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UCLA Football: 3 breakout candidates for 2021 season

By Connor Muldowney

PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 17: Kyle Philips #2 of the UCLA Bruins is congratulated by Chase Cota #23 and Demetric Felton #10 after he scored a touchdown against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium on October 17, 2019 in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 17: Kyle Philips #2 of the UCLA Bruins is congratulated by Chase Cota #23 and Demetric Felton #10 after he scored a touchdown against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium on October 17, 2019 in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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Dec 19, 2020; Pasadena, California, USA; Stanford Cardinal cornerback Salim Turner-Muhammad (28) defends UCLA Bruins wide receiver Chase Cota (23) as he is able to hang on to the ball for a touchdown in the third quarter of the game at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 19, 2020; Pasadena, California, USA; Stanford Cardinal cornerback Salim Turner-Muhammad (28) defends UCLA Bruins wide receiver Chase Cota (23) as he is able to hang on to the ball for a touchdown in the third quarter of the game at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /

When Chase Cota was just a young recruit, he was considered one of the best prospects in the country, ranking No. 159 overall in the 2018 class. He was a prized commit a few years ago but he has yet to really live up to his lofty rankings.

One of the main reasons for this has been his inability to really put a full season together due to injuries. He has been at UCLA for a few years and has played a full season just one time. I’m not really counting the 2020 season because of COVID-19 limiting the Bruins’ schedule to just seven games, but even then he played in just five.

In his first season with the Bruins, he caught 13 passes for 168 yards in six games. He showed flashes as a true freshman in 2018, but he clearly had more to work on. As a sophomore in 2019, he flashed potential, reeling in 25 passes for 350 yards and three touchdowns.

And then the COVID-19 year happened and he had just 11 catches for 79 yards and two scores.

Cota has so much more to offer and with his frame and athleticism, he could be that go-to receiver for the Bruins this season, especially with no receiver breaking 400 yards last year.

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