UCLA’s Offensive Line Depth Chart: Post Hasiak Adjustments

by Nestor on Jun 24, 2011 12:00 PM PDT in Football

So I get it. UCLA football cannot catch a break. Whenever news comes we all catch our breath to wonder if it is something bad. The reaction to news of Stan Hasiak's dismissal was the predictable. There was the usual ... here we go again ... the wheel is falling off ... blah, blah, blah ... annoying, predictable comments (reminding me of pathetic Red Sox fans before they won it all). Sorry guys, I am kidding here a bit. So don't take it too personally. But instead of just panicking like bunch of wussies, I think it is worth looking at the whole situation and see what Hasiak's dismissal will mean for all our offensive line.

Before we go anywhere, read up on gbruin's through and exhaustive run down of the state of our offensive line before spring camp. After you have read through gbruin's analysis, read through B's post-spring breakdown of our offensive depth chart. Reading through that analysis, here is how the latest UCLA OL depth chart will look without Hasiak:

LT	LG	C	RG	RT
Sean Sheller	Wade Yandall	Kai Maiava	Chris Ward	Mike Harris
Connor Bradford	Casey Griffiths	Greg Capella	Jay Barlow	Brett Downey
Jeff Baca	Sam Saultz	Kody Innes

Italicized - out at least for first month.

Note the chart above doesn't include names of 6 incoming freshmen and a JC transfer, who I will get into more after the jump. Is the situation ideal? Of course not. Does Hasiak's dismissal means it's the end of the world? Probably not. It does mean, the margin of error for our team becomes smaller.

Thank the Lord Sean Sheller was given a sixth year. Without him we would be in a very tough spot. We are also going to be without Baca at least for the first month of the season. So without him, it will be crucial for Connor Bradford to contribute. Will he develop just in time? That will be something to watch this summer.

Wade Yandall will also get a chance to contribute at LG. From the reports we have read in recent camps he has shown signs of promises. Bruins will also have few incoming freshmen checking in this Fall. As gbruin noted back in spring:

Our incoming freshmen, Jake Brendel, Will Oliver, Torian White, Connor McDermott, and Ben Wysocki are all expected to redshirt for the 2011 season. White, you may recall, was the prized OL recruit who shocked the Bruins on Signing Day by committing to *$c on TV, and then changing his mind and recommitting to U.C.L.A. when his family realized where his heart truly was. Of these 5, Wysocki likely has the best chance of moving up to the playing squad in the fall.

Well, I think given the situation now Wysocki and White may get legit shots for a spot in Coach Bob Palcic's regular rotation when camp opens in August. Also, don't forget about the JC recruiting Albert Cid. Provided Cid fills all his UCLA academic requirements, he could emerge as a factor in the regular rotation. Again it's not the ideal situation, but at the same time it's not the end of the world.

Another note on this. Our OL situation raises the convenient narratives of Rick Neuheisel not caring about OL and UCLA getting hit with freak injuries. Note the paragraph gbruin wrote above. Those were just the recruits (6 of them) Neuheisel brought in last year. The class from year before (2011) included Casey Griffiths, Chris Ward, Kody Innes and Wade Yandall. The class before that was made up of Xavier Su'a-Filo, Ryan Taylor, Eddie Williams, Greg Capella, and Stan Hasiak. The first class - which was essentially a Karl Dorrell/DeWayne Walker production - brought in Jeff Baca and Connor Bradford.

It is pretty clear that OL has been one of the top priorities for our coaching staff ever since they got here. They just have been digging out of a massive crater left behind by the previous staff. The Hasiak story hurts because he came in with so much hoopla and promise. He has not worked out, although who knows there may be road for redemption for Stan by making it back to Westwood (I am not going to hold my breath for now).

But what's left on our depth chart is not a hopeless cause. I think the key will be whether this group can hold it together for first 4-5 weeks before Baca is ready to return. It will be a matter of these guys toughening up and persevering through the adversities. Perhaps it will be an advantage for them because so many seem to be giving up on them before the season has even started. Thankfully for us we still have Bob Palcic coaching up these guys. I am going to be hoping for the best, praying for their good health, and anxious to see whether they can battle through the challenges. I urge rest of the Bruin fans to do the same. It's more fun than reaching for those razor blades this early in the season.

GO BRUINS.

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Comments

The problem is, the Pac is getting better.

They might be able to hold together until Baca is back, but we need to do a damn sight better than hold together in order to have a productive offense this year, or to save Rick’s job, for that matter.

"Every day was a good day at UCLA." -Coach John Wooden

by OswegoBruin on Jun 24, 2011 12:54 PM PDT reply actions

For next season

First, I am going to worry about camp. Then I will think about opening game. Then I will take it week to week. If you want to wallow in worry and wave the white flag now, you can go right ahead.

by Nestor on Jun 24, 2011 1:19 PM PDT up reply actions

I just want to see the Bruins beat Houston...

then I will worry about the SJSU game.

1-0 will sound real good around 5pm on Sep 3rd.

by 110 South on Jun 24, 2011 1:26 PM PDT up reply actions

Right! You can't interpret data when you don't have any.

By Fall camp we’ll get a good idea of what’s up with our new coaching staff as well as with our O-line. BTW: If our O-line just learns to act as a cohesive unit we may survive until Baca returns.

by KnudsenRockne on Jun 24, 2011 2:08 PM PDT up reply actions

I'm not wallowing or waving.

I’m aware that our offense needs good line play in order to stay afloat in an increasingly competitive pac 10. I don’t see how that’s worry or capitulating in the slightest.

"Every day was a good day at UCLA." -Coach John Wooden

by OswegoBruin on Jun 24, 2011 2:53 PM PDT up reply actions

good

Although from some of your recent comments it appeared you are writing Neuheisel off even before the season starts. Yeah, I know Pac is good and getting better. Its not news. But at the same time every team has their own issues. I hope Bruin fans cowboy up a little before the season starts bc from the tone sometimes it appears some have already given up. That’s kind of weak sauce and pathetic. Hopefully we won’t see a lot of that rest of this offseason.

by Nestor on Jun 24, 2011 3:55 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions

I want Neuheisal to succeed.

The guy is a lights out recruiter when he has a pitch to sell. We got an amazing class after going 4-8… imagine what we could do after we went 11-2, or 12-1? Not saying that’s likely this season, but 8-4 with a bowl win is not out of the picture, and in fact is a very good goal for this team.

"Every day was a good day at UCLA." -Coach John Wooden

by OswegoBruin on Jun 24, 2011 3:59 PM PDT up reply actions

I agree with you

8-4 with a bowl win is definitely not out of the picture, especially if we can hang in there in our first 4-5 games.

by Nestor on Jun 25, 2011 10:12 AM PDT up reply actions

On Youtube

Click the “Share” button under the video. An “Embed” button will appear. Click that and it gives you the HTML that you can just copy and paste into the fanpost or fanshot section whereever it asks for the Embed code. Sometimes the code it gives you initially doesn’t work and you have to click the “use old embed code” checkbox to give you a different HTML code to copy-paste, but it’s really not that hard once you do it.

by Tydides on Jun 24, 2011 4:08 PM PDT up reply actions

Nice job there, LA Bruin

looks good.

greg in denver, UCLA guy for life - BruinsNation.com

by gbruin on Jun 24, 2011 6:21 PM PDT up reply actions

Please please please

PLEASE let the injury bug go somewhere else! I think that if our OL can stay healthy that they’ll be a good unit and that’s critical for our O to have any chance at all. I am a beaten Bruin fan, however, and find myself expecting the worst these days. :-i

by RealisticBruinFan on Jun 24, 2011 1:31 PM PDT reply actions

Hopeful the kid can get his life on track...

I never saw him as a starter this year, or in the future, due to his college career so far. Million dollar talent, but lacking the disposition to showcase it. I am personally familiar with issues in college (life). I would like to see him live up to promise somewhere, someday.

Reference the O-line, I feel confident that Palcic will put together a group that can move the ball on the ground, regardless the players. If the F-back is involved more, one starter under center for the year, receivers run good routes (and block downfield – and catch the catchable), and backs catch the ball out of the backfield, then the line will look great. If not…

by sam_in_hb on Jun 24, 2011 1:37 PM PDT reply actions

XSFO

Does anybody know how XSFO’s return to UCLA works? It’s my understanding that he is not obligated to UCLA or restricted in any way. He could go somewhere else and play right away. Not saying this will happen. However, I’ve always thought there would be a danger that he may not come back to UCLA. So many things can change in 2 years and other school will probably go hard after him.

by BigFatDaddy on Jun 24, 2011 5:01 PM PDT reply actions

His recruiting opens up again

but he has gone on record as saying, if CRN is back, he’ll be back. So CRN, please have a good year! It’s hard to be doom and gloom about the o-line, when in the recent past, many of the issues were freak injuries. YOu gotta hope that it doesn’t happen again. And our schedule (while there are few if any automatics) buys us that month for Baca to return to form. Houston, SJSt, Texas, Oregon St., Stanford, Wazzu. We have a chance in all of these games. 4 of them are the 4 we won last year, 1 is an OOC team that we should win, and the last is a team that blew us out (according to the score). We actually held Luck in check passing wise, but seemed to break down on every third down, where he ran of made some sort of magic. With a new D-coordinator, and them losing a lot of parts from last year’s team, including Harbaugh, we have a chance. Of course, its only June, so too early to speculate. Hopefully, we take 2 steps forward during summer camp and not 2 steps back. Here’s to hoping.

formerly Westwood78

by PhoenixBruin on Jun 25, 2011 9:54 AM PDT up reply actions

I agree with everything that Oswegobruin posted!!

Even though it sucks that Hasiak is no longer a bruin, I actually feel better about our overall depth & cohesiveness at this point than I did last year. We have a very favorable schedule & getting 8 wins looks very doable. If we have a good year, the recruits will come. GO BRUINS!!!!!!!

by Splat Shot Sal on Jun 24, 2011 8:29 PM PDT reply actions

Can't imagine.......

….that the Bruins were really counting on Hasiak, considering his history in Westwood….Would have been a nice story if he got it together, but it was a real long shot.

by jkaflagg on Jun 24, 2011 8:43 PM PDT reply actions

One part FUNDAMENTALS, One part Desire.

Gents: UCLA has to get back to the basics of (what we learned in Pop Warner) football. Blocking, Tackling, Technique. The O-Line must operate in perfect synchronicity since they initiate the action EVERY down. The Defense has to maintain Gap Discipline and react with 11 Hats to the ball — and everyone goes until the whistle. So many of the stories (starting at/before the Dullard era) of disparity and discontent haunt the Bruins all the way from that fateful Hurricane make-up day in Miami (where our poor fundamentals made James look like the Heisman winner!). So, get back to basics. Learn your position. Play TEAM ball (all for 1, 1 for all!). Play with the “Passion” buckets your coach espouses – and great things will follow. I like the new Coordinators (upgrades on both sides). Lets see how well they teach the fundamentals of football! Go Bruins!