Spaulding Report: UCLA Football Begins Spring Practice

For the first time this Spring, the Bruins were practicing yesterday without pads, and there were, of course, a fair share of new faces, new coaches, and even new schemes. According to Mora, the players had a great attitude and the overall tone of the practice was upbeat.

Both Boss Tagaloa and Michael Alves showed up to practice looking physically better than last year. Mora said it is hard to judge their appearance since he sees them everyday, but these two individuals stood out as having made great progress with Coach Alosi in the offseason.

In his post-practice video, Mora answers some very important questions, including those surrounding the status of Josh Rosen. He said Josh doesn’t seem bothered by the injury he sustained last Fall, and they are both happy with where he is in his recovery. His throws were crisp and he wasn’t wincing at all or in any pain when making throws. I think we can all breathe a collective sigh of relief knowing that he will be in game shape for the Fall (now, don’t forget to develop a back up!). On that note, Devon Modster, Matt Lynch and Austin Burton will all be competing for the back-up position.

Mique Juarez was with the team, as he had been all winter, so right now we’re all wondering how he looks physically. It is expected that he will be a bit rusty having taken a year off, but hopefully he’ll be back on the field this Spring to make an impact this Fall.

With the coaching changes comes a new philosophy and Mora said the players are responding well. The team didn’t look like it was “day one” and it seemed like the adjustments weren’t all that jolting to the program. According to Mora, Fisch knows how to match the concepts to the personnel on the team, and like other NFL coaches, the offense is continually evolving. Spring is important for installing the new offense and teaching the philosophies that are being brought in. Fisch has already looked at a lot of film, so he is very familiar with the players already.

The offensive line was a huge question after the Fall, and right now they have the best five guys up front that the coaches believe will bring the team the most success. There could still be some shuffling, so look for some movement on the offensive line throughout Spring and Fall camps.

One change that could impact the offense is the move of Dymond Lee from quarterback to wide receiver. He hasn’t played the position in a year as he was a receiver in high school but redshirted last year as a quarterback. Last year, he played receiver on the scout team, but this year was his first year competing at the position.

Injury Notes

Poasi Moala had hip surgery in the offseason and is expected to make a full recovery for the Fall. Cameron Griffin has taken a medical retirement due to head injuries, so we wish him well in his future endeavors.

Here is the full video of Coach Mora, courtesy of Edward Lewis and Bruin Sports Report:

And here is Josh Rosen, via Edward Lewis:

Scott Quessenberry, courtesy of Edward Lewis:

And here is Jaleel Wadood, thanks to Edward Lewis:

And finally, Kenny Young, via Edward Lewis:

Go Bruins!