UCLA Football: Eric Bieniemy Offers Honest Assessment of New Quarterbacks

The Bruins will look to develop their depth behind starter Ethan Garbers.

Nov 12, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy jogs to the locker room following pregame warmups against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports / Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Newly-hired UCLA Bruins associate head coach/offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy boasts some serious NFL pedigree. Before he spent an ill-fated 2023 season with the Washington Commanders, he had been toiling with the Kansas City Chiefs from 2013-2022, a run that ended with him winning a pair of Super Bowl titles as that club's offensive coordinator.

In that capacity, Bieniemy oversaw an all-time Kansas City offense led by two-time NFL MVP and six-time Pro Bowl quarterback Patrick Mahomes and nine-time Pro Bowl tight end Travis Kelce. Suffice it to say, the man knows a quality signal caller when he sees one.

During a recent post-practice interview with David Woods of Bruin Report Online, Bieniemy was asked point-blank how he felt about UCLA's new crop of freshman quarterbacks: 6-foot-5 Rancho Cucamonga native Dermaricus Davis, 6-foot-1 Texas product Karson Gordon, 6-foot-3 quarterback Henry Hasselbeck out of Massachusetts, and 6-foot-7 redshirt freshman Parker McQuarrie.

"You know what, they're rookies and they're freshmen for a reason, but I will say this: They're a fun bunch," Bieniemy offered. "They're a fun group, they're very intelligent and they work at it. Some of it, it's not going to make any sense to them and that's OK, and I understand that, but the beauty of it is, I've watched each and every one of them take a necessary step forward–now, is it a small, minute step? Yes, OK, because it's a lot to chew on. When you're playing that position, regardless of what level you're on, with the position comes a great deal of responsibility, so they're coming into their own. Now, some guys mature faster than others, but do we have talent? Yeah, we've got some talent, but they just need to continue to work and continue learning all the little things it's going to take for them to be a successful player."

This, all things considered, is a fairly positive appraisal. These young guns are well-intentioned. Though it's too soon to say if the heir apparent to starting quarterback Ethan Garbers numbers among this group, it's clear that, with Bieniemy and head coach DeShaun Foster supervising them, this next generation of quarterbacks will at least be given every possible opportunity to thrive and maximize their abilities.

The outlook on the team, however, is a bit cloudier. UCLA as a whole is not expected to repeat its 8-5 run in 2023 during former head coach Chip Kelly's swan song, after bringing in a lackluster recruiting class under Kelly before he dipped for OSU.

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