Bob Connelly, who spent the last four years coaching the offensive line at the University of Alabama, is in his first season as offensive line coach at UCLA. Connelly has coached in a Rose Bowl, a Sugar Bowl and a Cotton Bowl. In 2006 at Alabama, running back Kenneth Darby rushed for 835 yards, left tackle Andre Smith earned first-team Freshman All-America honors and sophomore center Antoine Caldwell was named second-team All- SEC. In 2005, Connelly was named one of the nation's Top 25 recruiters by Rivals.com and his offensive line helped Darby rank second in the SEC in rushing and become only the fourth back in Alabama history to post back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons.

The Bruins return four starters to a line that was solid in pass protection in 2006, but needed to open a few more holes for Chris Markey and the UCLA tailbacks.  In order to fill the void at center left by Robert Chai's graduation, senior Chris Joseph is moving over from guard.  A 13-game starter a year ago, the Academic All-American is plenty smart enough to make all of the line calls, and should engineer a seamless transition to the pivot.

Joseph's vacated guard position will be filled by senior Noah Sutherland, who was a starting tackle throughout the 2006 season.  A converted defensive lineman, he's a 6-5, 299-pound pile driver that'll be better utilized on the inside.

Sutherland will be joined by senior Shannon Tevaga, the team's best overall lineman and a strong candidate for post-season honors.  At 6-3 and 316 pounds, he's big and powerful with the nasty streak to overwhelm opponents at times, particularly on running downs.  A starter in 31 consecutive games, Tevaga is the undisputed leader of this unit.

There's a very interesting battle brewing at left tackle between sophomores Micah Kia and Aleksey Lanis.  One of the program's signature recruits of 2006, Kia used March and April as a springboard to an unexpected spot atop the depth chart when fall camp begins in August.  At 6-5 and 304 pounds, he's a budding star as a pass protector, and one of the pillars that the UCLA line will be built upon over the next three seasons.

 
On the right side, Ben Olson's blindside, will be senior Brian Abraham, who regains the starting job he had in 2005.  A reserve for all but the bowl game last year, he's an adequate lineman with good size and ample experience at this level.

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Watch Out For... Kia. He beat out Lanis in the spring for one simple reason--he's better in all phases of the position.  This is Tevaga's line in 2007, but by 2008, Kia could be looked at as the headliner of the UCLA front wall.
Strength: Veteran depth.  Not only do five players return with

Wither Lanis? The hulking Freshman All-American from a year ago has been lapped at tackle by Kia and Abraham, relegating him to a backup role.  Whether the 6-6, 316-pounder can battle his way back up the depth chart is one of the summer's most intriguing storylines.  Whatever the outcome, it's become clear that the offense will be very deep at tackle this season and beyond.

At right tackle is another future fixture along the line, redshirt freshman Sean Sheller.  Still growing into his 6-4 frame, he has great feet and athleticism, and projects as a top pass blocker once he adds a few more pounds and finds his way into the lineup.

The Bruins have plenty of depth at guard, led by senior P.J. Irvin, a two-time letterwinner that played in all 13 games in 2006.  While he hasn't had the career many expected, he does bring veteran leadership and a physical style of play to the second unit.

By the time Micah Kia leaves UCLA, he could be one of the best offensive linemen in the Pacific-10, but the biggest problem for UCLA's left tackle is making the big sophomore understand how talented he is.

As Kia readies for his first start at Stanford on Sept. 1, his talent shines during bits and pieces of practice, but one thing is missing.

"He's got a great deal of talent and ability. He's a God-given athlete," UCLA offensive line coach Bob Connelly said.

"He's got to understand the urgency and continue to grow in his belief of understanding and knowing what to do and trusting he can do it. We just have to continue to work on his confidence, and consistency."