UCLA Football: Will Dorian Thompson-Robinson take next step in 2022?

Dorian Thompson-Robinson improved drastically in 2021, but with him returning to UCLA football for one final season, will he take the next step?

When Dorian Thompson-Robinson got to UCLA four years ago, expectations were at an all-time high. He was a blue-chip recruit and many people believed he was going to turn the program around.

In his first two seasons, it looked like he wasn’t getting any better, but things started to turn back in the right direction in 2020. He passed for just over 1,100 yards and 12 touchdowns with four picks in five games along with a career-best 65 percent completion rate. It looked like he was ready to take that next step, but he needed to prove it in 2021.

In his first full season as a starter since 2019, DTR played really well and stepped up as a leader. He finished with 2,409 yards and 21 touchdowns with six picks and a 62 percent completion rate. Not only that, but he led UCLA to eight wins and averaged the most yards per attempt (8.5) in his career. He took that next step and was faced with a tough decision in the offseason following his senior year: take the NFL jump or return for one final run?

Thompson-Robinson decided to return and Dillon Gabriel decommitted after transferring in from UCF and decided to head to Oklahoma. Many wondered if this was the best move for UCLA.

We’ve all seen what DTR is capable of when he’s playing to his potential and it’s a high-quality dual-threat quarterback who can help UCLA contend in the Pac-12. He’s reliable but needs to take one final step in 2022. Will he do it?

I think we’ve seen enough growth from him over the past couple of years to believe that he’s going to take another step in 2022 and become one of the Pac-12’s premier passers.

UCLA is going to get the best possible version of DTR both on and off the field and he’s going to lead the Bruins to a 9-10 win season and possibly a division title. Fans will be happy he returned and get over the Gabriel departure.

I see a possible 3,000-yard, 25-touchdown season in 2022 from DTR.