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The Bruins' biggest question of the off-season was answered this morning when Brett Hundley announced at a press conference on the U.C.L.A. campus that he will return to Westwood for his redshirt junior season.
"We're going to do big things around here so let's have some fun and do it!" - Brett Hundley announcing he is returning for 2014 #8Clap
— UCLA Athletics (@UCLAAthletics) January 6, 2014
The press conference was short and to the point, and Hundley showed the poise and eloquence that has made him a fan favorite already.
The news of Brett's return began yesterday when ESPN reporter Adam Schefter tweeted that sources told him the Hundley was returning. The news spread like wildfire, but there was nothing official from Hundley or U.C.L.A. But this morning, Brett made it official and Bruins Nation rejoiced
Brett talked "coming back to something truly special" next season. He also cited his love for his teammates and his coaches and his desire to get his degree as reasons for coming back, but he did admit the decision was harder than he expected. Brett also spoke of discussing his decision with Johnathan Franklin and Datone Jones, and noted that Jet Ski specifically pointed "There are some things in life that you don't want to rush".
Bruin fans have been speculating on Hundley's future all season. This year's college quarterback class was relatively thin, and recently some NFL pundits suggested that Hundley could be the first quarterback taken in this year's draft. Certainly Hundley passed on many millions of dollars when he passed on this year's draft, but he also sets himself up as one of the top picks after next season if he continues to improve.
U.C.L.A already returns a great combination of youth, talent, and experience in 2014, but no piece was more important than the return of their offensive leader.
This off-season has already seen Jim Mora say no to both Washington and Texas and Adrian Klemm say no to Southern Cal. Now our quarterback has said no to millions of NFL dollars in exchange for one more year as a Bruin. We'll talk a lot in the upcoming days about what Hundley's return means to the Bruins, but for today, let's celebrate the great news and look forward to what is setting up to be an incredible 2104 football season.
GO BRUINS!!