UCLA Football: Handicapping the Quarterback Race

Heading into the summer, the UCLA Bruins still don't have a starting quarterback.

It's imperative that the new coaching staff finds a capable captain to direct the ship for the upcoming season.

The play at the position has been porous for the last decade in Westwood, and a level of consistency needs to be found if the team is to prosper.

Out of the six quarterbacks on the roster, two are realistically vying for the starting job at this point.

Let's take a look at who could become the next signal caller for the Bruins... 

Candidate #1: Richard Brehaut

Senior Richard Brehaut is a seemingly perfect fit for the spread offense.

Brehaut starred under this offense at Los Osos High School in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. In addition, his skill set lends itself much better than it did with the pistol offense. He isn't the most mobile quarterback in the world—which is a prerequisite when running the pistol. 

In the spread, he'll be able to make quick decisions and throw the ball around the field with regularity—something not seen in the program for years.

During spring ball, Brehaut performed pretty well. He's always been able to throw the football better than Kevin Prince, and he displayed that again this past month. 

His main competitor for the starting position is redshirt freshman Brett Hundley. The experience factor is a big element in Brehaut's favor.

His competitor has absolutely no game experience on the college level, while Brehaut is a seasoned veteran.

Here is footage of Brehaut from the spring game. In the contest, he went 12-16 for 249 yards and 4 touchdowns.

When speaking about the spring game, Brehaut seemed confident about how he performed this spring.  

Candidate #2: Brett Hundley

The "savior" of the UCLA Football program is a title that's unfairly fallen upon the shoulders of Arizona native Brett Hundley.

A former 5-star prospect, Hundley came to Westwood with the idea of perhaps starting as a true freshman.

That notion didn't quite materialize. Hundley redshirted during UCLA's peculiar 6-8 season—culminating with the firing of former head coach Rick Neuheisel.

There's undoubtedly high expectations when speaking about Hundley. He not only has above-average athleticism for the position, but he's extremely intelligent (he's a Pre-Med student). 

In the spring, offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone spent a great deal of time polishing Hundley, making his release quicker and getting him used to the tempo of college football.

His upside is considerably higher than anyone else on the roster, and he'll be on the field sooner rather than later. 

Hundley started the spring game and played relatively well. He went 12-20 for 185 yards and 1 touchdown.    

Here is a recent interview with Hundley discussing the spring and the quarterback competition.

Candidate #3: Kevin Prince

Senior Kevin Prince has been an absolute warrior for the Bruins. No one can discount the level of commitment and guile that he's displayed during his tenure in Westwood.

However, he's battled a myriad of injuries throughout his collegiate career. Not only has Prince torn his ACL, but he's also suffered from a broken jaw, a concussion, a separated shoulder, and a torn meniscus.

Suffice it to say, but he's spent as much time in the training room as he has on the field.

During this spring period, Prince hasn't performed in an earth-shattering manner.

He's made some questionable decisions during live action drills, and he's seemingly favoring his shoulder quite a bit. As a result, he's definitely lost some zip on his throws.

With Prince, you know what you'll get. You'll get a mature young man with great character and make-up. He just can't stay healthy and display the consistency needed to perform at a high level. 

At this point, Prince is a distant third behind Brehaut and Hundley. His value will come mostly on the practice field and in the locker room as a mentoring teammate. 

Here is Prince competing at the spring game. He went 8-11 for 101 yards and 2 touchdowns.  

The Rest of the Field

The trio rounding out the stable of quarterbacks on the current roster include Jerry Neuheisel, T.J. Millweard and Mike Fafaul.  

Neuheisel—the son of former UCLA head coach Rick— is said to have a great understanding of the offense. However, he lacks the requisite arm strength to be anything more than a reserve. 

He also bears a striking resemblance to his father—in both his appearance and mannerisms.

Millweard was an early enrollee from high school, entering the program in order to participate in spring practice.

Though highly regarded coming out of the prep ranks, he still has to work on his mechanics and rid himself of a slight hitch in his throwing motion. He's expected to redshirt.

Fafaul has been a pleasant surprise during spring ball. Although a walk-on, he's demonstrated a better-than-average arm.

The Maryland native seemingly has some upside, and the hope is that UCLA can tap into some of that potential down the line.  

*A wildcard in this equation is incoming freshman Devin Fuller. The New Jersey native is an outstanding athlete capable of playing any skill position, but he'll come to Westwood as a quarterback.

It's difficult to envision Fuller competing for the starting job, but he'll definitely be someone that UCLA will want to get the ball to early in his career—either as a wide receiver or a returner. 

The Verdict

Without question, play at the position has to be better. It's been the driving force behind the mediocre malaise the program has been swimming in.

The two obvious frontrunners for the starting job are Brehaut and Hundley.

With Brehaut, you get actual game experience in addition to a moxie and likability factor with teammates. However, he has a propensity to making rash decisions with the ball in the pass game.

Hundley represents the future, but does he also represent the present?

His upside is far greater than Brehaut's, and he has four more years of eligibility left compared to the one that Brehaut has.

On the other hand, he's very green and somewhat raw.

When it comes down to it, Hundley should be named the starter.

Brehaut is in essence the perfect reserve quarterback. Not only does he have experience, but he's also got some talent and experience playing in the spread.

With Hundley, it's pointless to prolong the inevitable. He will be the starting quarterback for the Bruins during his career, so why wait a year?   

His talent is immense, and his leadership skills make him much more mature than his age indicates. His intelligence will also aid him in digesting the terminology and intricacies of the spread.