Major injuries plummeted UCLA football out of the postseason for the first time in six years. Can it contend for the Pac-12 South in 2017?
UCLA finds itself at something of a crossroads this season. When Jim Mora took over the Bruins in 2012, there was a lot of talk about a changing of the guard in Los Angeles. The team was able to take advantage of USC’s downturn under NCAA sanctions to win the Pac-12 South title in Mora’s first season. Since then, however, the Bruins have fallen back in the division pecking order.
The recruitment of Josh Rosen, the top-rated pro style quarterback in the Class of 2015, was supposed to maintain UCLA’s momentum. Rosen dealt with the inevitable growing pains of his freshman campaign, but the Bruins still went 8-5.
Hope ended prematurely in 2016 as Rosen was injured midway through the season. He is likely going to be one of the top quarterbacks drafted in the 2018 NFL Draft, so time is running out for Mora to capitalize on his recruiting coup.
Things won’t be any easier in the Pac-12 South. USC has returned to prominence after winning last year’s Rose Bowl on their rival’s home field. The Arizona schools are desperate to return to bowl eligibility after 2016 stumbles. And Utah and Colorado hope to remain contenders in the division.
The Bruins lost a fair number of parts on defense in last year’s NFL Draft. But the offense could be even better with a more mature Rosen once again healthy. Who needs to step up most to help the Bruins return to prominence in the Pac-12?