UCLA Football: Bruins’ comeback attempt falls short against Stanford

PASADENA, CA - NOVEMBER 24: Theo Howard #14 of the UCLA Bruins eludes the defense of Kendall Williamson #29 of the Stanford Cardinal on a pass play during the first half of a game at the Rose Bowl on November 24, 2018 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
PASADENA, CA - NOVEMBER 24: Theo Howard #14 of the UCLA Bruins eludes the defense of Kendall Williamson #29 of the Stanford Cardinal on a pass play during the first half of a game at the Rose Bowl on November 24, 2018 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
(Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

2. JJ Arcega-Whiteside is going to make an NFL team happy next year

In the midst of a mediocre year (by his standards) from Bryce Love, Stanford has seen a void appear in the offense. The Cardinal needed someone to step up and give quarterback KJ Costello and outlet for the football. Rather than one of their endless line of tight ends, the man who’s made the most noise has been senior receiver JJ Arcega-Whiteside.

Arcega-Whiteside capped off the regular season the same way he started it, 100+ receiving yards and three touchdowns. He started the year with three scores on six catches and 226 yards against San Diego State and gave an encore performance against UCLA on Saturday. He caught seven passes for 106 yards and three touchdowns against the Bruins.

The big, physical pass catcher is every quarterback’s ideal redzone target. It’s hard to box him out, meaning he’s always available when the offense needs a big play. His three scores give him 14 receiving touchdowns on the season, putting him inside the top 10 nationally.

You can’t teach size, but Acerga-Whiteside’s arsenal of pass-catching skills compliment his frame well. He’s going to be a selection in the upcoming 2019 NFL Draft. Wherever he goes, he’ll be making plays on Sundays.