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UCLA Football: Bruins’ 2017 season preview and predictions

By Zach Bigalke

TEMPE, AZ - OCTOBER 08: Quarterback Josh Rosen #3 of the UCLA Bruins throws a pass during the first half of the college football game against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Sun Devil Stadium on October 8, 2016 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
TEMPE, AZ - OCTOBER 08: Quarterback Josh Rosen #3 of the UCLA Bruins throws a pass during the first half of the college football game against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Sun Devil Stadium on October 8, 2016 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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SANTA CLARA, CA – DECEMBER 26: Jaleel Wadood #2 of the UCLA Bruins reacts after he recovered a fumble by Tommy Armstrong Jr. #4 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the Foster Farms Bowl at Levi’s Stadium on December 26, 2015 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA – DECEMBER 26: Jaleel Wadood #2 of the UCLA Bruins reacts after he recovered a fumble by Tommy Armstrong Jr. #4 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the Foster Farms Bowl at Levi’s Stadium on December 26, 2015 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

Defense

Last year the UCLA defense was in some ways the difference between a four-win season and an even bigger collapse. Most of the team’s talent was on that side of the ball. But that will change drastically in 2017, as six players from last year’s unit are now on NFL rosters. Only eight other teams in the FBS return less production on defense than the Bruins.

Fortunately for Mora and crew, among those eight are two other Pac-12 rivals. Still, that won’t help replace players like Takkarist McKinley and Eddie Vanderdoes on the defensive line. Jacob Tuioti-Mariner is the anchor at defensive tackle, with a pair of sophomores and a freshman joining him on the line of scrimmage. Of course, it helps that the freshman is Jaelan Phillips, the top-ranked recruit in the entire country last year.

Behind them, the Bruins must also replace linebackers Jayon Brown and Deon Hollins. At least senior middle linebacker Kenny Young returns for the Bruins. On either side of Young, the Bruins will be fielding players with limited experience. Weakside linebacker Josh Woods, a junior despite being just 19 years old, will likely be a key cog in the front seven after a strong showing in the spring.

Will the secondary drop off in 2017?

Last year, the Bruins fielded the seventh-best defense in the nation against the pass. But in addition to the star power lost to the NFL in the front seven, the team also saw cornerback Fabian Moreau and safety Randall Goforth move on to pro careers.

They still return plenty of talent. Junior safety Jaleel Wadood, a preseason Thorpe Award candidate, brings stability to the group. Adarius Pickett, a redshirt junior with starting experience, is the frontrunner to take over Goforth’s position. Nate Meadors was the starting cornerback opposite Moreau last season.

Darnay Holmes, the top-rated cornerback in the country according to Scout, looks likely to claim Moreau’s spot on the outside. He is the biggest question mark in what should hopefully still be a solid unit. Even marginal decline in the secondary, though, could prove costly to UCLA’s dreams of competing for the Pac-12 South this year.

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