Stephen Dunn, Getty Images
Brett Pierce
Practice opened with a bang, as Mora put the team through the Oklahoma Drill once again. The highlight of this drill was when OL ALexandru Ceachir put Datone Jones flat on his back.
The team then split up into their position groups. The practice was at a slightly slower pace than previous practices, but this was because there was a lot of instillation going on today. Still, the coaches made sure that players did not look at this instillation as down-time, and it is clear that players know they cannot get away with the shenanigans they pulled with the previous staff.
Jerry Johnson Gets His Swag Back
Jerry Johnson was the performer of the day. In the 1-on-1 drills, Johnson ran four different fade routes into the end-zone, and came down with all four balls. Two of those grabs were one-handed catches. The play of the day was when Sheldon Price had near-perfect coverage on Johnson, and Johnson somehow trapped a bulleted pass by basically squeezing the ball between his left arm and his body. This play had the crowd cheering for at least 20 seconds, as no one in the stands thought that Johnson would come down with the ball. Eric Yarber was pumped up to say the least, and sprinted to Johnson screaming with congratulations.
Isn't Prince Supposed to be a Practice QB?
Kevin Prince played in practice like he usually does in games. He looked like a deer in the headlights quite often, and sailed balls over wide-open receivers' heads. His arm looked weak today and was picked off by Sheldon Price on a ball that would have been completed, had there been a little more zip on it. The worst of it came in a goal-line drill towards the end of practice when Prince fumbled 3 snaps in a row. Now, I know there might have been problems with the exchange, but that is just unacceptable for a redshirt senior.
The other QB's looked pretty good, however, with the exception of Milweard, who is clearly the worst quarterback on the team right now. There is something wrong with his release because his ball wobbles and has no zip behind it. I'm sure once this gets resolved, Milweard will be fine.
Hundley's accuracy has improved tremendously since last year, and he looks to have one of the strongest arms out there. He looked good today and played with tons of confidence. On one play in particular, he whizzed the ball between two defenders and found his receiver in the end-zone.
Brehaut displayed a strong arm as well, and made some very impressive plays in the scrimmage portion of practice. The O-Line was getting dominated, and even though Brehaut had no time to go through his reads, he would usually find a way to get the ball into a play-maker's hand to let them get positive yardage.
Neuheisel continues to show good poise, and his scholarship does not appear to be a waste like many thought it would be. He displays good accuracy and does not look like he gets rattled easily. His main weakness is his arm strength. Arm strength, however, is Mike Fafaul's specialty: He can really sling it.
If I had to pick a starter right now, I'd go with Hundley. He and Brehaut are neck and neck, so might as well let the youngster start developing.
You Wanna Be Average?
As soon as Coach Mora started to feel the players getting a little complacent, he let them have it. "You wanna be average? Let's all be average (sarcastically)! I don't want a bunch of guys settling!"
He then turned to the coaches and screamed "It's our fault!"
About five minutes before this, Mora thought that Rios was not giving 100% effort, so he screamed "Rios, get off the field! If you're not going to try, get off the field and don't come on until I tell you to get back on!"
Coach Mora is not tolerating one second of BS. He is expecting everyone to be accountable, even the coaches, and he will not settle for anything less than excellence.
Other Practice Notes
Devin Lucien- Barring injury, he is going to be a star this year. He has all the physical tools and you can tell how hungry he is. He is constantly making plays throughout practice, and it is clear that Yarber loves him.
Anthony Jefferson- He is very good in close quarters, yet any time a receiver tries a deep route on him, he usually gets beaten. Devin Lucien was toying with him throughout practice.
Damien Holmes- Wow. What a transformation. Last year, he was so slow it was embarrassing. Now, as a leaned down OLB, he looks great, even in pass coverage. He even leaped up to tip a ball in 7-on-7 that was right on the money. No way he even comes close to making that play a year ago.
Steven Manfro- He is looking great in the backfield. His shiftiness is perfect for this offense, and he was continually getting first downs in the scrimmage portion of practice.
-The team scrimmaged for about 20-30 plays. Right now, the offensive line is getting dominated by the defense line every single play. Yet, the offense was still able to get yardage through quick passes that enabled the receivers to get yards after the catch. That is the beauty of this offense. Now, the playmakers on the team that were so misused before, such as Damien Thigpen and Jordon James, are actually showcasing their talents.
Did You Guys Get on the Wrong Freeway?
I was literally shocked when I saw David Sills at UCLA practice. For those who don't know, Sills is the quarterback that committed to Lane Kiffen in the 7th grade. He is now a freshman in high school, and is regarded as the best freshman QB in the nation.
With him, was his teammate, Kenny Bigelow. Bigelow is a 5-star defensive end who is also committed to USC. Bigelow looked like a monster out there, and I heard many fans continually ask, "who is that out there?"
Both Sills and Bigelow are from Delaware, and are surely out in Los Angeles to watch USC's Spring Game today. However, I found it very strange (and promising) that the two were taking in UCLA practice.
Other recruits who attended practice were:
UCLA Commits
Ellis McCarthy
Devin Fuller
Aaron Porter
Carl Hulick
Prospects
Craig Lee (four-star running back)
Johnny Johnson (four-star cornerback)
UCLA's next practice is this Tuesday, April 17th at 3:45PM.
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