UCLA Football: Bruins Defense Gets Massive Test With Indiana Star Playing Saturday

Indiana is expected to have their star receiver back.

Rich Janzaruk/Herald Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

Indiana football wide receiver Donaven McCulley is reportedly expected to play Saturday against UCLA football, per Matt Zenitz of 247 Sports.

Indiana standout wide receiver Donaven McCulley is expected to play in the Hoosiers’ Big Ten opener vs. UCLA tomorrow, a source tells @247sports/@CBSSports.

The 6-foot-5 McCulley, who was honorable mention All-Big Ten last year, had missed last week due to an injury from Week 1.… pic.twitter.com/CUCfX5uzPF

— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) September 14, 2024

McCulley did not play in Indiana's Week 2 77-3 win over Western Illinois due to an injury he sustained in Week 1. During Week 1 against Florida International University, McCulley caught just one pass for nine yards.

The 6-foot-5 receiver is a mismatch in the Hoosiers' offense and adds another dynamic playmaking threat for Indiana. Last season, McCulley finished as the Hoosiers' leading receiver, leading the team in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. He caught 48 passes for 644 yards and six touchdowns in 2023, highlighted by an 11-reception, 137-yard receiving game against Illinois late in the season.

The expected return of McCulley adds another facet to Indiana's offense that the Bruins will have to stop on Saturday. While McCulley was the easy team's primary receiver a season ago, the Hoosiers showed a more well-rounded receiving core through the first two weeks of the season.

In Week 2, Indiana saw two receivers go for over 100 receiving yards in Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper Jr. Sarratt caught six passes for 137 yards and a touchdown against Western Illinois, averaging 22.8 yards per catch. Sarratt is a first-year receiver with Indiana, transferring from James Madison where he caught 82 passes for 1,191 yards and eight touchdowns in 2023.

Cooper caught four passes for 131 yards and a touchdown in Week 2. He is now in his third year with Indiana and an upperclassman, meaning he could see a larger role in the offense.

With a trio of playmakers capable of going for over 100 yards in a game, the Bruins secondary will be tested Saturday afternoon. The Bruins' primary defensive strengths lie in their defensive line and linebacker groups, while their defensive back group remains largely unproven.

In Week 1, the Bruins secondary held quarterback Brayden Schager to just 227 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions, but they wide receiver Pofele Ashlock still managed to record 112 receiving yards. Ashlock and the receiving core could have put up even bigger numbers had Ashlock not sustained a finger injury and Schager did not miss some of his passing attempts.

Through two weeks, Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke has played with accuracy, including going 15-17 in Week 2. It will be key for the Bruins to pressure Rourke and keep up with their receivers in order to disrupt the passing game.

More Bruins: UCLA Football: Biggest X-Factors For Bruins to Beat Indiana