Are Loaded UCLA Bruins Thinking Playoff or Bust?

Offense

Brett Hundley could very possibly turn into the best quarterback in the Pac 12 this year among all the great Pac 12 quarterbacks. He’s definitely got the best coaching as far as quarterback coaching goes, and he improved dramatically as a true dual-threat in 2013 with 3,071 yards passing and 24 touchdowns to go along with 748 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns. A mobile quarterback who completes 67 percent of his passes in a pro-style offense is about the deadliest type of quarterback you can have. UCLA’s got it.

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Hundley also lead the team in rushing last year, but sophomore Paul Perkins and senior Jordon James added more than 500 yards each, so if Hundley turns into more of a pure drop-back passer who uses his mobility when needed, as all indications point to him doing, then those two should take off. The running game as a whole should be much better, and sophomore two-way start Myles Jack is an incredible playmaker who adds another element to it. Junior running back Steven Manfro and highly recruited freshmen Craig Lee and Nathan Starks will make this a very deep unit that has a very bright future.

Shaquelle Evans is a loss at receiver, but luckily, everybody else is back. Juniors Jordan Payton and Devin Lucien should be fine replacing Evans as the two starters on the outside, and junior Devin Fuller is back in the slot after 471 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns last year. Sophomore Thomas Duarte could be an impact player as well at 6’3″ after 214 yards and 3 touchdowns last year, and Mora also has sophomores Logan Sweet and Kenneth Walker to turn to. There are also three highly recruited freshmen on the roster, so this is a very deep group that should also be better than last year and has a bright future.

Dec 31, 2013; El Paso, TX, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Brett Hundley (17) hands the ball off to running back Damien Thigpen (25) during the third quarter against the in the 2013 Sun Bowl at Sun Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

The offensive line will suffer from the loss of All-Pac 12 guard Xavier Su’a-Filo, but Miami transfer senior Malcolm Bunche should fill the spot fine. Sophomores Alex Redmond and Caleb Benenoch were highly recruited and started 13 and 9 games respectively as freshmen last year, so they should be great and help set the interior. The rest of the line, however, could be in trouble. Junior center Jake Brendel and junior tackle Simon Goines are returning starters but battling injuries, and left tackle Torian White is gone. Even reserve center Carl Hulick is battling injuries, so Mora might have to turn to unheralded sophomore tackle Conor McDermott and then an inexperienced freshman. Luckily, there are four 4-star freshmen on the roster, whom Mora could turn to in Kolton Miller, John Lopez, Kenny Lacy, and Poasi Moala. Also, sophomore guard Scott Quessenberry and junior guard Ben Wysocki both have experience, could provide depth, and one of them might steal a starting spot. The line, like the rest of the team, has an incredibly bright future, but with the injuries that have hit it this year and the fact that Mora has to go deep into the depth chart to find starters, expect a bit of a drop-off from last year.

Overall, the offense should see some moderate improvement over last year. There is lots of experience back, so the group should develop more, but the injuries on the line and the loss of a No. 1 receiver do create some small holes that need to be filled. It will still be great, though. Continue to Next Slide for Defense