2017 Pac-12 Football Media Days - UCLA’s Scott Quessenberry: Josh Rosen Was Humbled By His Injury Last Season

Today at Pac-12 Media Days, Scott Quessenberry was the offensive representative for UCLA football. He addressed media questions ranging from what the offense is doing differently this year to how he feels about not practicing in San Bernardino.

The major theme of the media’s questions definitely had to do with the changes that every Bruin fan hopes to see going on with the team. On one hand, Quessenberry told the media that not much was changing (God, I hope this isn’t true), but, on the other hand, he said the line is getting back to fundamentals, tightening up, and working more cohesively as a group. The response to new offensive line coach Hank Fraley seems overwhelmingly positive, and, according to Scott, this will be a “bounce back year”.

Quessenberry also had positive remarks regarding new offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch, saying that he has a good mind for the game and he is good at plugging players in to the schemes that they were recruited to play. Quessenberry said the playbook is huge but there are six key plays that are the foundation of everything (I really hope UCLA’s opponents don’t figure them out). He believes that, with Rosen’s return, UCLA is definitely on an upward trajectory. He added that communication on elements like pass protection and the run game have greatly improved.

I had the opportunity to ask Quessenberry what he thought the biggest impact was of the new offensive line coach. He said Coach Fraley has taught him more about the center position than he ever knew before, and he has also gotten the line back to fundamentals and that Coach Fraley is a “technical guy”.

An interesting point from one of his interviews was his opinion of Josh Rosen. We all know that Rosen has had a reputation for being a bit arrogant. Of course, I expected Quessenberry to defend his quarterback, which he did, but he actually mentioned the fact that the injury he sustained last year brought him back to earth and had a humbling effect on him. It was as if, once the game was taken away, he learned to appreciate it more and remembered how much he loved football. He has come out on the other side more mature and a better leader.

One of the major changes for next year is that the NCAA has banned two-a-day practices. Additionally, Head Coach Jim Mora has decided not to hold camp in San Bernardino, but rather stay on campus and utilize the new Wasserman Center and the fi. Both changes were received quite well by players, and Scott even said that this can prevent injuries and keep the players healthier. After the injuries this team has suffered through the last two years, I hope this holds true (and, if the offense learns to hold, Josh can stay healthy as well). Practices will be in a more concentrated area in the new location and won’t be as spread out as they were in San Berdoo.

We shot two videos today of Scott Quessenberry. The first is a portion of his primary media session.

The second video is from his post-lunch sit-down with media who cover UCLA Football.

Go Bruins!