UCLA Football: 5 storylines to follow during 2018 spring ball

4. Recruiting, the Kelly way

From the Bruins 2018 recruiting class one can see the type of program Chip Kelly wants to build at UCLA — a model of his old Ducks squads. Thick defensive linemen, versatile tight ends, tall receivers and a dual threat quarterback remind us all of those highly athletic squads up in Eugene.

Kelly won’t have to worry about being out maneuvered for Southern California players anymore now that he’s in their backyard. His job will be to keep the LA kids from leaving the area. If Chip could lure them to dreary Oregon he can certainly keep them at home in Hollywood.

Kelly has recruited in a slew of guys that can and will have to play right away to provide the Bruins a much needed spark. Mora ended his time at UCLA with only nine wins over his last two seasons. Kelly can’t afford that type of slow start between the hype and the money he’s being paid.

One player that could make an immediate impact is Dorian Thompson-Robinson. He’s a four-star quarterback from Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas. Thompson-Robinson is in true Chip Kelly mold as a dual threat that’s 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds. He’ll have to beat out Devon Modster who had a great Cactus Bowl game against Kansas State.

Bryan Addison is a 6-foot-5 safety that played in the Under Armour All-American Game. Will Addison stay at safety or be moved to offense to use his 6-foot-5 frame to make plays in the redzone? Tight end Michael Ezeike fits the Kelly mold. He likes a tight end that can cause mismatch issues in the passing game and that’s Ezeike, a four-star, that stands at 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds.

Guard Chris Murray, a four-star California-native, could play immediately as well. UCLA’s offensive line needs to improve as the group saw former quarterback Josh Rosen take too many unnecessary hits in 2017.