UCLA Football 2021 Positional Preview: Cornerbacks
With UCLA football's shortened offseason already winding down, it's time to start looking ahead to fall 2021 and what lies ahead for the Bruins on the gridiron. Before scouting out opponents and projecting the Pac-12 pecking order, it's best to look within by picking apart how UCLA will shape up on its own sideline.
All Bruins will be breaking down every position group over the next few weeks, and the cornerbacks are the last group of defenders left to break down. To catch up on the positions already covered, take a look below.
Aug. 9: Quarterbacks
Aug. 10: Running Backs
Aug. 11: Wide Receivers
Aug. 12: Tight Ends
Aug. 13: Offensive Line
Aug. 16: Defensive Line
Aug. 17: Linebackers
Aug. 18: Safeties
Depth Chart
CB1: Mo Osling III, senior
CB2: Obi Eboh, redshirt senior
CB3: John Humphrey, redshirt freshman
CB4: Patrick Jolly Jr., redshirt junior
CB5: Evan Thomas, redshirt freshman
CB1: Devin Kirkwood, freshman
CB2: Cam Johnson, redshirt senior
CB3: Jay Shaw, senior
CB4: Shamar Martin, redshirt sophomore
CB5: Joshua Swift, redshirt freshman
With full awareness of sounding like a broken record, the Bruins have plenty of experience at corner heading into 2021.
Four of the top five corners are fourth years or older, and they continue to battle it out in practice for snaps and the upper hand on the depth chart.
Osling seems to be one of the big winners of one of those battles, as he has been lined up with the 1s throughout all of fall camp. He had been splitting time with Eboh in the spring, but the coaching staff seems to have made up their mind when it comes to that pair.
One decision that seemed like it had already been made was Shaw starting at the opposite corner, as he did for all of 2020 and all of spring camp – at least when he was present. The redshirt senior had two interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown against Stanford, and he was eighth on the team with 24 tackles. All things considered, he was probably the Bruins' best man-to-man guy last year.
Instead, it's the true freshman Kirkwood who is starting opposite Osling. At 6-foot-3, Kirkwood stands to be one of the most uniquely athletic cornerbacks UCLA has had in some time, and he seemingly cashed in on a big spring by fighting his way up to the top of the depth chart a week away from the regular season.
Johnson transferred from North Texas in the offseason and he has stepped in as one of the second-team corners. Physically, he is very similar to Shaw, so the two could be interchangeable in terms of fit and role this season.
Shaw slipping out of the first two teams has been a big surprise so far this camp, but that's what happens when a freshman phenom steps in and shakes up a group of experienced veterans.
Humphrey is another young guy who's played a good amount in fall camp, and Jolly is standing out as a practice stud for the third-consecutive year. Martin hasn't been seen at Wasserman Football Center in the past couple of days, and Thomas and Swift are projected to be special teams specialists.
Predictions
The rotation of cornerbacks is going to be interesting to follow this season, with so many old souls fighting each other for playing time and one or two young guns trying to stay in the conversation as long as possible.
Keep an eye on Kirkwood to be one of the best freshmen in the Pac-12 on the defensive side of the ball in 2021. Between his physical tools, impressive plays over spring and fall camps, the praise from his teammates and the faith the coaches seem to be putting in him, Kirkwood should have high expectations from the fans and media as well.
Osling and Eboh will continue to split snaps in some capacity, but Osling will get more reps at the end of the day. Shaw and Johnson might get some play as slot corners if UCLA mixes around its formation going up against four or more receivers.
No matter who ends up out on the field, improving upon the 297.3 passing yards allowed per game over the past two seasons is the key to success – again, that's the worst-two year span of pass defense in program history.
Elijah Gates and his two interceptions from last year are gone to Fresno State, so some combination of Kirkwood, Eboh and Johnson are going to need to make up for the lost turnovers forced.
As long as the corners are getting around an interception per game – maybe even a little less, like in 2020 – that should keep the defense afloat by cutting down on opponents' long drives. There is already plenty of playmaking, hard hits and turnovers coming out of this defense, at least as it was constituted last year.
The biggest area of improvement won't come with more tackles or more picks. With Gates and Rayshad Williams transferring away, the Bruins' corners return just five passes defended, four of which came from Osling. Getting hands on balls and disrupting plays through the air should be defensive coordinator Jerry Azzinaro and defensive backs coach Brian Norwood's top priorities for these corners.
Opponents completed 61.2% of their passes against UCLA in 2020, which was good for fourth in the Pac-12. The issue came with the fact that since teams were so willing to pass on the Bruins' secondary, the completions and attempts piled up and resulted in them allowing the second most passing yards per game in the conference.
By being more physical at the line of scrimmage and with balls in the air, UCLA can discourage teams from throwing all over them. Osling proved he could do that last year, and Kirkwood has the tools to do the same this year.
If Shaw can get his nose for the ball to match his footwork and IQ, he can become a big part of that as well, potentially earning him back some more snaps after a shaky offseason. Eboh, too, needs to follow this path and become the solid, Power Five starter he was for three years at Stanford.
The talent is there, the experience is there and the measurables are there. Now, it's about executing, and this year's corners should help limit opponents to somewhere between 230 and 240 passing yards per game.
Follow Connon on Twitter at @SamConnon
Follow All Bruins on Twitter at @SI_AllBruins
Like All Bruins on Facebook at @SI.AllBruins
Read more UCLA stories: UCLA Bruins on Sports Illustrated
Read more UCLA football stories: UCLA Football on Sports Illustrated
