UCLA Spring Game 2016: Recap, Highlights and Twitter Reaction

The UCLA Bruins continued their preparations for the 2016 season Saturday with the Spring Showcase at Elvin Drake Stadium on the UCLA campus in Los Angeles. 

Rather than staging a traditional spring game like many schools, head coach Jim Mora instead held a beefed-up practice featuring 11-on-11 and seven-on-seven drills and very little contact so as to preserve the health of his players.

As expected, much of the focus was on sophomore quarterback Josh Rosen on the heels of his impressive freshman campaign in 2015.

The Manhattan Beach, California, native threw for 3,670 yards and 23 touchdowns in his debut season, and he set no shortage of school records in the process, as seen in this graphic courtesy of Pac-12 Network:

While Rosen may be in for a spectacular sophomore year, the Spring Showcase represented a mixed bag for him, as he made some big throws but also had some issues turning the ball over.

As seen in this video, Rosen displayed fantastic arm strength and accuracy at times, which could be a sign of things to come in 2016:

Perhaps the most exciting aspect of Rosen's day was the fact that he showed he could make throws at all levels and under many different circumstances.

Matt Joye of the Daily Bruin highlighted Rosen's ability to get the ball down the field on this scoring strike to fullback Nate Iese during 11-on-11 drills:

While Rosen isn't regarded as an overly mobile signal-caller, his athleticism was on full display in the Spring Showcase when he completed an against-the-grain play-action pass while rolling out to his weak side, via UCLA Football:

Rosen struggled a bit in seven-on-seven drills, though, as he was intercepted by senior cornerback Charles Dawson and freshman linebacker Mique Juarez over the course of just four plays, according to Joye.

He was also picked off earlier by Dawson, which suggests the veteran leader of the secondary is ready to spearhead the Bruins' defensive attack in 2016.

One factor that should aid Rosen during the upcoming season is the continued development of his offensive weapons.

That includes senior wide receiver Ishmael Adams, who is converting to the offensive side of the ball after 34 games over the past three years as a defensive back.

Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports captured one of the many electric plays Adams made at wideout during the Spring Showcase:

Another new target for Rosen to potentially utilize is Cordell Broadus, who returned to UCLA after sitting out the 2015 season.

The son of rapper Snoop Dogg made some impressive plays Saturday, including this touchdown grab:

Rosen had great things to say about Broadus leading up to the Spring Showcase, and he believes the wideout can be similar to Jordan Payton, who was UCLA's leading receiver last year as a senior, according to Thuc Nhi Nguyen of the Los Angeles Daily News: "He's awesome, he's been killing it. He's picking up the offense quickly. He's a big receiver, physical. He reminds me a lot of JP, but he's going to evolve, just like all of us."

If Broadus develops into the type of player Mora thought he was getting prior to his hiatus, then the Bruins offense has a chance to be the best in the Pac-12.

UCLA finished third in the Pac-12 South last season at 5-4 and 8-5 overall, but it was just one game out of representing the division in the Pac-12 title game against Stanford.

That means even the slightest improvement could allow the Bruins to vie for a spot in the Rose Bowl, which they haven't played in since 1998.

There is no question the team still has a lot of developing to do with regard to its young players between now and the start of the season, but plenty of bright spots emerged Saturday and offered hope for a fantastic 2016 campaign.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.