Spaulding Report: UCLA Football's Keisean Lucier-South Wants to Be the Next Anthony Barr

The defensive staff and players turn their focus to UNLV and, especially, QB Johnny Stanton, a dual-threat who transferred to UNLV from Nebraska last season.

By Robert Bastron@robert_bastron Sep 7, 2016, 6:00am PDT

Adarius Pickett celebrates his interception at Texas A&M on Saturday.

When reporters asked Coach Mora on Monday who impressed him the most after Saturday’s season opener, the first player that came to his mind was DE Keisean Lucier-South.

"Just the way he moved out there. Fast, explosive, exciting, dynamic." Mora said.

The former five-star recruit was forced to carry the load as the primary edge rusher for the Bruin defense when Takkarist McKinley came out with a groin injury and without Deon Hollins suited up.

"It was crazy, my first play. Go on the field. I had goosebumps and everything, I was getting nervous," Lucier-South said about playing in his first game after redshirting the 2015 season.

"But after my first play, I felt comfortable and got used to it, the fast tempo and the pace of the game."

Lucier-South is listed on the roster at 225lbs, but eventually wants to get up to 250lbs.

"He’s got the length, we just, once again, gotta get a little weight on him," defensive coordinator Tom Bradley said on Tuesday. "He does all the little things right. He’s one of those guys, that everything he does, not on the field but off the field, too. He’s a really fine young man."

The redshirt freshman isn’t shy about who he wants to be: Anthony Barr. Lucier-South actually reached out to the current NFL linebacker and former Consensus All-American to ask permission if he could wear #11. Barr said yes, of course.

Did he give you any advice?

"He told me, work on your technique every single day and bulk up," Lucier-South relayed.

Another QB-smashing #11 in True Blue sounds good to me. Looking forward to the gifs.

Hollins and McKinley were both "doing some stuff" in practice today.

UNLV’s Athletes

Bradley has his eyes on two Rebels in particular, quarterback Johnny Stanton, a Nebraska transfer who threw 10-12 for 217 yards against Jackson State in the UNLV home opener last week, and wide receiver Devonte Boyd, who caught 3 touchdown passes from Stanton in the game. Boyd led the Rebels in receptions in last season’s tilt against the Bruins in Las Vegas.

Lucier-South played against Stanton in high school, "He’s a dual-threat quarterback and he’s a big quarterback, too."

"Devonte Boyd...we faced him last year," redshirt sophomore DB Adarius Pickett recalled. "He’s a pretty good receiver. Good speed, uses his hands well."

UNLV is also known for throwing in some trick plays. So watch out, Bruins.

Kennedy Polamalu

The offensive coordinator spoke to the media as well on Tuesday, though no mea culpa’s for play calling on Saturday, sorry guys. He stayed positive, kept his cards close to his chest, and talked about why he prefers to be on the sideline rather than in the press box.

See the full videos of Tom Bradley, Keisean Lucier-South, Adarius Pickett, and Kennedy Polamalu. Videos are courtesy of Thuc Nhi Nguyen of the LA Daily News.

DC Tom Bradley: