UCLA went full pads for the first time on Friday morning, and in another long, close to three-hour workout, the Bruins looked relatively sharp. Here were the news and notes from the morning:
Notables
-Perhaps the biggest note of the day was the lack of freshman five-star Mique Juarez. No update was given for his absence, but he was not on the field Friday. Meanwhile, receivers Theo Howard and Darren Andrews continued to sit out, as did OL Paco Perez. Defensive end Takkarist McKinley appeared to get the day off from team drills as well.
-We caught a glimpse of UCLA's nickel defense for the first time this camp, and Randall Goforth ended up being the nickel corner. Fabian Moreau and Nate Meadors were the outside corners, while Tahaan Goodman and Jaleel Wadood were the safeties.
-Quarterbacks coach Marques Tuiasosopo spoke with the media about the backup quarterback job, but he declined to name Josh Rosen's backup, despite a good week of camp from Mike Fafaul so far. Tuiasosopo was also asked about the future of Dymond Lee, who was a four-star receiver in high school. Tuiaosopo, though, said he doesn't know what the plan for Lee will be, only that he'll coach him as a quarterback if he's in his meeting room.
-Offensive lineman Poasi Moala cut his trademark hair last week, telling us it's been seven years since he last chopped it off. He said it makes him feel a little freer, and he's been playing like it. More on that later.
The Day Five Depth Chart
-It was Kenny Young's turn at MLB after Isaako Savaiinaea's day there yesterday. Deon Hollins filled in for McKinley with the ones. That meant Jacob Tuioti-Mariner slid to end with the twos to replace Hollins, which vaulted Boss Tagaloa from the threes to the twos at the three-tech. With Juarez out, Breland Brandt moved up to the twos at OLB as well. So here's how the depth chart ended up today:
Offense
QB - Josh Rosen, Mike Fafaul
RB - Soso Jamabo, Nate Starks
FB - Cam Griffin, Ainuu Taua
LT - Conor McDermott, Cristian Garcia
LG - Kenny Lacy, Najee Toran
C - Scott Quessenberry, Markus Boyer
RG - Poasi Moala, Josh Wariboko
RT - Kolton Miller, Andre James
TE - Nate Iese, Austin Roberts
WR - Kenny Walker, Ish Adams
WR - Eldridge Massington, Alex Van Dyke
Defense
CB - Nate Meadors, Marcus Rios
CB - Fabian Moreau, Johnny Johnson
S - Jaleel Wadood, Adarius Pickett
S - Randall Goforth, Octo Spencer
DE - Matt Dickerson, Rick Wade
DT - Eddie Vanderdoes, Boss Tagaloa
DT - Eli Ankou, Nick Terry
DE - Deon Hollins, Jacob Tuioti-Mariner
OLB - Cam Judge, Breland Brandt
MLB - Kenny Young, Isaako Savaiinaea
OLB - Jayon Brown, Josh Woods
Practice observations
-The Bruins went full pads and it was a somewhat physical practice, particularly early on when they went live goal line. There weren't too many standouts in the drill, generally just a mass of bodies either falling into the endzone or being pushed away from it, but freshman Brandon Burton had one "wow" moment here. He came up from safety to fill a hole and popped walk-on running back Khalil Muhammad, forcing a fumble.
-Fabian Moreau had a really impressive start to practice, recording a pass breakup on Caleb Wilson, then on Eldridge Massington and Mossi Johnson in 1-on-1s. He got dinged up on the Johnson PBU, though, and then got really dinged up making a pass breakup on Massington in the ensuing 11-on-11 workout. He came back later in practice, but wasn't quite as noisy as he was early.
-Mike Fafaul had some really nice throws out there today, looking like a completely different QB in the spring. My notebook is littered with "Good throw from 12 to (insert receiver here)." Tuiasosopo said after practice that the dropoff from Josh Rosen to Fafaul has been like 1A and 1B, and while Rosen is far more physically impressive, it'd be hard to argue that statement so far this week.
-Not to be outdone, there's also plenty of "Good throw from 3 to (insert receiver here)" as well. Notably, Rosen feathered in a deep ball to Kenny Walker over Nate Meadors that made the CB do pushups after the completion.
-Ishmael Adams hasn't done much in 11-on-11s this week, but he shined for the first time this camp in 1-on-1s. He was consistently open and scored a few touchdowns.
-Caleb Wilson had some good moments, particularly in 1-on-1s. He beat Tahaan Goodman with a good route and looks like a serviceable TE so far.
-Jordan Lasley had his best practice of the week, getting open a lot in 1-on-1s and then following it up with a few catches in 11-on-11.
-A couple receivers who haven't had the best workouts so far include Stephen Johnson and Eldridge Massington. Johnson looks like he's just lost all of his confidence and he's really having a tough time creating separation in 1-on-1s. Massington, meanwhile, had several drops today. At one point, Eric Yarber threw his towel in disgust and both Jim Mora and Josh Rosen came over to console the wideout.
-Alex Van Dyke has made his case to be this team's starting receiver opposite of Kenny Walker, and that didn't change today. He had one drop, but caught everything else, including a huge leaping grab over Meadors from Fafaul late in 11-on-11s that drew some cheers.
-Some 11-on-11 pass-rushing notes: Boss Tagaloa had a would-be sack, beating Josh Wariboko to get to Fafaul. Deon Hollins had a few sacks, beating Conor McDermott once and Cristian Garcia another time that I saw. Jacob Tuioti-Mariner got by Alex Akingbulu for a sack. Jayon Brown had a sack on Rosen with a nice blitz.
-Soso Jamabo provided one of the highlights of the morning, bouncing a handoff to the left and running over Jaleel Wadood when he got into open space.
-Cameron Griffin also had a big highlight, sneaking out to the flats on a playaction and rumbling down the field for a touchdown.
-Haven't been too impressed with Nate Iese this week. One play that epitomized that was when Cameron Judge pretty much jogged down the field and blanketed him, not letting Iese even really go up for a great throw from Rosen.
-There's been maybe two or three picks total in 11-on-11s this week, but Charles Dawson got Fafaul on a pretty play from the DB. This is like the third camp in a row where the walk-on has find a way to pop.
-Brandon Stephens hasn't looked great this week, but he flashed a couple nice runs for the first time in five practices. Perhaps the game is starting to slow down for him.
-Working at kick returner today were: Brandon Stephens, Damian Alloway, Jordan Lasley, Kenny Walker, Stephen Johnson, Ish Adams, Octo Spencer and Jaleel Wadood.
-Some OL-DL 1-on-1 notes: Eddie Vanderdoes' bull rush is insanely powerful, but Kenny Lacy did a solid job to stay in front of him. Eli Ankou beat Scott Quessenberry twice with two nice moves. Poasi Moala had two really good reps against Jacob Tuioti-Mariner and the light appears to finally be clicking on for the fourth-year OL. Kolton Miller destroyed Matt Dickerson in two very impressive reps. Keisean Lucier-South looks a lot bigger physically, but he also looks like he's lost some of that elite first step with that weight. He couldn't get by walk-on Cristian Garcia in any of their reps. Markus Boyer held his own against Nick Terry, and he's beginning to put a good strangle hold on that backup center spot. Rick Wade got Andre James a few times. I still think James is a guard. Alex Akingbulu has impressed me this week, and he did so again today with some good wins over Brelandt Brandt and a walk-on. He looks a lot bigger already than he looked in high school. Finally, Osa Odighizuwa continued his good week with wins over Zach Bateman.
-Octo Spencer provided the hit of the day, blasting Jalen Starks just before he could catch a pass in the flat.
-Krys Barnes has looked better than Mique Juarez so far in camp, and he had a near interception off Matt Lynch late in 11-on-11s.
-J.J. Molson finished practice 3-for-4, missing his longest kick attempt.
UCLA has its first double day Saturday, going 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
Notables
-Perhaps the biggest note of the day was the lack of freshman five-star Mique Juarez. No update was given for his absence, but he was not on the field Friday. Meanwhile, receivers Theo Howard and Darren Andrews continued to sit out, as did OL Paco Perez. Defensive end Takkarist McKinley appeared to get the day off from team drills as well.
-We caught a glimpse of UCLA's nickel defense for the first time this camp, and Randall Goforth ended up being the nickel corner. Fabian Moreau and Nate Meadors were the outside corners, while Tahaan Goodman and Jaleel Wadood were the safeties.
-Quarterbacks coach Marques Tuiasosopo spoke with the media about the backup quarterback job, but he declined to name Josh Rosen's backup, despite a good week of camp from Mike Fafaul so far. Tuiasosopo was also asked about the future of Dymond Lee, who was a four-star receiver in high school. Tuiaosopo, though, said he doesn't know what the plan for Lee will be, only that he'll coach him as a quarterback if he's in his meeting room.
-Offensive lineman Poasi Moala cut his trademark hair last week, telling us it's been seven years since he last chopped it off. He said it makes him feel a little freer, and he's been playing like it. More on that later.
The Day Five Depth Chart
-It was Kenny Young's turn at MLB after Isaako Savaiinaea's day there yesterday. Deon Hollins filled in for McKinley with the ones. That meant Jacob Tuioti-Mariner slid to end with the twos to replace Hollins, which vaulted Boss Tagaloa from the threes to the twos at the three-tech. With Juarez out, Breland Brandt moved up to the twos at OLB as well. So here's how the depth chart ended up today:
Offense
QB - Josh Rosen, Mike Fafaul
RB - Soso Jamabo, Nate Starks
FB - Cam Griffin, Ainuu Taua
LT - Conor McDermott, Cristian Garcia
LG - Kenny Lacy, Najee Toran
C - Scott Quessenberry, Markus Boyer
RG - Poasi Moala, Josh Wariboko
RT - Kolton Miller, Andre James
TE - Nate Iese, Austin Roberts
WR - Kenny Walker, Ish Adams
WR - Eldridge Massington, Alex Van Dyke
Defense
CB - Nate Meadors, Marcus Rios
CB - Fabian Moreau, Johnny Johnson
S - Jaleel Wadood, Adarius Pickett
S - Randall Goforth, Octo Spencer
DE - Matt Dickerson, Rick Wade
DT - Eddie Vanderdoes, Boss Tagaloa
DT - Eli Ankou, Nick Terry
DE - Deon Hollins, Jacob Tuioti-Mariner
OLB - Cam Judge, Breland Brandt
MLB - Kenny Young, Isaako Savaiinaea
OLB - Jayon Brown, Josh Woods
Practice observations
-The Bruins went full pads and it was a somewhat physical practice, particularly early on when they went live goal line. There weren't too many standouts in the drill, generally just a mass of bodies either falling into the endzone or being pushed away from it, but freshman Brandon Burton had one "wow" moment here. He came up from safety to fill a hole and popped walk-on running back Khalil Muhammad, forcing a fumble.
-Fabian Moreau had a really impressive start to practice, recording a pass breakup on Caleb Wilson, then on Eldridge Massington and Mossi Johnson in 1-on-1s. He got dinged up on the Johnson PBU, though, and then got really dinged up making a pass breakup on Massington in the ensuing 11-on-11 workout. He came back later in practice, but wasn't quite as noisy as he was early.
-Mike Fafaul had some really nice throws out there today, looking like a completely different QB in the spring. My notebook is littered with "Good throw from 12 to (insert receiver here)." Tuiasosopo said after practice that the dropoff from Josh Rosen to Fafaul has been like 1A and 1B, and while Rosen is far more physically impressive, it'd be hard to argue that statement so far this week.
-Not to be outdone, there's also plenty of "Good throw from 3 to (insert receiver here)" as well. Notably, Rosen feathered in a deep ball to Kenny Walker over Nate Meadors that made the CB do pushups after the completion.
-Ishmael Adams hasn't done much in 11-on-11s this week, but he shined for the first time this camp in 1-on-1s. He was consistently open and scored a few touchdowns.
-Caleb Wilson had some good moments, particularly in 1-on-1s. He beat Tahaan Goodman with a good route and looks like a serviceable TE so far.
-Jordan Lasley had his best practice of the week, getting open a lot in 1-on-1s and then following it up with a few catches in 11-on-11.
-A couple receivers who haven't had the best workouts so far include Stephen Johnson and Eldridge Massington. Johnson looks like he's just lost all of his confidence and he's really having a tough time creating separation in 1-on-1s. Massington, meanwhile, had several drops today. At one point, Eric Yarber threw his towel in disgust and both Jim Mora and Josh Rosen came over to console the wideout.
-Alex Van Dyke has made his case to be this team's starting receiver opposite of Kenny Walker, and that didn't change today. He had one drop, but caught everything else, including a huge leaping grab over Meadors from Fafaul late in 11-on-11s that drew some cheers.
-Some 11-on-11 pass-rushing notes: Boss Tagaloa had a would-be sack, beating Josh Wariboko to get to Fafaul. Deon Hollins had a few sacks, beating Conor McDermott once and Cristian Garcia another time that I saw. Jacob Tuioti-Mariner got by Alex Akingbulu for a sack. Jayon Brown had a sack on Rosen with a nice blitz.
-Soso Jamabo provided one of the highlights of the morning, bouncing a handoff to the left and running over Jaleel Wadood when he got into open space.
-Cameron Griffin also had a big highlight, sneaking out to the flats on a playaction and rumbling down the field for a touchdown.
-Haven't been too impressed with Nate Iese this week. One play that epitomized that was when Cameron Judge pretty much jogged down the field and blanketed him, not letting Iese even really go up for a great throw from Rosen.
-There's been maybe two or three picks total in 11-on-11s this week, but Charles Dawson got Fafaul on a pretty play from the DB. This is like the third camp in a row where the walk-on has find a way to pop.
-Brandon Stephens hasn't looked great this week, but he flashed a couple nice runs for the first time in five practices. Perhaps the game is starting to slow down for him.
-Working at kick returner today were: Brandon Stephens, Damian Alloway, Jordan Lasley, Kenny Walker, Stephen Johnson, Ish Adams, Octo Spencer and Jaleel Wadood.
-Some OL-DL 1-on-1 notes: Eddie Vanderdoes' bull rush is insanely powerful, but Kenny Lacy did a solid job to stay in front of him. Eli Ankou beat Scott Quessenberry twice with two nice moves. Poasi Moala had two really good reps against Jacob Tuioti-Mariner and the light appears to finally be clicking on for the fourth-year OL. Kolton Miller destroyed Matt Dickerson in two very impressive reps. Keisean Lucier-South looks a lot bigger physically, but he also looks like he's lost some of that elite first step with that weight. He couldn't get by walk-on Cristian Garcia in any of their reps. Markus Boyer held his own against Nick Terry, and he's beginning to put a good strangle hold on that backup center spot. Rick Wade got Andre James a few times. I still think James is a guard. Alex Akingbulu has impressed me this week, and he did so again today with some good wins over Brelandt Brandt and a walk-on. He looks a lot bigger already than he looked in high school. Finally, Osa Odighizuwa continued his good week with wins over Zach Bateman.
-Octo Spencer provided the hit of the day, blasting Jalen Starks just before he could catch a pass in the flat.
-Krys Barnes has looked better than Mique Juarez so far in camp, and he had a near interception off Matt Lynch late in 11-on-11s.
-J.J. Molson finished practice 3-for-4, missing his longest kick attempt.
UCLA has its first double day Saturday, going 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
