UCLA Football Spring Practice Report: April 19
The Bruins have now gone eight consecutive practices in pads, and their comfort in them is really starting to show.
Across UCLA football's practice field, players are starting to lay down bigger and bigger hits. Nothing particularly dirty, but some plays that definitely stand out in stereotypically mundane sessions being held five months before the regular season begins.
Those hard hits appear to have thrown off the offense at this point in spring camp, as there were mistakes galore at Tuesday morning's session.
Receiver Matt Sykes had two drops. Receiver Kazmeir Allen had some as well. Running back Keegan Jones had a fumble. Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson was scrambling and throwing the ball away – one time illegally on a forward pitch that went out of pounds – or missing open targets in the flat.
It isn't as if the Bruins' veteran signal-caller was the only one to struggle, as Chase Griffin and Justyn Martin both overthrew and underthrew wideouts down the field and had plays blown up. Walk-on quarterback Matt Sargent got picked off by cornerback Devin Kirkwood trying to hit receiver Ashton Authement on the right sideline.
Outside of one big run by running back Zach Charbonnet late in the practice, the run game as a whole was unable to get anything more than 3 or so yards in team sessions.
There were some highlights from an offensive standpoint – notably receiver Titus Mokiao-Atimalala beating Kirkwood in 1-on-1s, then fighting for a contact catch against cornerback Jaylin Davies on the sideline and finally coming free for a big gain on an out route.
On the last of those big plays, Thompson-Robinson had all day to throw, with Charbonnet providing good pass protection in the backfield and new starting right tackle Tyler Manoa holding his own on the edge. Manoa seems to have leapt Josh Carlin on the depth chart, and still just a month or so removed from moving over from defensive tackle, he appears to be the Bruins' best bet at that position for the time being.
There were also other times when Thompson-Robinson was able to move around and roll out to his right thanks to good seals by Manoa and right guard Jon Gaines II. On one rep, Thompson-Robinson took an otherwise broken play and wound up finding a crossing receiver Jake Bobo for a 20-plus yard gain.
Martin also had a nice connection with receiver Josiah Norwood, who continues to stand out as a possible dark horse slot option.
The list of injured players remained largely the same: defensive back Martell Irby, offensive lineman Yutaka Mahe, center Sam Marrazzo, defensive lineman Gary Smith III, linebacker Jeremiah Trojan, offensive lineman Siale Taupaki, receiver Colson Yankoff, defensive lineman Stivieni Havili-Kaufusi and receiver Ezavier Staples. Running back Christian Grubb and linebacker Kobey Fitzgerald remained participants in the early rotation of individuals and special teams drills, but stayed with the injured cohort in the back half of practice.
Receiver Kam Brown did some work on the side, sporting full pads but not taking part in teams. He was dinged up over a week ago, but returned and seemed to be at full strength, so it is unknown if this new injury is at all related to his first. Brown's absence is part of the reason Mokiao-Atimalala got so many looks, and the UCF transfer certainly made the most of them.
Tight end Mike Martinez was not seen on the field or at the opening of the weight room where injured players work out, but coach Chip Kelly said before practice that he was progressing.
Safety Kenny Churchwell III and edge rusher Choe Bryant-Strother were once again working with the inside linebacker in individuals, as they had started doing last week. Churchwell appeared to line up as a nickel during teams, while Bryant-Strother appeared as a Will. Bryant-Strother was actually targeted in coverage on one rep of 11-on-11s, and he committed an egregious pass interference on tight end David Priebe, who left with a possible head injury.
Authement and tight end Hudson Habermehl also appeared to suffer injuries at different points in practice, but they both wound up returning after short stints with trainers.
The linebacking corps got Kain Medrano back after he was in and out with an injury last week, and the defense appeared to really settled in with him back in the fold.
Tuesday also seemed to be a big recruiting day for the Bruins, who were hosting somewhere around a dozen prospects on unofficial visits in addition to an actual busload of younger high school kids. Among those we could identify were class of 2024 St. John Bosco (CA) receiver Hayden Eligon II and class of 2024 Mater Dei (CA) offensive lineman Brandon Baker.
It was good to see UCLA start to lay some early groundwork with long, athletic prospects from local powerhouses. Baker has an offer from the Bruins while Eligon does not, but the way the staff was treating him out there on the field, it appeared like one should be coming down the pipeline soon enough.
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