.

Taylor Embree is a very technically sound receiver who always seems to find holes in zone defenses. He won’t wow anyone, but he will be a great target. Josh Smith is the playmaker of the unit. He is the all-time all-purpose yard leader at Colorado, where he spent his first two years. Get ready to hold your breath when he has the ball in his hands.

Randall Carroll and Jerry Johnson are two guys who have all the skills, but for whatever reason it just hasn’t clicked with them yet. Carroll was the fastest sprinter in California a year and a half ago, so if he can figure out the mental part, he could be an all-American in the making.

Ricky Marvray and Jerry Rice Jr. are two guys who make the most out of the skills they have. They are the hard working guys who don’t possess the natural skill as some of the other guys, but they just seem to want it more. Both could be relied upon in situations this year.

Tight End

1. Joseph Fauria RS Sophomore OR
2. Cory Harkey Junior
3. Morrell Presley Sophomore
4. John Young Freshman

Another reason why Prince could make a leap this year is the addition of former High School teammate Joseph Fauria. Fauria’s 6’8’’ frame makes him a huge target for Prince to find. Cory Harkey is a prototypical tight end. Harkey is a good blocker who can also catch the ball consistently. Presley could see some snaps at tight end but he will mostly be used as an f-back. John Young will likely redshirt and could possibly be moved to offensive line if he puts on enough weight.

Offensive line

Left Tackle

1. Micah Kia RS Senior OR
2. Sean Sheller RS Senior
3. Brett Downey RS Sophomore

Left Guard

1. Jeff Baca Junior
2. Chris Ward Freshman
3. Casey Griffiths Sophomore

Center

1. Kai Maiava RS Junior
2. Ryan Taylor RS Senior

Right Guard

1. Eddie Williams RS Senior
2. Greg Capella RS Freshman
3. Darius Savage RS Senior
4. Stan Hasiak Sophomore **

Right Tackle

1. Mike Harris RS Junior
2. Wade Yandell Freshman
3. Kody Innes Freshman

The offensive line is the murkiest position on offense. While there is plenty of starting experience, there is not a ton of success in that experience. Plus there was a lot of attrition this offseason. The Bruins lost freshman all-American Xavier Su’a-filo who would have started at left tackle for the second straight year. Stan Hasiak who had a rough year last year with off the field issues was ruled academically ineligible last week and will spend this year redshirting and working with scout team. Lastly, Nick Abele, who was expected to compete for a starting spot this year, had to retire due to health issues with his neck.

Now despite those losses, the Bruins should have a better line this year than last. Mike Harris, Kai Maiava, and Jeff Baca have all been anchors of the line for the past two seasons. Eddie Williams was a stud at right guard before breaking his foot and missing the end of the season. Micah Kia is a team captain and should be healthy after blowing out his knee last year, but if not Sheller is back and healthy and should be a steady back up at the very least.

Chris Ward and Wade Yandell could both compete for spots in the two deeps this fall. Both guys show that Neuheisel is making a concerted effort to increase talent on the line, and starting next year, the line could be a strong point of the team.

Stay tuned tomorrow for an update on the defensive side of the ball.

With the season a little over a week away it is time to do some previewing. This week we will start with the offense and then move on to the defense and special teams next week.

Overview:
Last season saw UCLA struggle mightily on offense. Kevin Craft threw a school record 20 interceptions. The running game failed to produce a hundred yard rusher in any game last year. The offensive line was in a word atrocious. Although there was talent at the receiver position, because of the rest of the offensive weaknesses, they failed to make much of a difference.



A year and a top 15 recruiting class later brings some weapons to the ever dangerous Norm Chows arsenal. With many position battles ongoing and an infusion of speed and strength the team will be markedly better than the team that ranked 116 out of 119 teams in rushing, 73 in passing offense, 111 in total offense, and 110 in scoring offense.

Quarterback:
The starting quarterback this year is not Kevin Craft. That right there is reason enough to be excited for the season. Craft had an awful season last year, but it was not all his fault. Redshirt freshman Kevin Prince was given every opportunity this spring to win the starting quarterback job and that is just what he did, beating out Craft, a senior, and freshman Richard Brehaut, who enrolled early to compete for the job. Despite having a less than stellar spring, Prince was tabbed the starter and since the end of spring practice has done everything in his power to get better.



This season will be an up and down year for Prince. He has shown the ability to make all of the thrown necessary to be a fantastic quarterback, but he has also shown that he can get rattled under pressure. Going against the defense that he did all spring makes it understandable, but against the front seven of someone like USC it could be a little troubling.

Despite only being a redshirt freshman, I think Prince will be a capable game manager if the offensive line gives him some time. He does not suffer the same affliction Craft does when it comes to turning the ball over but he is still young and will need time to mature.

Runningbacks:
The big news this week was that redshirt freshman Jonathan Franklin has taken over as the number one back on the depth chart, leaping both junior Christian Ramirez and sophomore Derrick Coleman. I am excited to see Franklin this year. He is a speedy back that has shown the ability to break tackles and has enough breakaway speed to be a homerun threat for the Bruins.



Coleman will also be a big part of the running game this year. At 230 pounds and 4.5 40 speed, he is the rare combination of size and speed UCLA hasn't had since the days of Skip Hicks and DeShaun Foster. Coleman and Franklin could be a solid combo for the Bruins for the next few years. Dare I say a poor mans Reggie Bush and Lendale White combo that Norm Chow had at USC.



The two relative unknown backs that will also look for carries this year are redshirt freshman Milton Knox and true freshman Damien Thigpen. Knox is a small, shifty back in the mold of Maurice Jones- Drew. Knox does not have the same speed Jones-Drew had but when he runs with a purpose it is difficult to keep him out of the lineup. Thigpen is the burner. He has speed that UCLA has never really had. Thigpen ran a 4.28 40 this spring for the Bruins. It is likely that Thigpen will not redshirt and will instead lineup all over the place, kick return, wide receiver, and running back. Thigpen also had a legendary ability to block kicks in high school.





Wide receiver:
The wide receiver group the Bruins have puts them near the top of the Pac-10 as far as depth and skill. Senior Terrance Austin returns after breaking the record for all-purpose yards a season ago. Austin will again be relied upon to provide leadership to the offense and to a relatively young group of pass catchers. Lining up on the other side from Austin is Taylor Embree who set freshman school receiving records for yards and receptions a year ago. Embree is a year older and stronger. His route running ability is great and he catches everything thrown at him. Look for Prince to rely heavily of Embree this year.





Gavin Ketchum brings more senior leadership to the receivers and a huge target in the redzone. If Nelson Rosario can put together a consistent effort in his sophomore season, the Bruins will have a huge target with great leaping ability. Rosario can look like the best player on the field one play then the worst the next.



The two true freshmen coach Rick Neuheisel brought in should provide some depth and excitement to the receiving corps for the next few years. Randall Carroll ran the fastest 100 yard dash in California in the past 30 years as a senior last year. His hands are improving and if he sees the field he gives Prince a deep threat in the same mold as Freddie Mitchell. The only difference is that Carroll can run better routes than Mitchell could. The other freshman is Ricky Marvray. Marvray showed this fall that he is mature beyond his years. He is a fantastic route runner and catches everything thrown at him. He will be a sure handed target for a long time. Marvray is likely to redshirt this year unless injuries bring him off the scout team.



Tight Ends:
I am going to go out on a limb and say that the Bruins have the best tight end group in the nation. Seniors Logan Paulsen and Ryan Moya compliment each other well. Paulsen is the bigger guy, creates more mismatches, and is a load to bring down. Moya is the faster, more agile and better pass catcher.





There three other guys looking to make an impact as tight ends this year. Sophomore Cory Harkey who provides a solid combo of pass catching and blocking ability. Redshirt sophomore Nate Chandler has changed from tight end to tackle more times than a super model with an eating problem. But Chandler has found a home at tight end and has shown soft enough hands to be a threat in the passing game. True freshman Morrell Presley is the x factor. Not really a tight end, not really a wide receiver, but a threat either way. Presley will be a factor from day one. His size and speed combo is comparable to Marcedes Lewis but he just isn't the same size. If Presley can catch the ball consistently he is an All-American in the making.





Offensive line:
The biggest question mark at UCLA in a long time. The starting lineup has been set though. The problem is the lack of experience. At left tackle, protecting Prince's blindside, is true freshman Xavier Su'a-Filo. Su'a-Filo was a signing day gift. The coaching staff hoped that he could come in a start from day one and he hasn't disappointed. Hopefully he will show that he is strong enough to stand up to Pac-10 defenses.



At left guard fellow freshman Stan Hasiak will be helping Su'a-Filo hold down the left side of the line. Hasiak is already one of the strongest linemen at UCLA and has shown his mean streak. Hasiak and S'ua-Filo are the future of the UCLA line, if they are as good as advertised, Neuheisel can look forward to a long career at UCLA.



At center, the Bruins found a good one in redshirt sophomore Kai Maiava. Maiava was a freshman all-American at Colorado before transferring to UCLA when CU tried to turn him into a fullback. Maiava will be a solid player and a huge upgrade from a year ago.



At right guard junior college transfer Eddie Williams takes over for Nick Ekbatani who was the only player to start all 12 games on the line last year. It really speaks volume to the fact that Ekbatani was one of the best linemen last year and will not be starting this year. Williams is big body with quick feet. He has also shown a mean streak and will hopefully add some strength to the line this year.

At right tackle sophomore Jeff Baca is the only player to start at all last year to return to the starting line this year. Baca did a decent job playing both guard and tackle a year ago. The thought is that he will move inside and take over for Williams once he graduates but if he continues to flourish at tackle is seems that he has a good chance to stick there.



In the end, the offensive line will be much better this year. The freshmen may provide some headaches but next year it will be comforting to know that they have experience. The line is very young but that just means that they will be together longer.

Verdict:
The Bruins will be better this year on offense. Now better may still not be all that great but I think they will rank in the top 50 in most categories. The biggest thing that we should be looking for this year from the Bruins offense is a better time of possession and better yards per carry by the running backs. If those two things happen then the team will be successful.