Yesterday we looked at the offense for the Bruins and how I think it will all shake out by the time the season starts.

Today we are going to look at the defense.

Last year the defense was experienced and had heart. This year, what the unit lacks in experience it makes up for with talent and speed. This may be the fastest defense in the history of UCLA football. Now it will be the coaching staff’s job to get that speed to translate on the field.



Defensive End:

Left end:
1. Datone Jones Junior
2. Owamagbe Odighizuwa Freshman
3. Reggie Stokes RS Senior

Right end:
1. Damien Holmes RS Sophomore OR
2. Keenan Graham RS Freshman
3. Iuta Tepa Sophomore
4. Derrick Bryant Freshman

Datone Jones is ready to break out. This will be his third year starting in the program and by all accounts, he has the strength and size to be a legitimate defensive end in the Pac 10.

Owa is a freak. Pure and simple, he is an all-American in the making and will be pushing for playing time immediately. He could start at right end from day one, but I think he is the heir apparent to Jones.

Damien Holmes has a good motor but needs to play stronger than he did last year. Keenan Graham is the fastest defensive end and by all means would have pushed for playing time last year had it not been for a broken jaw just before the season started. He will be a terror off the edge and had a chance to be the first Bruin to record double-digit sacks since Bruce Davis.

Reggie Stokes shouldn’t be much of a factor this year; he will mainly be relied upon to provide depth. Tepa has a chance to get some playing time; he was just too weak as a freshman last year to do anything spectacular. Derrick Bryant will be a good player in time; he just needs some seasoning and will likely redshirt this year.



Defensive Tackle:
1. David Carter RS Senior
2. Nate Chandler RS Junior
3. Cassius Marsh Freshman
4. Justin Edison RS Junior
5. Donovon Carter RS Sophomore
6. Sealii Epenesa Freshman
7. Andy Keane RS Senior
8. Wesley Flowers Freshman

Replacing Brian Price won't be possible. Now with that being said, the Bruins have decided that speed at defensive tackle will be the best way to combat the loss of the Pac 10 defensive player of the year.

David Carter has never been a starter before, but as a back up last year he showed that he is capable of being a good defensive tackle. Now with an offseason under his belt, he should be an all-conference type player.

Nate Chandler may have finally found a position. After bouncing back and forth between offensive tackle and tight end, he will be given every chance to get a lot of playing time as defensive tackle. Chandler is now up to 290 lbs and apparently still runs in the 4.6 range 40-yard dash. That is terrifying if he can translate that on the field.

Cassius Marsh will be an all-American during his time at UCLA and will get plenty of playing time as a freshman. Justin Edison finally has enough weight on him to see the playing field, but it remains to be seen if he can play.

Donovon Carter is a former outside linebacker who has put on enough weight to get some time. If he was able to keep his linebacker speed he could be difficult to block inside. Sealii Epenesa will be a run-stuffing machine when he sees the field. He will likely redshirt this year, but his 320 lbs body will be ready to play once called upon.

If Andy Keane is on the field it will be bad news for the Bruins. If we are relying on him there are much bigger problems with the program. Wesley Flowers is not nearly ready, unless he is competing in a Whoopi Goldberg look-a-like contest. He will redshirt and need to put on a lot of weight if he is ever going to get playing time.



Linebacker

Strong side
1. Akeem Ayers RS Junior
2. Isaiah Bowens RS Freshman
3. Aramide Olaniyan Freshman

Middle
1. Patrick Larimore RS Sophomore OR
2. Steve Sloan Junior
3. Todd Golper RS Freshman
4. Jordan Zumwalt Freshman
5. Eric Kendricks Freshman

Weak side
1. Glenn Love RS Junior OR
2. Sean Westgate Junior
3. Jared Koster Freshman
4. Anthony Barr Freshman *

Akeem Ayers is an all-American and Pac 10 defensive player of the year candidate. It is likely that this is his last season in Westwood. He has first round talent and has finally put it all together. It will be up to the coaching staff to find an heir to Ayers because soon we will be missing him.

Isaiah Bowens could be that guy. He is raw as far as football goes. He has only been playing for a few years but his athleticism is great and he has put on enough weight that he passes the eyeball test. But Aramide Olaniyan will factor into that position as well. Olaniyan has the look and mentality of a future captain at UCLA. He may need to redshirt to put on weight but when he finally does play, he will be one for the ages.

At the middle linebacker I hope that Patrick Larimore can win the starting job over Steve Sloan. Larimore is the right kind of crazy to be a linebacker. Last year during a practice he hit someone so hard that he bent his facemask. I want someone like that leading my defense.

Todd Golper and Jordan Zumwalt will likely have to battle for the starting job later in their careers and that will be a position battle to watch for the future. Zumwalt will likely redshirt along with Eric Kendricks, who is not someone to sleep on.

The weak side position is up for grabs. Glenn Love moved to linebacker from safety and I hope he wins the job. He has a linebacker body and likes to hit. His speed is also a big plus. Sean Westgate has the heart of a lion but the body of a mouse. I love him on special teams but I just don’t see him holding up as an every down linebacker.

Jared Koster was a late addition to the roster. He greyshirted last year and has impressed the coaches in his short time on campus. Anthony Barr is currently on the offensive side of the ball, but it is possible that he could move to defense and be used as either a linebacker or a safety.



Cornerback
1. Sheldon Price Sophomore
2. Aaron Hester RS Sophomore
3. Andrew Abbot RS Sophomore
4. Courtney Viney RS Junior
5. Anthony Jefferson Freshman
6. Marlon Pollard RS Freshman
7. Tevin McDonald Freshman
8. Brandon Sermons Sophomore **

Suddenly Neuheisel doesn’t look as foolish for throwing Sheldon Price to the fire. Now he has a cornerback with lots of game experience who will step in nicely for the legendary Alterraun Verner. Aaron Hester is also a great prospect who would have started had it not been for an injury last year.

Andrew Abbot and Courtney Viney will likely battle for the nickel corner position. They are both gifted players but I think the edge goes to Abbot because Viney is 5’8’’ and the Bruins like big corners.

Anthony Jefferson will likely redshirt, but he was a great pick up by Neuheisel who will be the next great shut down corner at UCLA. Marlon Pollard has apparently been turning heads this summer and could work his way into the rotation.

Tevin McDonald has a safeties body, but will likely redshirt because unless injuries force him into action, he will likely not get much run this year. Brandon Sermons broke his leg during a non-contact drill this spring and will redshirt this year while he is recovering.



Safety

Free Safety
1. Rahim Moore Junior
2. Dalton Hilliard Sophomore
3. Dietrich Riley Freshman
4. Alex Mascarenas RS Freshman

Strong Saftey
1. Tony Dye Junior
2. Stan McKay RS Freshman
3. Anthony Barr Freshman

Rahim Moore led the NCAA in interceptions last year with 10. His ball skills are unparalleled in college football. With another good season it is possible that he could take his talent to the NFL. If that is the case Dalton Hilliard will be ready to step in. Hilliard is a big hitter who formerly played running back in high school, so he has some ball skills.

Dietrich Riley will see the playing field in some capacity this season. He is too talented and too important a recruit to not see the field. If that is not on defense he could be relied upon to return kicks or even a little bit on offense out of the Wildcat.

Alex Mascarenas will likely only be a special teams guy.

At strong safety Stan McKay will push Tony Dye for his starting job, but I think Dye’s experience will allow him to keep the job. McKay will, however, be a great safety at UCLA. This year he may only be used situationally and for special teams, but he will be successful when he finally gets his chance.

Anthony Barr could be an interesting prospect at safety. He has a similar build to Taylor Mays the former USC all-American.

Check back tomorrow for pre-fall camp season predictions.

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.

This weekend the Bruins travel to Knoxville to take on what could be considered their biggest SEC rival. This will be the 15th matchup in the history of the two schools. Currently Tennessee holds a seven wins to five edge over the Bruins with two ties. The first meeting was in 1965 under legendary coach Tommy Prothro. Since their inaugural meeting the schools have not gone longer than 11 years between meetings.

Last year the Vols came to Pasadena ranked 18th in the county ready to take on the Bruins who were coming off an interesting offseason coaching change. The Bruins came out ready to play and upset the Vols 27-24 in overtime.

This year the Vols will be looking for revenge against the Bruins. Neyland Stadium, where the Vols play their home games, will provide quite a hostile environment for the Bruins because of its 102,037 seat capacity.

So lets go position by position to take a closer look at the matchup.

Quarterback:
At quarterback the Vols have senior Jonathan Crompton. Last year Crompton struggled through out the year and was eventually benched. But he seems to have turned it around this year throwing five touchdown passes in a week one win, albeit against Western Kentucky which was playing it's first division 1 game. But bear in mind that Crompton threw only four touchdowns all of last season. But Crompton also turned the ball over twice on interceptions against a bad defense. How will he do against one of the best defenses in the country?



For the Bruins redshirt freshman Kevin Prince looked good last week. Not perfect, but good. However, that game was at home in front of 50,000 fans against a team that went 2-10 last year and was starting under a new scheme this year. This week Prince will have his first collegiate road start in one of the toughest places to play in the country against an all-American safety who has been know to intercept balls.

Edge: Vols

Running Back:
The Vols had a successful running game last week that saw both starting running back Monterio Hardestry and touted freshman Bryce Brown both eclipse the 100 yard barrier. The running game should be good for the Vols all year. Last year they seemed to abandon the run against the Bruins despite having early success. This week the Vols will be going against a better run defense but if their big linemen open holes look for them to have success.

The Bruins also had a fairly successful running attack last week. Gaining over 140 yards on the ground behind their young line and with their young running backs. This week will be more difficult for the Bruins to run, but it is tough to say how well the line will do against the Vols Tampa 2 defense.

Edge: Vols

Offensive line:
The Vols offensive line is stacked with upperclassmen and experience. Nearly everyone on the line is close to or over 300 pounds. And most of them are Juniors and Seniors. They should be a talented group that gives Crompton time and opens holes for the backs. But they said that last year too and the Bruins had success getting to Crompton and making sure he was never comfortable. This should be a fun match up to watch.

As for the Bruins, last week the young offensive line struggled with the 3-3-5 scheme that SDSU was employing. Not knowing where the rush was coming from was a tough task for this talented but young group. This week the Vols will be running a pretty straight forward scheme that does little blitzing and relies heavily on the defensive line to generate pass rush. To be honest I like the chances of the Bruins line to give Prince time to throw.

Edge: Push

Defensive line:
The Vols defensive line is talented but unproven, much like the Bruins offensive line. They are quick, not big, and will be relied upon to generate enough pressure on Prince that it takes pressure off the rest of the defense.

The Bruins defensive line is one of the strengths of a great defense. Brian Price will be difficult to block in the middle along with Jerzy Siewierski. At end the speed of Korey Bosworth teamed with the strength and quickness of Datone Jones will be difficult for the Vols to keep up with. If they have time to rest between drives, I think the line will do well against the Vols offensive line.

Edge: Bruins

Linebackers:
The Vols return defensive stalwart Rico McCoy at linebacker after a big season a year ago. McCoy will need to play a good game in order to out play the Bruins talented set of linebackers. If the zone scheme employed by the Vols takes the linebackers far enough from the line of scrimmage it is going to be a long day for the Vols defense.

Last week the Bruins linebackers showed why they are being labeled as the best group in the Pac-10. Reggie Carter looks bigger and plays like the senior leader he is. Kyle Bosworth looked happy to be back and ready to hit. Akeem Ayers looked like the budding young star he is. As long as the Bruins don't have to sub much on defense, the linebackers will be making plays all day.

Edge: Bruins

Secondary:
The Vols have one of, if not the best safeties in college football. Last year the fact that Eric Berry didn't win the Thorpe Award was a travesty. Berry will be a top five NFL draft pick when he comes out. And he is surrounded by plenty of talent in the Vols secondary. They could make it a very long day for Prince much like they did a year ago for Kevin Craft when they intercepted him four times.



The Bruins have an answer for the Vols secondary and Berry with their own talented secondary and Alterraun Verner. Verner will shut down whoever he is guarding. Rahim Moore showed last week that he is ready to be a star. The only real question marks are Courtney Viney, who is starting in place of the injured Aaron Hester, and Andrew Abbott the nickle corner who looked a little shaky last week.



Edge: Push

Special Teams:
Last year special teams for the Vols lost them the game. A blocked punt gave the Bruins a touchdown and a missed field goal in overtime gave them the win. The Vols return kicker Daniel Lincoln who missed that game tying kick a year ago. Lincoln can be a consistent kicker but not to the same extent as his Bruin counterpart.

The Bruins looks surprisingly good on special teams last week with a couple long returns, good kick coverage, and a block kick and score combination. Kai Forbath is one of the best kickers in college football. He will be a factor one way or another.

Edge: Bruins

Coaching Staff:
Head Coach Lane Kiffin has been making headlines since day one in Knoxville. But he has quietly amassed a great coaching staff behind him to back him up. His father, long time Tampa Bay defensive coordinator, Monte Kiffin comes in to coach the defense. Former head coach at Ole Miss Ed Orgeron comes in as a defensive line coach. He seems to be taking the same approach that Rick Neuheisel took a year ago for the Bruins.

Neuheisel and Offensive coordinator Norm Chow have had a year of recruiting and teaching to get the team to be better than the 4-8 record a year ago. It seems that they are a year ahead of Kiffin and his staff at Knoxville but time will tell.

Edge: Push

Overall:
I think this is going to be a closer game than the experts think. If the Bruins can come in confident and unfazed by the huge Neyland crowd and if they don't turn the ball over, they will have a shot in this one. Also a special teams play will come into factor the outcome of this game as well. But as of right now I see it 34-31 Vols.

So with the time counting down to game one of the football season, it is time to continue our preview of the 2009 Bruins on to the stronger side of the ball. The defense.

Overview:

The defense a year ago was the lone bright spot during a dark season. The Bruins finished 89th in the country against the run, 8th in the country against the pass, 47th in the country in total defense, and 85th in the country in scoring defense. Now those numbers are a little misleading and can be explained. The offense time and again didn't give the defense much rest in between drives either because of turnovers or stalled drives. In actuality the UCLA defense was and remains one of the most respected defenses in the country.

This year the defense will again be the best unit on the team. They are getting early buzz as possibly the best defense in the Pac-10. With senior leadership and youthful skill abundant, new defensive coordinator Chuck Bullough, who took over for Dewayne Walker, will have success this season.

Defensive Line:

The defensive line brings a lot of experience to this years team. At defensive end senior Korey Bosworth and sophomore Datone Jones get the two starting positions but expect to see redshirt freshman Damien Holmes and possibly true freshman Itua Tepa get some time. Junior Reggie Stokes and freshman Keenan Graham would more than likely be the primary back ups if it weren't for injuries keeping them out of action. The main player to watch at end this year will be Jones. With theamount that he has progressed since last season, he will be a force for many years for the Bruins.


Jones

Ko. Bosworth

At defensive tackle the only name you need to know is Brian Price. Price, a junior, is one of the best defensive tackles in the country. He is on numerous post season award watch lists and will be a first round NFL pick when he leaves Westwood. Price's main partner in crime will be senior Jerzy Siewierski. Siewierski is the most athletic linemen on the team and will be seeing a lot of single coverage blocking because teams will be forced to double price. Behind them senior Jess Ward, who is coming off an injury, will be getting 15-20 snaps per game and junior David Carter looks to provide some depth.


Price

Siewierski

Linebackers:

Led by senior captain Reggie Carter in the middle, the linebacking crew is a good, yet top heavy group. After Carter, senior Kyle Bosworth at weakside linebacker and sophomore Akeem Ayers at strongside linebacker, the depth is shallow. Carter, Bosworth, and Ayers are all extremely talented players who get to the ball and make tackles. Ayers is a budding star and will eventually be an NFLcaliber linebacker. Carter is an All-American candidate who will be an NFL draft pick next year.


Carter

Ayers

Ky. Bosworth

Behind the starters, the main backups are sophomore Steve Sloan in the middle, sophomore Sean Westgate at the weakside, and redshirt freshman Donovan Carter at strongside. Sloan is a smart player who played some last year. Westgate is undersized but played well in sparing time last year. Carter is unknown. He has been known to be a hard hitter but he will be seeing his first college snaps this year.

Secondary:

The secondary is better this year than the group that was the 8th best against the pass last year. Senior Alterraun Verner is one of the best cover corners in UCLA history so when teams throw against the Bruins they will be testing the talented and confidentredshirt freshman Aaron Hester. Hester redshirted last year so that he could get his zone concepts down, but he was talented enough to play last year. His big frame and long arms make him the idealcornerback to learn from the smarts of Verner. At the nickle corner sophomore Courtney Viney and walkon redshirt freshman Andrew Abbott will be the two battling for the extra corner spot. Viney, although short, shows great knowledge of the position and displays good cover skills. Abbott is in the Verner mold, short memory and smart.


Verner

Hester

At safety sophomore Rahim Moore will lineup at free safety more experience than a year ago after starting all 12 games there as a freshman. Flanking him at strong safety will be a combination of sophomores Tony Dye and Glenn Love. Dye played in nickle coverage last year and played well. Love is more of the enforcer. At 6-4 210 he is a big guy who likes to hit. If Love can stay healthy he may gain the experiencenecessary to be the starter.


Moore

Dye

Love

Verdict:

It will be the defenses job to keep the team in games. Last year they did that well but the toll of having a poor offense caused them excessive fatigue and led to break downs. This season with a more talented offense, the defense should thrive.

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.