UCLA Football: Strengths, Weaknesses and Secret Weapons
When taking a look at a specific football program, each team will have its strong points and weaknesses. The UCLA football team heading into 2015 is no different.
Depth within the squad is as good as it's been in quite some time. Head coach Jim Mora and his staff have done an excellent job of building up the talent since he took over the post in 2012. The team is particularly strong at multiple positions—specifically with veteran leadership.
This piece will analyze not only the strengths but also the weaknesses and potential secret weapons within the UCLA Bruins' roster.
Strength: Running Game
UCLA should have no problem running the football in 2015. It boasts arguably the deepest stable of backs in the entire conference.
Leading the group is Paul Perkins. A season ago, Perkins led the conference in rushing with 1,575 yards and nine touchdowns. He figures to be even better as a redshirt junior this year.
Behind Perkins is rising sophomore Nate Starks. In limited time, the Las Vegas native flashed the propensity to break tackles and get tough yardage between the tackles. He reshaped his body considerably in the offseason, and it should lead to gains in the area of quickness.
Craig Lee and Steven Manfro provide depth.
Manfro has demonstrated the ability to catch the football out of the backfield—or even as a receiver in years past. Lee has yet to secure a role on this team. With that said, he may be the most innately talented member of the bunch. His quickness and speed are very impressive.
The potential X-factor in this group is Soso Jamabo. Ranked as 247Sports' second-best running back in the 2015 recruiting class, the incoming freshman out of Texas is a ridiculous athlete. His versatility enables him to line up all over the field in various spots.
Don't be surprised to see Jamabo carve out a niche for himself as a true freshman. He seems far too talented to redshirt.
Weakness: Quarterback Experience
Former quarterback Brett Hundley departed with a star-studded resume chock full of statistical records. He also left behind three years of starting experience.
Whether it's Jerry Neuheisel or Josh Rosen starting, neither brings much in the way of experience to the table.
Outside of garbage time, Neuheisel's main bit of experience came last season in the come-from-behind victory over Texas. Outside of that, he's green in terms of actual time on the field.
Rosen—a true freshman—has obviously not competed yet on the collegiate level.
Fortunately for UCLA, both are mature, intelligent players. That still won't prevent potential (and probable) mistakes from happening in the future.
Neither has truly faced any substantial level of adversity. Neuheisel got a taste of it a season ago, but it will be an entirely new ballgame should he find himself in a starting role.
The pressure to perform well for this veteran team will be tangible. Additionally, how will Neuheisel or Rosen fare against conference foes such as Stanford, Arizona State or Southern Cal? Will the signal-callers be able to play well in tough road environments such as Tucson, Salt Lake City or Corvallis, Oregon?
These are questions which will be answered during the season.
Strength: Continuity Up Front
UCLA will have a veteran group along both the offensive and defensive line.
Run game coordinator/offensive line coach Adrian Klemm has done a masterful job of building up both the depth and quality along the offensive front. When he first took over, it was a ragtag unit comprised mostly of true freshmen.
A few years later, this seasoned bunch is littered with experience. Center Jake Brendel—a four-year starter—is the unquestioned leader. Alex Redmond and Caleb Benenoch have been starters since their freshman seasons.
Conor McDermott is a returning starter at left tackle. The fifth starting spot will likely come down to Kenny Lacy or Simon Goines. Both players have been battle-tested in their respective careers.
In terms of the front seven on defense, it's a potentially elite group.
Eddie Vanderdoes and Kenny Clark return as three-year starters. A Pac-12 coach told ESPN's Kyle Bonagura (h/t Fox Sports) that the duo is in all likelihood the most talented one-two punch of any defensive line twosome in the conference.
Defensive end Takk McKinley will most likely start as the third member of the group. While he's not overly seasoned, he did see time a season ago.
At linebacker, Myles Jack will assume the role left by Eric Kendricks. He'll be joined by pass-rushing dynamo Deon Hollins.
For the first time in the Mora era, he won't be relying upon true freshmen and inexperienced players to perform at significant spots.
Even in the secondary, the expected starting unit will mostly be comprised of upperclassmen (Marcus Rios, Fabian Moreau, Randall Goforth, Ishmael Adams), with sophomore Jaleel Wadood being the lone exception.
Weakness: Depth Along Defensive Line
The depth behind the projected starting trio of Clark, Vanderdoes and McKinley is paper-thin.
Depth at defensive end is in a slightly better spot than that of tackle. When looking at the roster, sophomores Matt Dickerson and Jacob Tuioti-Mariner expect to play prominent roles.
Both saw some time as true freshmen in 2014, but neither are overly experienced. Redshirt freshman Ainuu Taua is a bit of a hybrid player from the standpoint that he can play at both end and tackle. While not a true nose tackle, he should be able to play inside and use his quickness and squatty build (5'11", 296 lbs) to get leverage.
Eli Ankou is the most experienced interior lineman reserve. However, he's battled various injuries throughout his time in Westwood. As a result, former offensive guard Najee Toran has transitioned to the defensive side of the ball.
With depth along the offensive line looking good, don't be surprised if incoming freshman Fred Ulu-Perry gets a look at nose guard. An elite center prospect, he's built low to the ground and has immense natural strength.
Secret Weapons
Two of the secret weapons—Dickerson and McKinley—play the same position.
Dickerson looks like a prototypical 3-4 defensive end. With terrific overall length and size (6'4", 270 lbs) for the position, he should garner a lot of playing time in 2015. He'll most likely be the first reserve off the bench for the Bruins along the defensive front.
McKinley is only scratching the surface of how good he can truly be. He's got freakish athletic ability, possessing the skills to not only rush off the edge but also run down running backs in the backfield.
Against Arizona State last season (in his first collegiate game), McKinley was a gunner on kick coverage. Using his raw athletic ability and instincts, he was able to run the returner down with ease. It's a great feat considering the former high school track star is 6'4", 230 pounds.
The last secret weapon comes on the offensive side of the ball. Receiver Jordan Lasley has the potential to be the most dynamic receiver within the corps in 2015.
A redshirt freshman from Serra High School, Lasley created some buzz for himself with two Instagram videos from practice. One showed him leaping over Adams for a long touchdown. Don't forget, Adams is an All-Pac-12 selection.
In this one, Lasley is shown unleashing a stiff arm on linebacker Isaako Savaiinaea.
Lasley has been compared to former Southern Cal receiver Nelson Agholor. Lasley played the role of Agholor last year during game preparations versus the Trojans.
Former defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich had high praise for Lasley, telling reporters, "Jordan Lasley is going to be a stud. That sucker comes out and competes his butt off every day."
Look for Lasley to start off as an outside receiver in the Bruins' scheme. He'll likely be targeted on passes stretching the field vertically.
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