UCLA Football: Bruins' Biggest Position Battles Heading into Fall Camp
There are four big position battles facing Jim Mora and the UCLA football team as fall camp approaches.
Fortunately for Mora, the vast majority of the roster returns, with experience littered throughout the roster.
With said, there are a few areas of concern—particularly at one position in which the former starter set multiple school records before leaving for the NFL.
This piece will analyze the biggest position battles heading into fall camp for the Bruins.
Right Tackle/Left Guard
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Much of the starting personnel within the offensive line is settled.
Jake Brendel—the leader of the group—is manning the center position. Conor McDermott will be the starting left tackle, and Alex Redmond will be at a guard position. Caleb Benenoch will be starting somewhere.
The question is, where exactly?
Benenoch had been the starting right tackle last year. One of UCLA's better linemen, he was hobbled by a leg injury throughout the season.
The former starting right tackle—Simon Goines—is now fully back healthy from injury. Theoretically, Benenoch's mobility can be limited with an insertion at guard. This would then clear the path for Goines to resume his role as the starting right tackle.
If Benenoch has anything to say about it, he'll be at right tackle, as he indicated on his Twitter account. Should this scenario unfold, Kenny Lacy will likely be the starting left guard.
Defensive End
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The spot left vacant by Owamagbe Odighizuwa will likely come down to Matt Dickerson and Takk McKinley.
Neither played much in 2014. Dickerson was a true freshman, and McKinley joined in the early portion of the year from the junior college ranks due to a funky transcript allowance.
Dickerson is a true 3-4 defensive end. He's got exceptional size, length and good room for growth. His body type is similar to that of former Notre Dame defensive end Stephon Tuitt.
McKinley is shorter and has a smaller frame but is exceptionally explosive. The term "freak" could easily be attributed to his overall amount of athleticism.
Much will come down to how both have developed over the offseason. Regardless, each figure to squarely be embedded within the defensive line rotation.
Outside Linebacker
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The outside linebacker race is perhaps the most intriguing to watch.
UCLA's base defense figures to be a 3-4. Realistically with the amount of passing taking place in the Pac-12, the team figures to operate a great deal of time in the nickel.
With that said, the Bruins will also face teams with the propensity to run the football a great deal (Utah and Stanford come to mind).
Myles Jack will transition inside and take over for former all-everything linebacker Eric Kendricks. Kenny Young will be slotted next to Jack, with Deon Hollins on the outside at one spot.
The last spot figures to be a competition between a myriad of players—including Aaron Wallace, Cameron Judge, Cameron Griffin and Kene Orjioke.
Of the group, Wallace may have the early edge. He's the biggest of the quartet mentioned—and is the most experienced.
Quarterback
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This particular position has been discussed ad nauseam in regards to any preview involving the UCLA football season in 2015.
It's all simple when looking at the situation.
Jerry Neuheisel is the older, more experienced option. While the mental side of the game comes easy to the veteran, there are some physical limitations that could limit UCLA's ceiling as a football team.
Josh Rosen is the hot-shot true freshman hoping to start in his inaugural campaign. While he doesn't possess Neuheisel's experience on the collegiate level, his physical ability is immense.
This will be the most analyzed and significant position battle heading into fall camp in San Bernardino.
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