Training camp -- OLs
Uh-oh. That may be the best way to sum up UCLA's offensive line. The reality is no one really knows how good, or bad, this unit may be, but history suggests it will be a unit that struggles all season.
Only two players -- starting center Micah Reed and starting left tackle Micah Kia -- played on the offensive line last season. And Reed played guard. It means many of the guys in the program in 2007 weren't good enough to play on a bad offensive line last season, but are now stepping into important roles.
Starting left guard Scott Glicksberg was a tight end last season. Starting right guard Darius Savage, while he has NFL potential, was a defensive lineman when last season began.
And then there is the right tackle spot. The top two choices are not available after Aleksey Lanis retired from football because of a knee injury and Sean Sheller is out with a non-football related knee injury. It means Mike Harris, Nate Chandler, who was a tight end a few weeks ago, and Nick Ekbatani will battle for the spot.
However, Ekbatani, who couldn't win a starting job last season, is also being counted on to be UCLA's top backup at several other positions, including both guard spots and possibly center.
Sonny Tevaga and Brandon Bennett battled weight problems during their careers and it is uncertain whether they can be counted on, and it is too early in the career of incoming freshmen Jeff Baca and Connor Bradford for them to be expected to contribute.
One good thing is the Bruins think they have their center of the future in Colorado transfer Kai Maiava, but he must sit out the season due to NCAA transfer rules.
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About Inside UCLA
This is Brian Dohn's sixth season covering UCLA after spending 4 1/2 years covering the Dodgers for the Daily News and other Los Angeles Newspaper Group papers. He graduated from Rutgers, where the first college football game was played in 1869. Sure, the Scarlet Knights suffered for a long time, but now RU is doing what Jerseyans always thought was possible. Winning at Rutgers also proves winning is possible everywhere else in the nation, so underachieving coaches better be careful. Now, if only men's hoops can turn it around.
what happened to jake dean? you make no mention of him in your report. i know he was playing some guard, but isnt he also second on the depth chart for the center position?
Dean is on the depth chart, but that is because UCLA didn't want to list Ekbatani as the prime backup at three (or more)positions. Dean has some work to do before he breaks into the two-deep.
How is Maiava the center of the future? He has never played the position before. if he does play center in the future it will be a difficul transistion to snap and step. that is the biggest problem with centers. UCLA needs a center that has played the position in high school. do they have any coming in? via walk on or anything else
what is going on with andy keane? he was rated the number one center recruit.
anonymous, (the second one)
i'm certainly no expert on this topic in any way whatsoever, but (i think) in a lot of college programs i'm pretty sure centers are just talented o-line recruits (not necessarily center) that learned the position because the depth at center wasn't good. in other words, a lot of centers didn't necessarily play the position and HS and do fine in college.
although, obviously i see your point in that having the experience of playing the position in HS would probably be an advantage. and its not exactly like we are turning talented o-line recuits into centers either, more like just using a big body who can snap the ball and get in the way of defenders.
i agree. most of the college centers played tackle in HS because they were the biggest kid on their HS team.
Maiavia should be fine. A year to learn the position is ok imo. he has starting experience in the big 12.
Also Jeff Baca is considered a future center prospect according to Neuheisel.
I know Nick Garibay is walking on. I saw him play against venice, carson, and San Pedro. He is from the city section so he has played against good comp. and has good size to I believe 6'2" 285. He moves well and is built well for weighing that much. Maybe he could have an impact. I think San Jose st was going to offer. But I dont know the whole deal that happened there.
Andy Keane is likely to play on the defensive line.
Talk all you want about the quarterback and running backs, but it is the unsung offensive line that determines the success of a football team-- just ask Nebraska, the team of the '90s. And it takes time and experience to gel properly. So don't expect any fast miracles here.