UCLA Football: The Search for UCLA's Next Team Leaders is Upon Us

Who will step up to the plate to lead the Bruins over the top?

The UCLA Bruins have had some consistency throughout the past handful of seasons, with familiar faces year in and year out. Although they haven't had much grand success, we knew returning players would be coming back with a vengeance and do their best to put UCLA on the map. 

Now, the Bruins are in unfamiliar territory. Many of their players have gone on to the next level, which leaves UCLA with a ton of new faces, whether it's transfers or incoming freshmen. 

We can't wait to see how the Bruins have improved from last season, but pundits and experts question who will fill the leadership void going into the season. 

There is no more Dorian Thompson-Robinson or Zach Charbonnet, or even Jake Bobo. So, where will the Bruins turn to from the player's perspective? Well, Tracy Pierson gave us a couple of options, and here's where things stand at the moment. 

On offense, true freshman quarterback

Dante Moore



is probably going to take up most of the press clippings, but the star of the offense, in my opinion, is going to be receiver

J.Michael Sturdivant

. He'll make the dazzling plays, but he'll also impact the game profoundly in many other ways.

(via 247Sports)

Moore is the talented five-star freshman coming to the West Coast from the Midwest. By all indications, he will be the starting QB for the Bruins. The transfer junior wide receiver J. Michael Sturdivant could also fill those shoes. He's coming from Cal and put up 65 receptions for 755 yards and seven touchdowns in 12 games. 

The QB will always be looked at to be the leader, and we'll see if Moore is ready to fill those shoes. 

On the defensive end, you could look at first-team preseason Pac-12 edge rusher Laiatu Latu to fill that void. 

Laiatu Latu

is coming off a 10.5-sack season and is getting preseason hype as one of the best pass rushers in the nation. Just a couple years ago, UCLA was annually struggling to find someone who could even moderately put pressure on the quarterback. Latu will see plenty of double-teams this season, but real stars overcome opponents trying to take them away. 

(via 247Sports)

UCLA has options on the front, but these are just suggestions. We'll see who will step up to the plate and lead by example or lead by their actions. 

Regardless, we cannot wait to see how the team looks and how head coach Chip Kelly has improved his team.