UCLA Football: 'The Rosen One' Has Arrived for Bruins

Well, it's official. 

On Wednesday afternoon, head coach Jim Mora announced true freshman Josh Rosen as the starting quarterback for the season opener versus Virginia on Sept. 5. 

For some, it was a no-brainer decision. Rosen was a consensus 5-star recruit by virtually every publication, including 247Sports. He starred at one of the top high school programs in the country in St. John Bosco. Not only did he throw for 29 touchdowns in one of the toughest high school leagues nationally, but he also accrued a 4.3 grade-point average. 

Rosen's mother went to Princeton and is related to Joseph Wharton of the Wharton School of Business fame. Rosen's father went to Penn and is a spine surgeon.

Both of his parents were also excellent athletes during their younger days, with his father narrowly missing out in becoming an Olympian figure skater and his mother being a lacrosse player in college. Rosen himself was a tennis prodigy as a child before transitioning to other sports. 

Everything screams "special" when it comes to this individual. 

With this special thought comes special expectations. Rosen is given the keys to a car that includes 18 returning starters and a thirst for a Pac-12 Championship. 

The media hype train will be in full swing the week before his first start. How will he manage expectations? Can he take care of the ball and make the proper reads? Can he lead UCLA to the promised land? 

These are things he'll have to answer—one way or another. 

He beat out Jerry Neuheisel for the job. A fan favorite, the floppy-haired blond personality is universally well-liked throughout the program. He doesn't possess the physical tools that Rosen has. However, Neuheisel is the perfect second-string quarterback in the sense he's intelligent, battle-tested and a great teammate. 

Rosen will have his share of mistakes. It's expected considering he's a true freshman. It will be imperative for Rosen to not perpetuate these mistakes. He's afforded a deep group of receivers and arguably the best running back in the conference in Paul Perkins.

He doesn't have to win UCLA games…he just has to take care of the football. 

There are some games on the schedule in which he'll be tested. Virginia figures to blitz him a lot, as does Arizona State. Early-season clashes at Arizona and versus BYU won't be easy. Road contests in inclement weather versus Oregon State and Utah will certainly test his mettle. 

Of course, he'll end the season versus crosstown rival Southern Cal (assuming he stays healthy). 

This is an exciting time for UCLA football. Mora has built this program virtually from the ground up. It's one rooted in energy, toughness and accountability. The results have spoken for themselves over the course of the past three seasons. 

With that said, the Bruins under Mora have failed to win a conference crown. Mora can only hope the true freshman taking the reins of his team can live up the moniker of "The Rosen One" and lead the squad to new heights.