UCLA's offense finally had a respectable showing Thursday night in the rain, but the defense still won the day during the Bruins' sixth practice of spring. Here were the news and notes from the evening:
Notables
-I'm going to assume players had class tonight, because I didn't spot Randall Goforth, Nate Meadors or Mique Juarez out there, and there were probably more that I didn't notice. Marcus Rios and Josh Woods continued to sit out with injuries.
-UCLA signees Marcus Moore, Jordan Wilson and Devon Modster were all in attendance. Wilson looked as big as ever, especially when you consider he was kind of a string bean when we were all introduced to him during camp season last year.
-Some of the injured guys did some work prior to practice. Fabian Moreau and Johnny Johnson got some running in with the DBs. Mossi Johnson even fielded a few punts and was moving well. As for Eddie Vanderdoes, Angus McClure estimated he's currently at 90 percent health and said he'll be ready to go in June.
-McClure said he'll start Boss Tagaloa out at the three-tech when he arrives this summer, but he said he wouldn't rule out playing him at nose if it's a better fit.
-UCLA OL commit Kanan Ray was in attendance once again. Serra coach Scott Altenberg brought many of his top players, including 2018 LB Merlin Robertson and 2019 CB Max Williams, to watch practice.
Practice observations
-For about 15 minutes before 9-on-7 and 11-on-11, UCLA OL coach Adrian Klemm and OC Kennedy Polamalu worked with the O-line and the running backs on blitz pickup / pass protection, and it paid off throughout the day. The Bruins finally had a practice where the passing game wasn't just sack after sack or chuck-and-prays because of pressure.
-On a sidenote, in that pass pro drill, starting left guard Najee Toran went over to help Conor McDermott on a pass rush, and Adrian Klemm told him to help somebody else: "I'm not worried about Conor," he told Najee. UCLA is clearly content to let the big left tackle be on an island this year, and he's more than shown enough out here this month to prove that's a solid strategy.
-Nate Starks had one of the plays of the day early in 9-on-7, juking Isaako Savaiinaea in the hole and bouncing it to the outside for a nice gain.
-Breland Brandt had an interesting practice at linebacker. In 1-on-1 pass-rushing drills vs. tight ends, he dominated every rep until the last one, when he tried a wild spin move on Nate Iese. Scott White pulled him to the side and had to teach him how to do the spin move. Brandt later got knocked around a little in 11-on-11, but he looks like he'll be a player for the Bruins sooner than later.
-Ishmael Adams continued his assault on DBs in 1-on-1s, beating Adarius Pickett multiple times in the reps I saw. Later in 11-on-11, he had one of the highlights of the day beating Charles Dawson for corner fade touchdown from Mike Fafaul.
-Bolu Olorunfunmi killed practice today. He had the route of the evening in LB-RB 1-on-1s, running an out-and-up on Isaako Savaiinaea (although he dropped the TD). He also showed off great vision in short yardage 11-on-11 drills, able to find cutback lanes for big yards. He finishes runs hard, and in goal line 11-on-11 drills, I'm not sure he was stopped.
-Lokeni Toailoa had a great rep in LB-RB 1-on-1s, running step for step with Cam Griffin on a wheel route.
-With Goforth and Meadors out, the starting DBs looked like this: CB - Octo Spencer, S - Adarius Pickett, S - Tahaan Goodman, CB - Jaleel Wadood. Everything else in the two-deep was the same as it's been.
-I thought Wadood looked tremendous at cornerback, and I think UCLA probably moved the wrong guy from S to CB with Goforth. Wadood is so smooth and he's so instinctual there. He had a gorgeous interception off Josh Rosen on a playaction deep ball intended for Eldridge Massington early in short yardage 11-on-11 drills, and he was generally just sticky throughout the day.
-Speaking of Massington, it's becoming routine for he and Rosen to not be on the same page. A play before Wadood's interception over Massington, Rosen tried to throw a deep ball to Massington, who pulled up thinking Rosen wanted a different route. This happens at least once a practice now.
-That being said, Rosen delivered the dime of the day to Massington on a post route in the back of the endzone that blew right past Jayon Brown and DeChaun Holiday. It was such a pretty throw, Jim Mora hugged Rosen after it.
-Soso Jamabo had another touchdown on a screen pass. It's been UCLA's best play this month.
-Jayon Brown had an up and down day today. He's becoming this team's best linebacker, always in on the tackle. I saw him even have a big sack on a blitz late in 11-on-11 that drew a hug from Scott White. But then Brown hit a defenseless Darren Andrews so hard that Mora literally ejected him from practice for targeting. Andrews said it was the hardest he's ever been hit in his life. It was the hardest hit I've ever seen in a UCLA practice, that's for sure.
-After Mora blew up on Brown, he had a few more rants during the evening. Mostly it was directed at UCLA's O-line, which continues to false start. Mora also had some choice words for UCLA's offensive sideline, which I'm assuming got a sideline warning from the refs out here.
-Jacob Tuioti-Mariner had another sack where he just blew by Najee Toran. He's had a standout spring so far.
-Isaako Savaiinaea had a sack on an inside blitz as well, and throughout the day, he filled the hole well on inside runs too. I heard Mora scream "Nice job Saako!" at least three times today.
-Takkarist McKinley had one of the defensive plays of the day, chasing down an off-tackle run from the backside in a goal-line drill. A few players later, he stayed home and sniffed out a Josh Rosen naked bootleg as well. He too has had a great spring so far.
-Some of the notables that I saw in OL-DL 1-on-1s: McDermott stymied McKinley twice (not an easy feat); Eli Ankou beat Scott Quessenberry twice; and Keisean Lucier-South continues to dominate with a speed rush, beating Andre James twice.
-Working at kick returner today were Octo Spencer, Theo Howard and Stephen Johnson.
-Freshman J.J. Molson went 3-for-5 to finish practice, making from around 20, 30 and 47, but missing from around 40 and 52.
UCLA is back at it again on Saturday at 10 a.m.
Notables
-I'm going to assume players had class tonight, because I didn't spot Randall Goforth, Nate Meadors or Mique Juarez out there, and there were probably more that I didn't notice. Marcus Rios and Josh Woods continued to sit out with injuries.
-UCLA signees Marcus Moore, Jordan Wilson and Devon Modster were all in attendance. Wilson looked as big as ever, especially when you consider he was kind of a string bean when we were all introduced to him during camp season last year.
-Some of the injured guys did some work prior to practice. Fabian Moreau and Johnny Johnson got some running in with the DBs. Mossi Johnson even fielded a few punts and was moving well. As for Eddie Vanderdoes, Angus McClure estimated he's currently at 90 percent health and said he'll be ready to go in June.
-McClure said he'll start Boss Tagaloa out at the three-tech when he arrives this summer, but he said he wouldn't rule out playing him at nose if it's a better fit.
-UCLA OL commit Kanan Ray was in attendance once again. Serra coach Scott Altenberg brought many of his top players, including 2018 LB Merlin Robertson and 2019 CB Max Williams, to watch practice.
Practice observations
-For about 15 minutes before 9-on-7 and 11-on-11, UCLA OL coach Adrian Klemm and OC Kennedy Polamalu worked with the O-line and the running backs on blitz pickup / pass protection, and it paid off throughout the day. The Bruins finally had a practice where the passing game wasn't just sack after sack or chuck-and-prays because of pressure.
-On a sidenote, in that pass pro drill, starting left guard Najee Toran went over to help Conor McDermott on a pass rush, and Adrian Klemm told him to help somebody else: "I'm not worried about Conor," he told Najee. UCLA is clearly content to let the big left tackle be on an island this year, and he's more than shown enough out here this month to prove that's a solid strategy.
-Nate Starks had one of the plays of the day early in 9-on-7, juking Isaako Savaiinaea in the hole and bouncing it to the outside for a nice gain.
-Breland Brandt had an interesting practice at linebacker. In 1-on-1 pass-rushing drills vs. tight ends, he dominated every rep until the last one, when he tried a wild spin move on Nate Iese. Scott White pulled him to the side and had to teach him how to do the spin move. Brandt later got knocked around a little in 11-on-11, but he looks like he'll be a player for the Bruins sooner than later.
-Ishmael Adams continued his assault on DBs in 1-on-1s, beating Adarius Pickett multiple times in the reps I saw. Later in 11-on-11, he had one of the highlights of the day beating Charles Dawson for corner fade touchdown from Mike Fafaul.
-Bolu Olorunfunmi killed practice today. He had the route of the evening in LB-RB 1-on-1s, running an out-and-up on Isaako Savaiinaea (although he dropped the TD). He also showed off great vision in short yardage 11-on-11 drills, able to find cutback lanes for big yards. He finishes runs hard, and in goal line 11-on-11 drills, I'm not sure he was stopped.
-Lokeni Toailoa had a great rep in LB-RB 1-on-1s, running step for step with Cam Griffin on a wheel route.
-With Goforth and Meadors out, the starting DBs looked like this: CB - Octo Spencer, S - Adarius Pickett, S - Tahaan Goodman, CB - Jaleel Wadood. Everything else in the two-deep was the same as it's been.
-I thought Wadood looked tremendous at cornerback, and I think UCLA probably moved the wrong guy from S to CB with Goforth. Wadood is so smooth and he's so instinctual there. He had a gorgeous interception off Josh Rosen on a playaction deep ball intended for Eldridge Massington early in short yardage 11-on-11 drills, and he was generally just sticky throughout the day.
-Speaking of Massington, it's becoming routine for he and Rosen to not be on the same page. A play before Wadood's interception over Massington, Rosen tried to throw a deep ball to Massington, who pulled up thinking Rosen wanted a different route. This happens at least once a practice now.
-That being said, Rosen delivered the dime of the day to Massington on a post route in the back of the endzone that blew right past Jayon Brown and DeChaun Holiday. It was such a pretty throw, Jim Mora hugged Rosen after it.
-Soso Jamabo had another touchdown on a screen pass. It's been UCLA's best play this month.
-Jayon Brown had an up and down day today. He's becoming this team's best linebacker, always in on the tackle. I saw him even have a big sack on a blitz late in 11-on-11 that drew a hug from Scott White. But then Brown hit a defenseless Darren Andrews so hard that Mora literally ejected him from practice for targeting. Andrews said it was the hardest he's ever been hit in his life. It was the hardest hit I've ever seen in a UCLA practice, that's for sure.
-After Mora blew up on Brown, he had a few more rants during the evening. Mostly it was directed at UCLA's O-line, which continues to false start. Mora also had some choice words for UCLA's offensive sideline, which I'm assuming got a sideline warning from the refs out here.
-Jacob Tuioti-Mariner had another sack where he just blew by Najee Toran. He's had a standout spring so far.
-Isaako Savaiinaea had a sack on an inside blitz as well, and throughout the day, he filled the hole well on inside runs too. I heard Mora scream "Nice job Saako!" at least three times today.
-Takkarist McKinley had one of the defensive plays of the day, chasing down an off-tackle run from the backside in a goal-line drill. A few players later, he stayed home and sniffed out a Josh Rosen naked bootleg as well. He too has had a great spring so far.
-Some of the notables that I saw in OL-DL 1-on-1s: McDermott stymied McKinley twice (not an easy feat); Eli Ankou beat Scott Quessenberry twice; and Keisean Lucier-South continues to dominate with a speed rush, beating Andre James twice.
-Working at kick returner today were Octo Spencer, Theo Howard and Stephen Johnson.
-Freshman J.J. Molson went 3-for-5 to finish practice, making from around 20, 30 and 47, but missing from around 40 and 52.
UCLA is back at it again on Saturday at 10 a.m.
