UCLA Football: 5 players to watch in 2017 spring game
By Zach Bigalke
The defense suffered the greatest attrition from last season, and Tom Bradley will need to find replacements as soon as possible. The defensive line loses starters Takkarist McKinley and Eddie Vanderdoes. Beyond that, the team also loses depth in players like Deon Hollins and Eli Ankou.
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That puts an impetus on finding solid defensive linemen, and that means Bradley will lean on players with experience like Rick Wade to take on an even bigger role.
Wade, a redshirt sophomore, saw his first action last year in limited relief and on special teams. He managed to amass 21 tackles and a sack in his brief moments of playing time. Having observed the talent on last year’s team, Wade will likely be thrust into a bigger role this year to sink or swim.
That makes this spring especially important for his development. Be sure to keep an eye on how he performs against the offense in the spring game, and whether he can get consistently into the backfield.