UCLA Football: Ranking Bruins’ 2020 opponents by toughness

Herm Edwards has done a heck of a job with Arizona State in two seasons, piecing together a 15-11 record after people knocked his hiring in Tempe.

Now he brings back one of the best young quarterbacks in college football in sophomore Jayden Daniels who passed for 2,943 yards and 17 touchdowns with only two interceptions in 2019. He also rushed for 355 yards and three scores, leading Arizona State to an 8-5 mark.

Eno Benjamin and Brandon Aiyuk are both gone but the defense that finished 67th nationally and fifth in the Pac-12 returns seven starters.

If the toughest game on UCLA’s schedule is a home contest against a team that finished 8-5 a year ago and whose coach is on the hot seat, the Bruins may have one of the tamest slates in the nation.

Kedon Slovis will be back as one of the nation’s best quarterbacks after passing for 3,502 yards and 30 touchdowns as a freshman. He’ll have Amon-Ra St. Brown and Tyler Vaughns back as well as Vavae Malepeai, Stephen Carr, Markese Stepp and Kenan Christon in the backfield.

The Trojans also return 10 starters on the defensive side of the ball which ranked 78th nationally a year ago. This team is only going to get better in 2020, but will it be enough to save Clay Helton’s job?