UCLA Football: 8 Players to Watch for 2012

A new era has begun for UCLA football.

Jim L. Mora and his staff have taken Westwood by storm. Mass amounts of excitement and enthusiasm have effectively infiltrated the Bruins program.

Various position changes have already taken place, a new strength and conditioning program is being implemented and a concerted effort of accountability and discipline has UCLA looking to make some noise in the Pac-12 this upcoming season.

Let's take a look at eight players to watch out for in 2012...

OLB Anthony Barr

Anthony Barr represents perhaps the most intriguing player on the entire UCLA roster.

The son of the former Notre Dame star Tony Brooks came to the Bruins with much hype. Blessed with great athleticism for someone his size (6'5", 238 lbs), Barr initially began his college career as a versatile offensive prospect. He logged time at wide receiver, tight end and even running back.

However, he hasn't made much of an impact. In two years under former head coach Rick Neuheisel, it's safe to say that Barr was misused and underutilized.

As new head coach Jim Mora took over, his first order of business was getting all of the best athletes on the field. With that in mind, he switched Barr from offense to defense, specifically to outside linebacker.

New defensive coordinator Lou Spanos is implementing a 3-4 alignment on defense. Someone with Barr's measurables makes him a potentially great fit as a pass-rusher/coverage guy off of the edge.

A question does persist with Barr, and that is whether he'll display the requisite physicality for the position.

Time will tell if this experiment ultimately pays dividends.

TE Joe Fauria

Joseph Fauria could be the biggest offensive threat on the roster.

At 6'7", Fauria has incredible size for the position. One would naturally think a man with that size might "lumber" down the field, but that's not the case with Fauria.

He posses very good mobility and athleticism for the position. He also has very good body control and a pair of soft hands. Essentially, he's a walking mismatch for the opposition.

With new offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone entering the fray, Fauria should see a ton of balls in the new spread offense.

Whether it's a jump ball in the red zone, or a seam down the heart of the field, Fauria will be a very significant member of the offense for this upcoming season.

A fun fact is that he's the nephew of former NFL tight end Christian Fauria.

Fauria is also projected as a top NFL prospect.

QB Brett Hundley

Simply put, Brett Hundley is the future of the program. 

The much ballyhooed prospect out of high school was a coveted 5-star recruit. Hundley had offers from all over the country (including Oregon, Michigan, Nebraska) but chose to come to UCLA under former coach Rick Neuheisel.

Hundley decided, in large part, to attend UCLA due to it's renowned pre-med program. His combination of intelligence and athletic ability makes him a perfect fit for the quarterback position.

The most precarious problem plaguing UCLA over recent years has been quarterback play. It's been absolutely dreadful. With Hundley, that may change.

The competition for the position is wide open heading into the summer. Incumbent starter Kevin Prince can't seem to stay healthy, and other option Richard Brehaut hasn't been all that dedicated to the program.

The question persists for Mazzone: Do you delay the development of your redshirt freshman quarterback with immense upside, or do you stick with one of the less-than-stellar seniors for one more year?

With that in mind, Hundley should be given all the opportunity to win the job outright. The possible growing pains with Hundley far outweigh the mediocrity of both Prince and Brehaut.

RB Jordon James

Nicknamed "joystick" by his teammates, Jordon James has the potential to be a truly electric player. He also might be the biggest beneficiary of Mazzone's spread offense.

Last season as a redshirt freshman, James didn't get nearly the amount of touches that he should have.

His quickness and agility far surpassed anyone else on the roster, yet the Corona, Calif. native played scarcely. Under Mazzone, that should change.

Expect James to be utilized in a role similar to current Arizona State Sun Devil Jamal Miles. That means getting the jitterbug out in space.

Anything from bubble screens, to reverses, to pitches and quick slants will be fair game with James.

One aspect of UCLA's recent teams has been a shocking lack of speed. With James on the field, he'll dispel that notion.

DL Datone Jones

Entering last season, Datone Jones was hyped as a future NFL player. He didn't exactly play up to those expectations.

But with the new 3-4 defense, Jones should thrive.

He's a bit slow and plodding to play defensive end, but he's much better as an undersized, quick defensive tackle.

Towards the end of last season, Jones was quite effective playing defensive tackle. He got consistent push and applied pressure much more frequently as a tackle than he did at end.

At 6'5", 280 lbs, he isn't nearly big enough to play nose tackle, but he should be a perfect fit as an end in a 3-4 scheme.

Jones enters his senior season as perhaps UCLA's best defensive player. He looks to enhance his draft stock and have a big season for the Bruins.

DT Ellis McCarthy

The man in the picture to the left is an incoming freshman. No, that isn't a typo.

Ellis McCarthy represents the biggest win for Mora and his staff up to this point.

The massive defensive tackle was wanted by every major program in the country. The Monrovia, Calif. native was pursued by USC, Oregon and Florida heavily before ultimately choosing the Bruins.

A recruiting win of this magnitude is huge for UCLA. His signing alone shows recruits that the Bruins and this new staff are a force to be reckoned with.

In the interim, McCarthy will instantly push for playing time right off the bat. At 6'5", 315 lbs, he already has NFL size. He displays great power and agility, not to mention a mean streak.

McCarthy has already garnered a huge amount of praise—including being compared to Ndamukong Suh.

S Tevin McDonald

The son of Trojan Tim McDonald and brother of current Trojan T.J. McDonald is making a name for himself in Westwood.

He filled in for the injured Tony Dye last season and impressed immensely. The youngest McDonald displayed a "ball hawking" nature and demonstrated great instincts.

Against Cal last season, he tied a UCLA record with three interceptions.

His ball skills are reminiscent of former Bruin and current Denver Bronco Rahim Moore.

Tevin McDonald's potential is through the roof, and if he can improve on his tackling, he looks like a future All-Pac-12 performer.

OL Xavier Su'a-Filo

In addition to McCarthy, Xavier Su'a-Filo is easily the biggest addition the roster this upcoming season.

The left tackle went on a Mormon mission after his freshman season in 2009, only to have recently returned to the team.

As a freshman, the Utah native was a standout. He not only started all 13 games as a true freshman, but he earned second team Freshman All-America honors. He displayed impressive footwork and had great athleticism for an offensive lineman.

With Su'a-Filo back in the fold, he alleviates a huge problem for the team. He'll be slotted back at left tackle, with the mission (no pun intended) of protecting the starting quarterback's blind side.

He truly has all of the tools to become a very good NFL player one day. If Su'a-Filo can regain the strength and rhythm he had before leaving, he'll be a bookend on the line for the next three seasons.

Even if a professional football career doesn't pan out, Su'a-Filo will be a great representative of the university.