August 2010 Archives

While I've heard from some very reliable guys that it's UCLA for Notre Dame transfer Shaq Evans, he just texted me saying that he hasn't chosen UCLA and was still deciding. I'm not saying it's not happening, I'm just relaying what he told me as of about 20 minutes ago.

Recently released Notre Dame wide receiver Shaq Evans appears headed to UCLA, or at least so says the South Bend Tribune: Story

I'd heard Oregon was the front-runner - and everything on Evans Facebook wall indicates Oregon, but now things appear to have changed. Evans was rated the No. 12 wideout by Scout.com but found himself buried on the Notre Dame depth chart.

* Not too much to report today, as there were no injuries, and the depth chart issues have appeared to be settled out.

* Kevin Prince took major, major strides today, and he delivered a few balls that just looked downright fantastic. Timing is still off a little, but he's back and looking good. Said there's only a little tightness, and not much pain.

* Patrick Larimore looks like the guy at middle linebacker, but expect Steve Sloan to get a ton of time, too. Larimore has had several really good practices since returning from his minor injury, and while Sloan is a reliable, veteran option, I know the coaches are allured by Larimore's raw talent. By moving Zumwalt to SAM, there's an indication that the coaching staff looks at Larimore as the answer at the position.

* There were a few cases of the drops, particularly from the tight ends, as Cory Harkey dropped a clean pass and Joseph Fauria dropped a couple.

* Kai Forbath remains out, but he said earlier this week he didn't expect to be back until Wednesday, anyway. Neuheisel said either Jeff Locke or Kip Smith would kick if needed, and that he wasn't going to worry about the potential Smith redshirt. "We want to win now," Neuheisel said.

* Dietrich Riley continues to progress, and while I don't expect him to push ahead of Tony Dye, I think there's no doubt he's a future superstar. Not just a future starter. Carries himself like a star, patrols the field like a star.

* Still need to see more from Jordon James, but he had a couple of runs that really impressed me. He said in a brief interview the other day that he did not expect to redshirt, and I would be surprised if he did after watching him more.

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Here's my feature on Rick Neuheisel from today's Daily News: The Process

Westwood Bruin Touchdown Club

Breakfast with the Bruins
Friday, Sept 10--7 am
Head Coach Rick Neuheisel
Key UCLA Football Players
UCLA Spirit Squad
Olympic Collection
11301 W Olympic Blvd (@ Sawtelle)
$25 includes breakfast buffet, program, and parking
For more information, contact Claudia Hart @ 310-348-UCLA or email @ claudia4UCLA@yahoo.com

UCLABruins.com has a sneak peak at the teams new road uniforms, including the new John Wooden sticker for the helmets: Check it out

I've had a few emails and comments about Todd Golper, so I asked Rick Neuheisel for an update following the press conference:

Golper had to get a second epidural for back pain and is now in rehab, and Neuheisel expects him out about six weeks. Jordan Zumwalt is now listed as the No. 3 MLB and No. 2 Sam linebacker.

* Kevin Prince looked good in his most action since Day 2 of fall camp, displaying a nice zip - at times too much zip - on his passes. Prince and Brehaut rotated with the first unit, with Brehaut sometimes with the twos, and Darius Bell leading the second- and third-units.

* In drills against the scout team defense, Prince threw several passes, including some medium-to-deep routes. Moved around a lot and looks fine on that front, and at this point, I'd have to assume he'll be ready for Kansas State.

* The one issue that remains for Prince: Working on the sharpness and timing.

* Looks like Chris Ward and Wade Yandall have spots on the two-deep offensive line, but I'd be shocked if Yandall played this year. He looks good, but needs to refine his technique, and coaches think he could be really good down the line.

* Not too much to report on the injury front, as only the long-term guys were out Monday. Todd Golper remains out with a back issue.

* Micah Kia had a large elbow pad on his left elbow, but was at full-go.

* Kai Forbath continues to nurse a sore groin and was held out.

* Patrick Larimore looks to have taken the lead at middle linebacker, as he was competing with the first unit almost exclusively.

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UCLA has updated its depth chart heading into Saturday's season opener with Kansas State: New DC

Here are the surprises, and not-so-surprises:
QB: Kevin Prince OR Richard Brehaut
TB: Derrick Coleman OR Johnathan Franklin
WR: Randall Carroll OR Jerry Johnson at No. 2 split end behind Rosario
WR: Ricky Marvray at No. 2 flanker behind Embree, ahead of Smith
F-back: Morrell Presley OR Anthony Barr

OLB: Jordan Zumwalt at No. 2 behind Ayers, ahead of Bowens
SS: Dietrich Riley at No. 2 behind Dye, ahead of McKay

More from my one-on-one interview with Rick Neuheisel...

No practice today, so I figured I'd start the Q&A a day early...

Fire away with questions for this week's Q&A. Please don't post new questions on the answers section, because I don't always check the comments. Save them for next week.

Thanks
Jon

Check out the latest batch of weekly answers...

Sat down with Rick Neuheisel for a long interview the other day, and here are some of his quotes...

In this part, I brought up a question I asked Neuheisel last year:
If putting a team together is like putting a puzzle together - open the box, pour out the pieces, turn them rightside-up, corners, sides, middle - what stage are you at?

Sat down with Rick Neuheisel for a long interview the other day, and here are some of his quotes...

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Opening Statement:
"The good news is no one was hurt. We survived it. We went about 70 plays, maybe 75, got a lot of kicking done and it was a very worthwhile effort by everyone involved. I think it was very productive."

On Kevin Prince:
"Kevin Prince did not participate:

On players returning from injury:
"Ricky Marvray was back in action doing very well, at least three catches. Jordon James got 10-12 carries and looked good. Malcolm Jones was back in action and looked good. Joseph Fauria was in there, a little rust on him , but he played. Had one chance for a catch and dropped it."

On deciding not to make it a live scrimmage, and more of a walk-through:
"I'm trying to make sure we get everybody to the dance. Every time people go to the ground, people are susceptible. That's how we lost Kai Maiava. Now we're going to have to work really hard this week with tackling."

On Richard Brehaut:
"I thought he was really good again. I think he had a TD pass, completed 65-70 percent of his passes, looked very sharp."

On Kevin Prince's date-of-no-return:
"I'm going to let a few more days go by before we make that determination. Coaches always say you want them there by Wednesday, and that's what I'd say. Obviously you'd like to see him earlier.

Just so everyone's aware, UCLA has its Rose Bowl scrimmage today, and we're doing a conference call with Rick Neuheisel at 3 p.m. So there will be no update today, but I'll have some of what he says up later.

Check out a great interview with Clark Lea later today, though.

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Understand one thing: Andrew Abbott did not hit the lottery or strike straight red 7s or find a pot of gold.

He did not get lucky, and he does not have a four-leaf clover.

When UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel decided to reward the third-year UCLA cornerback with a scholarship earlier this week, Abbott did not hit the jackpot. He was rewarded for a job well-done.

"I put in a lot of work, meeting with my teammates, in the film room, even last season, and even before then, in high school, I put a lot of work in, and it all culminated in this scholarship," Abbott said. "But I'm not done yet, I've still got more to do."

It's that dogged determination that has led Abbott from a scarcely recruited Mater Dei High senior to UCLA's starting nickel back.

Abbott received no scholarship offers out of high school, colleges scared off by his slight, 5-10, 178-pound frame. He was down-trodden, the stages of grief setting in, finally realizing he wasn't going to get the ride. He considered walking-on at Oregon, but that was too far.

"'I'm not going to get one, I might as well walk-on somewhere, where do I have the best shot at playing?'" Abbott recalls thinking. "I was sold on it once coach Neuheisel told me I was in. I was here the next day."
And once he was in Westwood, he started to make his move.

He wasn't going to settle with a walk-on's role, simply going through the motions, happy to be on the team, hoping to maybe get a snap here or there.

"I knew I could be a great player when I came here," Abbott said. "Yeah, I am a late bloomer, but that's what pushed me so hard in the offseason, in high school. Every day I think about that. Not many teams took a shot on me, Coach Neuheisel gave me that shot, so I come out here every day and I give him everything I've got."

The coaches noticed quickly. As a redshirt freshman walk-on in 2009, Abbott appeared in every game, making 22 tackles for the season.

"It's neat when a guy can earn it," UCLA defensive backs coach Tim Hundley said. "Every year there's somebody who's really deserving of it, it seems like. Recruiting is not an exact science. The history of recruiting is filled with guys who you took late or you didn't take at all who end up being big-time players. Kids that say I'll prove you wrong, and come out to do it, it's great to reward those guys."

Sometimes it felt like it would never happen, like he would always be the one extra guy on the roster, good enough to contribute, not good enough to see the fruits of his labor.

"At times it was tough; at times I was like, 'Man, I should have one. I should have one,'" Abbott said. "But my mom, she kept me real grounded. One thing she told me, 'When God says move, it's going to happen.'"

It finally happened for Abbott on Tuesday.

But he didn't hit the jackpot.
UCLA did.

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* A high-intensity practice followed by a shorter walk-through, with multiple offensive, defensive and special teams scenarios.

* Kevin Prince was pretty much at the same pace, handling a few reps, primarily handing it off and barely throwing. For the walk-through, he was with the first unit though.

* Joseph Fauria got the most reps he's gotten since the beginning of camp, and looked pretty good. He's still not 100 percent, but Neuheisel expects to put him in the game plan against Kansas State.

* Freshman running backs Malcolm Jones and Jordon James returned, and each got extensive time with the first unit. Jones is a known quantity - big, fast and strong - but James really opened some eyes with his quickness. Moves into and out of the hole very, very quickly.

* Linebacker Glenn Love was back at full-go after his stinger had him in a red jersey for a few days. Ricky Marvray was also back at full-go.

* Kicker Kai Forbath (groin) was out of the training room, but didn't practice.

* Damien Thigpen had a very nice interception in team drills, which pitted the first team offense against the first team defense. Thigpen poked his way into the path of the ball out of nowhere and took Richard Brehaut by surprise. Brehaut had his moments, good and bad, but he at least looks much more confident in there.

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UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel:
"Unfortunately, he got a little over his skis in terms of what he took in his spring quarter and it blew up on him. He's trying to be a (physical) science major - and that's a very difficult major - and he took two upper division classes and he got over his skis. I know there were other factors that led to the poor quarter, but it's unfortunate that quarter schools have a little harder road to hoe in terms of how units you have to pass. There aren't two-unit classes, only four-unit. And we bear the brunt of it. But everybody knows the challenges, and we're not going to cry about it now."

* The big news of the day is the denial of Jeff Baca's appeal to the NCAA to reinstate his academic eligibility. UCLA head coack Rick Neuheisel said there are further steps the school can take, but he's not sure of the protocol just yet. Baca's loss is huge to a line already reeling, but with his foot injury, the coaching staff has prepared for his absence for some time. In related news, he was off crutches today.

* Kevin Prince threw less than yesterday on trainer's request, and at this point, you really have to wonder if he'll be back. Prince did extensive work in the running game, but the throwing remains limited. Neuheisel all but ruled him out for Friday's scrimmage.

* Darius Bell was back at 100 percent after missing practice with a sore arm. Ricky Marvray remained limited by a sore back and Jordon James is still working his way back in.

* Joseph Fauria continues to improve, and his return seems imminent.

* Saw some good things out of the passing game today, and heard a few people talking about Anthony Barr. One fellow media member said he's unlike anyone he's seen at UCLA, comparing him to a better Mike Williams (USC wideout).

* Videos up soon of Neuheisel, Andrew Abbott and Tony Dye.

ESPN's Jay Bilas tears down the angle that Ben Howland's system "holds back" players in an Inside article. Because it's insider, I won't cut-and-paste more than a couple paragraphs, but here's the gist of it:

"Excuse my French, but the perceptions about UCLA's style are absolute crap. Howland has been a winner everywhere he has been, but especially at UCLA. He guided the Bruins to three straight Final Fours while placing numerous players in the NBA. While there is no argument that a team like North Carolina plays a different -- and faster -- style under Roy Williams than Howland does at UCLA, there is no empirical evidence that the style difference negatively affects the NBA future or draft status of Bruins players relative to Tar Heels players. In fact, the evidence suggests the opposite."

And later...

"This preposterous urban myth about UCLA and Howland is just that, a myth. It is based upon a perception that Westbrook and Holiday are having better pro careers than they did college careers, and that the only "logical" explanation must be that Howland held his stars back. That is nonsense. The more likely explanation is that Howland is not kissing the tails of those believing themselves to be influential in the summer basketball culture, and they are spreading nonsense about Howland and his offensive philosophy."

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Check out the latest batch of weekly answers...

I forgot to mention this in the post-practice notes, but Andrew Abbott has been awarded a scholarship for the season. I've gotten numerous questions about this through the months, and it's finally happened. Originally, Coach Neuheisel basically said it was a numbers game, and that Abbott was kind of just lost in the shuffle, but it seems Abbott's play, attitude and work ethic has paid off.

* Kevin Prince's role increased today, with more passing than he's had in two weeks. However, he still didn't throw deep extensively, and is still feeling pain when he attempts those throws. He continues to reiterate, however, that he would play if it was gameday.

* Rahim Moore sat out practice with a tweaked groin, but it was more precautionary than anything.

* Sheldon Price practiced with a cast on his right hand following the dislocated finger he suffered yesterday; Neuheisel said he'd be without cast for the Kansas State game.

* Darius Bell didn't practice much with a sore arm, but it's nothing serious.

* Ricky Marvray has switched to No. 10 because he and Glenn Love are both on special teams, and both wore 20. Marvray sat out practice because of a tweaked back, but volunteered to be in there as the scout stand-in at tight end for defensive looks. Kid loves football.

* A minor spat erupted between Mike Harris and Reggie Stokes, but the inspiring thing was who broke up the fight: Prince and Dietrich Riley. Prince actually pulled Stokes aside - and you don't see that happening between a QB and a defensive lineman often - and Riley jumped right into it. Good leadership out of the young man.

* Greg Capella continues to struggle with the shotgun snap, and he's now doing pushups unprompted for his miscues. More leadership, though: Johnathan Franklin pulled him aside and gave him a pep talk.

* On one beautiful, and I say that honestly - it was how football was drawn up - Richard Brehaut found Anthony Barr streaking across the field. Ample protection, perfect throw, perfect route. If they can put several plays like that together in a row, they're on to something.

Here's my defensive depth chart for the upcoming college football preview...

Here's my depth chart for the upcoming college football preview:

Check out the latest batch of weekly answers...

Check out the latest batch of weekly answers...

Kevin Prince may be back in black, but he's stuck in a grey area.

The UCLA sophomore quarterback returned to full practice on Monday morning after 13 days in a red jersey, the result of an oblique strain that has hampered his ability to throw without pain.

On Monday, he did not throw without pain. He did not throw much at all, saying that the morning schedule did not call for much passing. When he did throw, he hurt.
So he'll back on Spaulding Field on Tuesday morning, still waiting for the pass that does not pinch.

"I'd probably say I'm about 80 percent right now, Prince said after the morning session. "I can do everything except for throw the ball without pain. I can still throw the ball, but there's going to be pain, and obviously we don't want that."

Whether it was a pinch or a bite or a sword through the back, the pain still lingers. Prince was in the black jersey for the afternoon practice, but he again did not throw.
However, being back in black was as much for Prince's mind as it was for his body.

"It just gets you in that mentality," Prince said. "But more than that for me, just getting back in that psyche was from earlier this morning, when I was able to go eight straight plays with offense. Getting the signal, calling the play, getting the flow of doing that - that helped me mentally. "

With UCLA's season opener less than two weeks away, Prince will need to do more than just get mentally prepared if he is to be ready for Kansas State and the brutal heat in Manhattan, Kan.

Prince said he would be increasingly involved over the next few days, leading up to Friday's scrimmage at the Rose Bowl.

"I don't know if there's a number (of days needed to prepare), but you need a few for sure," Prince said. "Just to get back in the flow of the game. So being able to participate in the scrimmage on Friday would be a big deal."

Prince's injury has given ample time to sophomore backup quarterback Richard Brehaut, and Brehaut has responded well, throwing three touchdown passes in the team's scrimmage on Saturday at Drake Stadium. Brehaut has almost spent as much time with the first-team offense as Prince since the Pistol offense was introduced during spring ball; while they may not be neck-and-neck for the starting spot, Brehaut does feel comfortable sharing his ideas with Prince.

"We're always talking - if he sees something he lets me know, if I see something, I let him know," Brehaut said. "I'm at a point now where Kevin and I can mutually talk about stuff, bounce ideas off each other. What would you do here? Mentally, being in the system, I've had more days in the Pistol, but he's had a whole year on me."

The extra year will mean nothing unless Prince is ready for Kansas State, though.

"The goal is to get it so it's not hurting," Prince said. "I'll be wearing rib protectors. But it is what it is, and part of football is playing with injuries.
"There's no magic potion. I wish there was."

* Rick Neuheisel addressed the team following the last two-a-day session by talking about the need to stay focused and attentive at all times. This, after there were offsides issues during field goals.

* Quarterback Kevin Prince was again limited in the afternoon session - he didn't throw - but he moved around well and got a lot of conditioning in. He'll continue to be monitored, and they're not taking any unnecessary risks. But the fail-safe point is upon us, and he'll need to show progress soon.

* Prince told me that it was important that he be back in black, today, though. He needed to get some reps in, psychologically.

* Safety Rahim Moore had slight tightness in his groin and was on the sidelines for much of the afternoon practice, but it's nothing serious.

* Tight End Joseph Fauria returned for individual drills and is on schedule to return full-go shortly.

* Cornerback Sheldon Price left practice early with a dislocated index finger, but there's no news on the extent of the injury. I can't imagine he'd miss any time, even a day. We'll see.

* The timing on the passing game continues to impress, and I'm very interested to see how Prince works his way back in. Richard Brehaut still has his missteps - and Neuheisel talked about them post-practice - but there is no doubt that he has the physical tools. He delivered a beautiful pass to Cory Harkey and another to Ricky Marvray.

* That being said...Dalton Hilliard and Sean Westgate both made great interceptions, and on the second one, no idea where Brehaut was throwing the ball. The pass left Norm Chow shaking his head.

* Cassius Marsh hunted down Nick Crissman for a sack and got a lot of run from the coaches after. He's a player.

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A couple people have asked on Facebook, so here's the link to the Petros and Money archives, with today's show. I'm about halfway through. Nothing too crazy: Talked about UCLA's offensive line issues, Richard Brehaut/Kevin Prince's maturation, Malcolm Jones, etc.

Listen Here

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Hey guys,

Not sure what's wrong, but YouTube is taking a long time to process the videos from today. As soon as I can, I'll have them up.

Thanks for tuning in...

* UCLA sophomore quarterback Kevin Prince returned to practice on Monday, though he did little throwing. Prince labeled himself "80 percent," and said there is only pain when he throws. Video up soon.

* The big news of the day: Rick Neuheisel saidKai Maiava might be back this season, and even said late-October is the goal.

* Not much to report from practice, which was just in shorts and helmets.

* One play of note: Prince ran a nice play up the middle - again, no contact - and looks much, much quicker than last year. I wouldn't be surprised if he does become a running threat this year. He's not on Locker's level, but he looked pretty good.

* In other injury news, freshman running back Malcolm Jones is in a walking boot with what he described as a minor ankle sprain. He said he only expects to miss a couple days. Fellow freshman Jordon James is expected to return shortly, as well.

*Junior linebacker Glenn Love was in a red jersey after he suffered a stinger in the scrimmage, but he'll be back soon, as well.

* Sophomore offensive lineman Stanley Hasiak has rejoined the team and was at practice, and Neuheisel said he'd rejoin the scout team soon. "We have to get him going," Neuheisel said. "It's certainly an indiciation that he's on the right path."

* With Maiava out and Eddie Williams a couple days from returning from his concussion, freshman Chris Ward got reps with the first team at right guard. Neuheisel said he expects Williams to return to right guard and Darius Savage at left.

Hey guys,

I'll be live on the Petros and Money Show around 3:30 tomorrow afternoon, and I'll link to the podcast after the show.

No practice today, so I figured I'd start the Q&A a day early...

Fire away with questions for this week's Q&A. Please don't post new questions on the answers section, because I don't always check the comments. Save them for next week.

Thanks
Jon

* Obviously, I don't need to really go into the Maiava injury. Just utterly devastating. Looks like he got rolled on and collapsed.

* UCLA needs to find a center, and in a hurry. Ryan Taylor blocks well, but his snapping leaves a bit do be desired, and Greg Capella just looks lost out there sometimes.

* The good news: To say Richard Brehaut is making strides is an understatement. He is delivering the ball with authority and accuracy, and his decision-making under pressure was much improved. He didn't hit all his throws, and he didn't make all the right reads, but like he said in the video that will be up later, his maturation is night and day.

* Anthony Barr had a nice scrimmage, and he delivered the hit of the day on Joshua Barut, bullying him back a few yards. He had three catches for 27 yards and a score. His best play, though? On a Tony Dye interception, Barr grabbed the ball back out and recovered the fumble.

* Malcolm Jones looked like a workhorse, albeit against the second and third-team defenses. He had 11 carries for 59 yards, but continues to initiate contact and get the extra yard.

* Josh Smith and Damien Thigpen had return "touchdowns" but they would not have been scores in live action. However, Smith had a beautiful cutback, and he's the real deal. He'll score at least one return touchdown this year, bet on it.

There are no winners and losers in an intermural scrimmage, but the UCLA football team suffered a crushing loss in the team's fall scrimmage at Drake Stadium on Saturday night.

Junior center Kai Maiava, who started 12 games last season after transferring from Colorado, suffered a fractured left ankle on the third play from scrimmage and will require surgery, with his return for the season in question.

Maiava's injury leaves an already depleted line in shambles. With right tackle Mike Harris suspended for the season opener at Kansas State on Sept. 4 for a violation of team rules, UCLA will start the season with only one lineman in the starting lineup who started at least six games last season, right guard Eddie Williams.

"This is really upsetting, to be honest with you," sophomore quarterback Kevin Prince said. "Kai is the anchor of the offensive line. Without him, we'll be OK, but it wont be the same. He brought the mentality you like to have, that dominating mentality. He's experienced. We're going to miss him."

With Maiava out, senior left guard Ryan Taylor is expected to move to center with redshirt freshman Greg Capella as backup. Backup right guard Darius Savage will likely move to left guard.

While Maiava's ability will be missed, the Bruins will most need to replace his vocal leadership from the center position.

"Sometimes a center is the smallest person of the line, but he is the quarterback of the offensive line," senior offensive tackle Micah Kia said. "He has to make the calls, he has to display the most confidence in the huddle. It's the most important person on the offensive line. This hurts."

This is not Maiava's first brush with adversity.

Before the team's EagleBank Bowl matchup with Temple in December, Maiava was declared academically ineligible for the winter quarter, and he had to miss the Bruins' 30-21 win.

Maiava's ownership of his mistakes went a long way toward re-establishing his presence in the huddle, as he quickly regained his teammates trust during the offseason.

"I know how hard he worked, and more than anything, he was just proud because he was able to come back with us," Prince said. "Initially, he felt so bad because he lets his teammates down. This is going to kill him that he can't be out there with us."

It could kill the Bruins, too.

Taylor has played well at guard during fall camp, but he and Capella struggled with hiking the ball during spring ball, and Capella drew head coach Rick Neuheisel's ire with his porous snapping in the scrimmage.

For a unit that was expected to make strides in Neuheisel and offensive coordinator Norm Chow's third year, it has been a devastating offseason. Left tackle Xavier Su'a-Filo left for his LDS mission after starting as a freshman, junior guard Jeff Baca was deemed academically ineligible by the NCAA, though UCLA is appealing, and is in a walking boot with a stress reaction in his left leg, and backup sophomore guard Stanley Hasiak was declared academically ineligible for the season.

"I am determined to say no, we are not cursed, but, but...this does hurt tremendously," said a distraught Kia. "I don't know. I won't believe it until I see it with my own two eyes, but if it's as serious as I'm hearing, it's an extreme loss. Kai is a tremendous leader, a tremendous football player, a tremendous offensive lineman, a great person, and he is an asset to what we do here."

The following are scheduled to attend today's UCLA scrimmage at Drake Stadium:

Brett Hundley Jr. Chandler High School AZ 2011
Adam Judnich La Quinta High School CA 2011
Jake Phillips Lakewood High School CA 2011
Torian White Lakewood High School CA 2011
Richard Winston Chandler High School AZ 2012
Lacy Westbrook Dominguez High School CA 2012
Don Tyler Fairfax High School CA 2011
Derrick Woods Inglewood High School CA 2012
Brandon Tuliaupupu Claremont High School CA 2011
DeVante Wilson Corona Senior High School CA 2011
Andrew Albers Costa Mesa High School CA 2011
Joseph Pullard Crenshaw High School CA 2011
Devon Moreland Salesian High School CA 2011
Kristopher Bass San Pedro High School CA 2011
Ejiro Ederaine Santiago High School CA 2011
James Weiner Saugus High School CA 2011
Devon Blackmon Summit High School CA 2011
Gabriel Marks Venice High School CA 2012
Jeremiah Kose Vista High School CA 2011
Stefan McClure Vista High School CA 2011
Chris Solomon West Covina High School CA 2012
Cameron Palmer John Muir High School CA 2011
Stephan Nembot Montclair Prep School CA 2011
Dalis Bruce Monte Vista High School CA 2011
Earvin Simmons Murrieta Valley High School CA 2011
Larry Scott Centennial High School CA 2011
Cody Temple Liberty High School CA 2011
Michael Padovese Marin Catholic High School CA 2011
Darryl Jackson Mayfair High School CA 2011
Nathan Castro Mira Mesa High School CA 2011
Byron Moore Narbonne High School CA -
Jordan Payton Oaks Christian High School CA 2012
John Lopez Orange Lutheran CA 2013
Aaron Wallace Rancho Bernardo High School CA 2011
Junior Pomee Rancho Verde High School CA 2011
Dallas Noriega Saguaro High School AZ 2011
Fred Wilson West High School CA 2011

Hey guys,

Last week we had Norm Chow on the JV Show, and this week, Vinny and I talked a little more UCLA football, so make sure you check out the latest edition: JV Show

* LIveliest practice I've seen in a while, and that's probably a reflection of the excitement for tomorrow's scrimmage.

* Not much to update on Kevin Prince; if everything goes as planned, he'll be back Monday.

* Richard Brehaut, however, is getting better and better. The physical tools are there - he had one phenomenal pass to Josh Smith that slipped three defenders, and I actually thought was intercepted - and once he learns to keep his composure in the pocket, he'll be a good college quarterback.

* Damien Holmes is getting more and more comfortable in that starting role, and his speed will be crucial, especially in the run game. He's quicker off the ball than Korey Bosworth was, and while Datone Jones won't be forgotten, Holmes should be reliable. His handling of pulling linemen is very good.

* When I look at running backs, I look at two things: how fast they hit the hole, and how quickly they can change direction out of a hole. Things most so fast in football that a lane is only open for a fraction of a second, so a guy has to spot it and take advantage. All that build up for this: Anthony Barr is special. He has some drop issues to work on, and he's still pretty raw, but for a guy his size, he changes directions extremely well. He had a cut today that was just spectacular.

*

Just to clarify, Rick Neuheisel told me tonight that Barrett is transferred in and, despite being on walk-on status, will have to redshirt this season. Barrett played in 12 games for UNLV last season at tight end, but linebacker is probably his more natural position.

Former UNLV H-back/tight end Jordan Barrett is at UCLA, and I'm still trying to figure out his exact status. I saw him a couple times, but I thought my eyes deceived me - I covered him a couple years ago, and he was a BEAST at Notre Dame High - and I knew he was doing well at UNLV. I believe he was their first string H-back.

I'm trying to find out more info here, but if the Bruins got him as a walk-on - this was the No. 12 LB in the class of '09 - that's unbelievable. Probably has to do with a scholarship situation, but when I find out anything more, I'll post here.

Here's his recruiting profile: Barrett

* Woke up with a splitting headache - and I never get headaches, so I basically felt like someone stabbed me in the right eye - and I missed the early practice session.

* It wasn't too much of a session anyway - the team was out in shorts and helmets, no pads.

* I was back in time to chat with Kevin Prince, who says he felt much better this morning and got some throwing in on the sidelines. He seems pretty confident that he'll be back Monday, and when asked if he could play today if he "had" to, he basically said yes. Video up later today.

* Eddie Williams does have a concussion and will go through the proper protocols and is out for tomorrow's scrimmage.

* Patrick Larimore looked good in what I saw of him, and I think he's not going to make it an easy decision for the coaches at middle linebacker. He and Sloan are so similar yet so different; obviously, both will play, but I really think no one knows who's going to end up starting.

* A couple housekeeping items:
Make sure to follow me on Twitter and Facebook for updates - my editors are making a big push for being active on both, and sometimes I edit Twitter by phone before the blog - and here's the newest page: The Inside UCLA Youtube page. Check out ALL the videos there, and even the ones that haven't been posted on the blog quite yet.

* A loud practice followed by a short scrimmage with short-yardage and live-action scenarios, which the defense dominated.

* The passing game continues to look crisp even without Kevin Prince, but the running game was stood up several times. Richard Brehaut is coming along nicely - kid really does have an arm - but the decision-making is still an issue. Remember: He's a true sophomore, still very young, and that comes with time.

* Neuheisel challenged the offense by putting the ball at the 2-yard line for one scrimmage scenario, and it wasn't pretty - several safeties and sacks and only two first downs.

* Eddie Williams left with concussion-like symptoms, but Neuheisel told me after practice that he won't be going through the protocols quite yet. Darius Savage worked with the first unit and looked good, with a monster block.

* Owamagbe Odighizuwa was back but limited, while Patrick Larimore and Stan McKay were back in full.

* Josh Smith broke another punt return - albeit not against a live defense - and continues to impress. Damien Thigpen got a couple returns, too. He needs the ball. Simply put. Needs the ball. Too fast not to make plays.

* Catch of the day, no doubt: Nelson Rosario over Tony Dye while falling into the Gatorade jugs off the field. Touchdown counted, but Neuheisel screamed, "Get those out of there!" Rosario stayed on the ground for a moment while thrusting the ball in the air for emphasis.

* Neuheisel does not frequently call out the defense for good plays, but Aaron Hester's break-up of a Brehaut-to-Rosario attempt made him walk about 15 feet just to say, "Aaron, great job. GREAT job." Hester had another breakup of a - gasp! - Ricky Marvray play, basically poking the ball out. Not sure if I've seen Marvray not come down with the ball at all this camp. I did a double-take.

* Dietrich Riley, again, was a beast - no interceptions or fumbles - but he smashed Derrick Coleman on a run, blasting him back three yards.

UCLA freshman cornerback Anthony Jefferson has been cleared by the NCAA Clearinghouse, the UCLA athletic department tweeted. Will talk to him after practice.

Scout.com's No. 21 defensive tackle Brandon Willis has asked for and gotten his release from North Carolina and will transfer to UCLA, Willis told Rivals.com. Willis was a major target for Neuheisel and Co. last year before picking Tennessee, but he decommitted when Lane Kiffin left the school earlier this year and chose North Carolina. UCLA officials would not comment on the matter.

There's no doubt: Willis' potential signing gives UCLA one of the top defensive line classes in the country, and a once-precarious depth issue now becomes moot by next season. UCLA will only lose David Carter on the defensive two-deep, and now this could be the depth chart over the next few seasons:

2011:
DE: Jones/Holmes/Tepa
DT: Marsh/Willis/Epenesa
DT: Edison/Carter
DE: Chandler/Graham/Owa

2012:
DE: Holmes/Tepa
DT: Marsh/Epenesa
DT: Carter/Willis
DE: Owa/Graham

Here's his recruiting profile: Willis

1) now that he has some firepower on Offense, is CRN the type of cutthroat coach that would put up 50 pts a game or is he that 'sportmanship' coach thats just happy with a win and would just run, run, run, punt when we have the lead??? - 909Bruin
Umm, that's getting a little ahead of ourselves a little, ain't it?

2) Jon - Thanks for all the good stuff and info you provide. I completely understand that there's only been a few days of practice, and only a couple of days in pads. With that in mind, and with such poor numbers/stats in the scrimmage on saturday, how much of the offense ineffectiveness was due to the defense being ahead of the offense, or the fact that the offense is not that good? Generally, isn't it usually the case that the defense is ahead of the offense when practices start, and that it takes a little longer for the offense to get things clicking? And to be at the level as the defense??? - rejn
If healthy, the offense should be much improved. A short scrimmage early in training camp with the backup quarterback against a relatively healthy defense that has seen the plays throughout the year = hard to gauge the offense. I will say, the passing game looks much improved, and if the scheme is set, the running game should be too.

3) Is CRN allowed to keep regular contact with XSF during his mormon mission? - BRUIN NC
LDS missionaries are allowed only two phone calls per year - Mother's Day and Christmas - if I'm not mistaken. Unless Neuheisel is having Christmas dinner with the Su'a-Filos, I'd guess no.

4) Do you see the Bruins making a run at Deanthony Thomas, Cody Kessler, and other Trojan commits? - BRUIN NC
Let's just say I don't think Neuheisel is going to close up shop and stop trying. He always seems to have something brewing.

5) What is the latest with high-profile DT's such as Todd Barr and Christian Heyward? - BRUIN NC
Both are still major targets, and they should be. Barr continues to climb up the charts, and UCLA has been interested in Heyward for what seems like forever.

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* Not too much to report tonight; an above-average session, but not as crisp as the last couple days.

* UCLA will scrimmage again tomorrow afternoon, focusing on short-yardage and situational offense.

* Jeff Baca has had a setback with his injury as he came out in crutches for both sessions, and he told me, shaking his head, "It's just not healing, man." Rick Neuheisel is not too concerned, however.

* Kevin Prince did some increased work tonight but was still limited. He did some work handing off and rolling out, but didn't throw much.

* Prince: "I don't know if I want to label it an injury, but it's definitely lasting longer than I would've expected. At the same time, I've talked to guys and heard about these kinds of injuries, and they last longer than a week. While I'm frustrated, I still have to be patient and understand that these things take a little more time."

* Prince: "Monday will be a little less than two weeks away, and that's for sure the date I need to back by. I can get that full week in and the game-plan week. I feel comfortable with everything we're doing - it's not a sense of getting out there just to execute things, but to get back and get the feel of everything. I'd imagine I'd be a little rusty now."

* Cassius Marsh is getting increased work with the first-team defense, and he looks like he'll be able to hang strong. Todd Golper looked good with the second defensive unit, with Jordan Zumwalt out with a groin injury.

Just got confirmation that Brett Hundley is indeed visiting this weekend, or at least that's the plan. Hundley is UCLA's top quarterback target - Scout.com profile here - and arguably the most important recruit on the docket for Neuheisel and Co.

This will be one important visit.

UCLA junior safety Rahim Moore and linebacker Akeem Ayers are ranked among the top 40 NFL Draft prospects by ESPN's Scouts Inc. Moore grades at 90 and is the top safety in the country, and No. 27 overall, while Ayers isn't too far behind at 88 and the No. 5 linebacker, No. 38 overall.

Here's the grading scale:

90-100 Rare Prospect
Player demonstrates rare abilities and can create mismatches that have an obvious impact on the game. Is a premier college player that has all the skill to take over a game and play at a championship level. He rates in the top 5 players in the nation at his position and is considered a first round draft prospect.

80-89 Outstanding Prospect
Player has abilities to create mismatches versus most opponents in the NFL. A feature player that has an impact on the outcome of the game. Cannot be shut down by a single player and plays on a consistent level week in and week out. He rates in the top 10 at his position and is considered a second round draft prospect.

* Not much to report as it was a lighter workout in brutal sun, in just shorts and helmets.

* Quarterback Kevin Prince remains in a red jersey, and the UCLA staff is taking it slow with him. He's doing more and more work by the day.

* Jordan Zumwalt missed practice with a minor groin injury, but Neuheisel was cautiously optimistic about his return for the scrimmage on Saturday. No, his absence had nothing to do with the flare-ups at practice yesterday, Neuheisel said.

* Josh Smith, Cory Harkey and Patrick Larimore are all back, though Larimore is a bit limited. Smith looked really good and is running well.

* Stan McKay remained in red jersey, but will be full-go for the afternoon practice, but Morrell Presley is a day behind and might be in a red jersey tonight.

* Freshman OL Chris Ward is getting more and more work, and he's doing well. Very big kid - told me today he was 6-5, 318 - and he has impressive technique. He should crack the two-deep, depending on Jeff Baca's eligibility.

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The UCLA offense looked markedly better in Tuesday's red-zone scrimmage than it has in recent scrimmages and quarterback Richard Brehaut and wide receiver Taylor Embree did it in a hurry.

Brehaut connected with Embree on a 25-yard touchdown to open the scrimmage and Johnathan Franklin ran for two scores as the offense rebounded from a poor showing in Saturday's extended session.

Brehaut had limited attempts but performed well in Kevin Prince's absence while Franklin and Malcolm Jones teamed for punishing runs against the first and second defensive units.

"I feel that we made a huge step from what we were Saturday," Brehaut said. "Everyone who was out here watching can attest to that. That's a credit to our guys going in and watching that film, the mistakes we made, and coming out here and trying not to make those mistakes again."

Jones was the beneficiary of an increased workload on Tuesday, and the Oaks Christian product made the most of his time. Jones unofficially had 41 yards on six carries, including a punishing seven-yard gain in which he pummeled two defenders, and a 20-yard draw run that saw him slip three more tackles.

"As long as we have 11 guys - not just 10, but 11 guys - moving the right way and handling their assignments, we're going to get those plays," Brehaut said. "With offense, one guy screws up a block, one offensive lineman gets penetration, that's going to screw up the whole play. You have to have 11 guys doing the right thing every single play if you want positive yardage."

While Jones elicited many of the offensive "oohs," fellow freshman Dietrich Riley got the defensive "aahs."

After two interceptions in the initial scrimmage, Riley had a forced fumble and an interception in the end zone on Tuesday.

"I'm trying to win a job over here, man," Riley said. "There's no fun and games over here. Every day I'm taking a serious approach at it. Even (wide receivers coach Reggie Moore) has been telling me he wants to see me smile. 'I'm gonna get you to smile.' But it's hard for me to smile because I'm so serious out here. I just want to win, man, I want to win that spot."

From UCLA:

UCLA junior outside linebacker has been named to several pre-season Watch Lists, such as those for the Lott Trophy, Nagurski Trophy, Bednarik Award and the Rotary Lombardi Award.
On Tuesday, he added another when he was named to the Watch List for the Butkus Award, presented annually to the nation's top linebacker.
Last season as a sophomore, Ayers scored three defensive touchdowns - two on interceptions and one on a fumble recovery - to establish himself as one of the top big-play defenders in the nation.

* A much improved offense highlighted Tuesday's practice, with the offense picking up three touchdowns, including two by Johnathan Franklin.

* Both of Franklin's touchdowns were short-yardage, one for three yards, one for four, but he had a few other nice plays. He had a 22-yard gain on a beautiful screen pass and scored on the next play, and he had a couple of runs up the middle that elicited a cheer.

* The big bruiser on Tuesday, though, was Malcolm Jones. Jones had a seven-yard run that should have gone for two, breaking two or three tackles, and a very nice draw play that went for more than 20 yards, with three more broken tackles. I've written before about "football speed" - maintaining the same speed even in pads - and Jones has it. He initiates contact, but his legs are so strong that he basically bullies himself forward. It's the difference between a one-yard loss and a two-yard gain, and that means everything.

* Richard Brehaut was solid but not spectacular, save for a 25-yard touchdown pass to Taylor Embree on the first play of the scrimmage. It wasn't the prettiest throw, but it was delivered to a spot that only Embree could reach, and that's a big change for Brehaut, who often had trouble with precision last season. He's improving, and he is solid as the No. 2 QB.

* Defensively, the star once again was Dietrich Riley. Riley had a forced fumble on the fourth play of the scrimmage - an absolutely pitch-perfect hit, helmet-on-ball, against Derrick Coleman - and added an interception in the red zone later.

* Josh Smith returned and was his typical self, and his health will be a major key to the offense this year. The Bruins are deep at wideout, but Smith is a game-changer, and they need his big-play ability, particularly in the return game.

* Cory Harkey and Stan McKay were back in red jerseys as they recover from concussions and Neuheisel said they'd practice tomorrow if there were no setbacks, while Morrell Presley will likely be in red tomorrow and back on Thursday.

* Still no timetable on Kevin Prince, although he did perform in the scrimmage and in some drills wearing a red jersey. Still no contact, and he only handed off in the scrimmage. He's working his way back into things.

* Defensive end Owamagbe Odighizuwa has a hip flexor and is expected to return soon, Neuheisel said.

* Jayson Allmond worked with the offense today, Damien Thigpen back with the defense.

* Earlier in practice, I was watching Nate Chandler extensively, and he's improving by the day on defense. He's learning to watch the ball instead of listen to the snap, and he broke off the line of scrimmage for sacks/TFL a couple times in team drills.

* Intensity was very high, and Jordan Zumwalt was a major culprit, getting into two skirmishes that were quickly extinguished. Neuheisel did chew him out, though.

* Lastly, I'm having some camera issues, and I'm not sure when I'll have the videos up. Check out the awesome Ricky Marvray/Aaron Hester interview, though...

UCLA DB Marlon Pollard has decided to transfer, a UCLA spokesman said. Pollard was part of a young logjam at cornerback and is apparently going to explore other options. He was behind Aaron Hester, Sheldon Price, Andrew Abbott and Courtney Viney on the depth chart and battling with freshmen Anthony Jefferson and Tevin McDonald for reps.

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Former UCLA defensive end Korey Bosworth signed with the Detroit Lions: Story Here

FROM UCLA:

LOS ANGELES - UCLA's five incoming freshmen signed to National Letters of Intent who were selected in June's Major League Baseball Draft did not sign a professional contract prior to Monday evening's 9 p.m. (PT) deadline and will enroll and play baseball at UCLA this fall.

Brenton Allen, Adam Plutko, Nick Vander Tuig, Zach Weiss and Kevin Williams were drafted in June and will compete for the Bruins in 2011. Plutko, a right-handed pitcher from Glendora, Calif. (Glendora High School) was selected in the sixth round by the Houston Astros - the highest draft selection of the five incoming ballplayers.

"The players that are coming into UCLA as freshmen have a tremendous future in our program," said seventh-year head coach John Savage. "This class will have an immediate impact, both on the mound as well as on the field. We are very excited that the entire recruiting class will show up in Westwood."

Additionally, nine of UCLA's 11 draftees from the 2010 team have signed pro contracts with their respective organizations. Of those nine selections, two did not have any remaining eligibility (seniors Garett Claypool and Blair Dunlap). Seven signed as either juniors or redshirt sophomores and will forgo their remaining collegiate eligibility - Matt Drummond, Niko Gallego, Erik Goeddel, Matt Grace, Dan Klein, Brett Krill and Rob Rasmussen.

Outfielder Chris Giovinazzo and left-hander Mitchell Beacom were both selected in the 2010 MLB Draft and have decided to return for the 2011 season. Giovinazzo will be one of UCLA's two seniors (along with right-hander Jordan Haver), while Beacom will begin his redshirt junior season.

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Here's a piece i wrote on all that is happening with the John Wooden family since Wooden's passing 10 weeks ago. UCLA will recreate his den in the Morgan Center, and Charles Riley was born on Thursday. Read all about it here:here.

Sorry about that headline, had to do it, but after the jump is my Ricky Marvray mini-feature for tomorrow's paper. Got a couple of cool anecdotes from Richard Brehaut, including this one, which I couldn't fit in. Really, REALLY, wish I could've fit it in...

"Man, he loves football," Brehaut said. "We were in the locker room today, and I was done showering, walking out, probably 30 minutes after practice, and I see Ricky looking at himself in the mirror with his full pads on. Cleats still on, helmet strapped on, and I say, 'Dude, Ricky, what are you doing?' 'He says, 'Man, I love football too much man. I just love it.' That's 30 minutes after we broke. He's making the game face in the mirror. Ricky, he just loves the game and he's not afraid to play so much bigger than he is.'

* Darius Bell got extensive time with the first-team offense, and his wheels are a real, valid weapon. He has the ability to turn nothing into something, and that is a unique talent, one that UCLA has lacked. He still needs to refine his decision making and grow more comfortable with the offense, but he looked pretty good, and light years ahead of the first two days.

* With Morrell Presley out with concussion suffered in the first practice, Damien Thigpen spent time at F-back with the offense.

* Spoke briefly with Rick Neuheisel about the concussion issues - Presley, Cory Harkey and Stan McKay all had issues - and he said he's not worried about a pattern, but he's being precautionary.

Hey guys,

Fire away with questions for this week's Q&A. Please don't post new questions on the answers section, because I don't always check the comments. Save them for next week.

Thanks
Jon

* Damien Thigpen spent some time rotating in with the first unit at cornerback, albeit at nickel. It'll be interesting to see how quickly he catches on at nickel; that could be a good fit for him. College slot receivers typically aren't that big, so if Thigpen can compete with his speed advantage, that might not be a bad idea. I still think he should be an offensive player with the ball in his hands at least three or four times a game.

* Malcolm Jones also got some reps with the first unit, and he performed admirably. Kid has a lot of raw talent, and he's proving he can take contact. Anyone who watched him at Oaks Christian knew that was the case.

* The biggest difference for Ricky Marvray this year? Route-running. He's always had great hands - several told me last year that he had the best hands on the team - but he is getting open. And even when he's not open, he's positioning his body to have the best shot at the ball. He had a beautiful comeback route during team drills where he just broke off Courtney Viney, and he had a spectacular grab with about 15 minutes left in practice, leaping over two defenders for the catch and bringing it down. Rick Neuheisel immediately turned around and yelled at the other players to watch him.

* Awesome, AWESOME, interviews to come later today with both Ricky Marvray AND Marvray and Aaron Hester together. The multi-player videos are pretty cool; you get a good feel for how to guys view each other and their positions.

* Brehaut looked sharp and authoritative in team and 7-on-7 drills, displaying a decisiveness that he's lacked early in fall practice. That really is the key for Brehaut; making the decision quickly, and acting on it.

* Rahim Moore had a very nice interception after a back-and-forth battle with Taylor Embree, and it made up for a beautiful touchdown pass from Brehaut to Jerry Rice, Jr., right over Moore.

* Though he had a couple drops, Anthony Barr had the catch of the day over Aaron Hester on a perfectly thrown ball from Brehaut in 7-on-7s. Barr went very high for the catch and took it down with two feet on the sidelines before going in for the touchdown. Neuheisel very loudly exclaimed, "That's two hands! That's the difference!" And even Chuck Bullough said, 'Nice grab, Two."

During the 20-play scrimmage at the end of practice, there were a few highlights, like two nice catches by Ricky Marvray and a couple of nice runs, but there were plenty of miscues. The final play was a combination of errors, starting with an early snap Nick Crissman didn't know was coming. The ball hit the ground, Jonathan Franklin scooped it up and ran it in for a touchdown. But that was definitely not the way that was drawn up. Neuheisel said before that the team would run 20-25 plays and the day was done after.
Only three of the 20 plays went for 5 yards or more. There were the interceptions, one play for no gain, two plays for loss.
Here's Neuheisel's assessment: ``Absolutely missed assignments, missed checks, missed things that cause the play to completely break up. You can't play the play if one guy is going right and everyone else is going left. The guy who's going right is unblocked and he comes back and makes a play for a 4-yard loss. It makes everybody feel we're all doing things poorly and that's not the case. It requires everyone to be on the same page. It's a great lesson for the coaches to know how good they're coaching.''

There were probably about 200 fans in the stands for Saturday's afternoon practice and others were watching from two parking structures. USC used to have a practice entourage but with NCAA probation for two years, the Trojans have closed practice to public and only guests of VIPs can get in. On Saturday, Neuheisel allowed fans to go onto the field in the area that separates the two practice fields. A UCLA spokesperson said he did this so fans could see better. I've never seen fans on the field before, at a UCLA practic, but I'm told it has happened once or twice before.

Dietrich Riley, the true freshman safety, continues to impress. He had two interceptions in the afternoon practice, including one while Richard Brehaut checked out of a play and mistakenly ran one he shouldn't have run out of the formation the offense was in. Result: Riley interception. Riley was running with the first team in scrimmages today.

Kevin Prince, who's sidelined with a mild oblique strain, will return Monday at the earliest.
``He's dying right now, he wants to be in there so badly,'' Rick Neuheisel said. ``I think we'll probably have him back Monday.''
Asked when it would become a problem as to how long he's out, Neuheisel said: ``I think we're still OK. We feel better because he has experience. He played last year. If we had to get all the way to game week, then it would be a problem.''

With Dietrich Riley's leveling hit on Anthony Barr yesterday, the tackling issue came up. Neither player was injured, but the Bruins already have sustained injuries. Kevin Prince is on their sideline along with other players. How much do you tackle in fall camp? At USC, Lane Kiffin has barred tackling except in scrimmage situations. Asked if he could ever envision a scenario in which he limited tackling with the exception of scrimmages, Rick Neuheisel said:
``Well, there's only so many times you can put your team at risk. Tackling is, there's a lot of bodies on the ground, the strength and speed of these kids and the size, you're going to have problems, so that makes all the sense in the world. But the game is a tackle game, so you have to practice it. We have to do it nicely under the circumstances but let the fur fly every now and again, and we're going to do that for a few plays this afternoon. The kids like it. It's emotional. It's fun. Hopefully, we'll survive.''

All-American kicker Kai Forbath is nursing a groin injury. It's nothing serious, according to Rick Neuheisel, who sees this as a good opportunity to get Kip Smith some work.

First two-a days started without QB Kevin Prince, as expected. He is doubtful for tomorrow, too but is expected to return to practice on Monday.
DB Alex Mascarenes (hamstring) was held out of practice. DL Wesley Flowers grabbed his side, but Rick Neuheisel wasn't sure of the extent of his injury.

* Kevin Prince, Joseph Fauria, Josh Smith, Aramide Olaniyan, Patrick Larimore and Jordon James all missed practice with various injuries.

* Prince hopes to be back Sunday or Monday, and Fauria is day-to-day as well.

* Jordon James has a tweaked hamstring, and while in full pads, did not participate. He won't be out long.

* Dietrich Riley had a crushing hit on Anthony Barr in the flats, and he looked really good in pads. He's a player. Defensive backs coach Tim Hundley raved about him to me after practice, and while there is good safety depth, I think he'll see the field.

* Hundley on Riley: "No one here is ever going to let experience supersede ability; if he's ready to play, we're going to play him. There is no question he has some physical plusses. It's all about getting things figured out. But freshmen play these days, they really do, so if he's ready to go, we're going to play him."

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On preparing for this opportunity:
"I try to prepare myself to get ready for situations like this. Coach Neuheisel I don't know why this is happening, but you're getting this op, so take advantage. That's what I'm trying to do - don't let the offense skip a beat, make it look like Kevin's not even gone. I'm with the ones, we're rolling on, and everything is all right."

On what he learned most last year:
"I've learned a lot in a year's time about the preparation it takes. Coming out here last year, I thought I was prepared, but I learned being in there that there's a lot more that I need to know and take care of. That's what I've tried to work on. Coming out of high school, I thought I was ready, but that's what year will do for you. I'm sure a year from now, I'll know that much more."

On truly grasping the offense:
"The first time I really felt that grasp was this past spring. Being in here a full year, and yeah we put some new stuff in during the spring, but I think now it's that much better. Right now, I feel really good about everything. I'm starting to anticipate stuff, and that's what Coach Neuheisel talks about. Once you have that anticipation, your reads are that much easier. You can skip your first read because you already know it's not going to be there and just go right onto your second."

* With Kevin Prince absent because of the oblique pull, Richard Brehaut got the reps with the first-team offense, and performed well. His ball has a nice lift, but he still is too indecisive on his throws, and he needs to improve his defensive recognition. The tools are there, but he needs to catch up.

* Brehaut: "Last year I had this opportunity, and I don't think as a true freshman, I was ready for it. That's what I've really focused on and I've realized, that I wasn't ready for that. I could've done some things differently, could've watched more film. I'm going into this season knowing that if an opportunity does arise, that I will be ready for it, and I will be ready to execute what I need to execute."

* In 1-on-1 drills, Nelson Rosario and Morrell Presley bested the defense, while Anthony Jefferson and Dietrich Riley stood out against the offense. Rosario had a beautiful one-handed catch around Aaron Hester, who played near-perfect defense. Great individual matchup.

* Jeff Baca came out to practice in a walking boot on his right foot, and he said he has a stress reaction that will cause him to miss about two weeks. He said it's been nagging him for some time, all the way back to summer.

* Aramide Olaniyan missed practice and was in a boot as well with a sprained foot, Chuck Bullough said before practice. It's nothing serious, and Olaniyan could have gone if needed, but this early in camp, it's about being precautious. I'm sure the recent injury had something to do with it.

* Todd Golper had a solid practice, including a beautiful interception where he just came from nowhere.

* Darius Bell continues to struggle in the passing game, but that is perhaps to be expected. Bell came in with increased fanfare given his potential role in the offense, but he's still young and he's still new, and the learning curve is steep. He's very athletic, though, and moves in the pocket extremely well.

* Christian Ramirez had a couple of nice catch-and-runs, and the strengths that took him to the top of the depth chart at running back last year - receiving and blocking abilities and size - will be what takes him ahead at F-back.

* Datone Jones confirmed the break of his fifth metatarsal and said his doctor told him his injury could hold him out as little as 5-6 weeks, but Neuheisel kind of laughed it off. It's looking more like a 10-week injury, but Jones can condition in water at some point.

*Sorry guys, originally embedded the Malcolm Jones video

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* Datone Jones will have surgery on Friday on a broken bone in his right foot and is out at least 10-12 weeks, UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel said. Nate Chandler and Damien Holmes got the reps at Jones' spot on Wednesday, and all indications are that the two will battle for the spot, with Keenan Graham and Iuta Tepa still fighting for the other spot. Owamagbe Odighizuwa continues to impress, but he's still trying to grasp the intricacies of Chuck Bullough's complex scheme, and is still a work in progress.

* "That's the thing; can they handle the mental? Are they busting all over the place? We can't have them making mental mistake. On the other hand, if athletically he's the guy, and we have to trim the calls down, so be it." - Chuck Bullough, on Owa

* Kevin Prince missed most of practiced with a pulled oblique muscle, a small injury that won't sideline him for long. Nick Crissman and Darius Bell got the reps in his absence, and while Bell struggled a bit in the passing game, throwing two bad interceptions, he has great footwork and could be a valuable weapon.

* Marlon Pollard and Akeem Ayers both had very nice interceptions.

From UCLA

Basketball Club HEMOFARM STADA, the leading team of the Adriatic Basketball League (2005 Winner, Final Four regular participant), twice semifinalists of ULEB Cup, semifinalist of Euro Cup, and one of the best teams of the Serbian National League in past five years, welcomes UCLA play-maker Mustafa Abdul-Hamid.

This is a great opportunity for the young UCLA player to develop his talents in the Serbian city of sports: Vrsac, Serbia, among other three cities of this largest West Balkans country, hosted European Basketball Championship in 2005; also Vrsac is about to host European handball championship in January 2012. The Hall "Millennium", has been officially announced as the most beautiful European hall with capacities up to 5,000 seats. This very Hall has been the cradle of some top-class basketball players in recent years: Darko Milicic made his first basketball steps there before being drafted as a 2nd NBA pick in 2003; players grown with HEMOFARM STADA basketball school play all over Europe nowadays, whereas the young junior team of HEMOFARM STADA is for years now top ranked in European and regional competitions.

The team Mustafa Abdul-Hamid joins has been hosting U.S. players for years: at least seven American players, including Vonteego Cummings (ex-Cleveland Cavaliers player), Robert Conley (one of the best U.S. players playing in Europe for 10 or more years) and Rawle Marshall (ex-Dallas Mavericks, ex-Indiana Pacers player) were members to HEMOFARM STADA in recent years, helping them to reach finals of many competitions it participated in.

By entering this kind of collaboration with another American player, this time talented play-maker Mustafa Abdul-Hamid, HEMOFARM STADA, the team sponsored by the pharmaceutical company STADA GROUP (team has been sponsored by HEMOFARM Serbia which pursues business activities by placing hospital goods to the US market, as well as it has been sponsored by the German Pan-European Konzern STADA), contributes to good relationships between USA and Serbia.

ESPN.com's Marc Stein is reporting that former UCLA players Trevor Ariza and Darren Collison have been involved in a four-team trade. Ariza is going from the Rockets to the Hornets, whlie Collison is being moved to Indiana.

Here's the link

Hey guys,

Fire away with questions for this week's Q&A. Please don't post new questions on the answers section, because I don't always check the comments. Save them for next week.

Thanks
Jon

Augusta, GA (August 11, 2010) - The Augusta Sports Council announced today the pre-season watch list for the 2010 Ray Guy Award, which identifies the nation's top collegiate punter. The pre-season list recognizes the seven returning Ray Guy Award semi-finalists from 2009. Among the notable punters are last year's Ray Guy Award winner Drew Butler of Georgia and Florida's Chas Henry. Last season, Mr. Butler, a consensus All-American, led the Bulldogs to a number one ranking in team net punting. The Gator's Chas Henry was a 2009 Ray Guy Award finalist who's Gators finished second in team net punting.

The number of eligible candidates for this season will grow when the award opens for nominations in mid-August. The complete list of candidates will be released on October 28. In early-November the Ray Guy Award committee will meet to select the ten semi-finalists, who will be announced on November 12. A national body of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) sports information directors, coaches, media representatives, and previous Ray Guy Award winners will then vote for the top three finalists, to be announced on November 22. After the finalists are named the voting body will cast ballots again to select the nation's top punter. The winner will be announced live during the Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show airing on ESPN on Thursday, December 10.

2010 Ray Guy Award Pre-season Watch List

Drew Butler (Jr.) Georgia
Peter Caldwell (Sr.) Utah State
Ryan Donahue, (Sr.) Iowa
Johnny Hekker (Jr.) Oregon State
Chas Henry (Jr.) Florida, Junior
Jeff Locke (So.), UCLA
Rob Long (Sr.) Syracuse

Hey guys,

The videos seem to be catching on, and I enjoy doing them - even though they take forever to produce - but now I'm getting requests for individual players. My goal, if it can be arranged, is to do about one a day during the season.

The big request I'm getting right now is Anthony Barr, so I'll try to get him in the next couple days. Anyone else? Any particular questions you might want (and keep it civil and short)? I'll see what I can do.

Thanks for watching the vids, were up to over 9,000 views. Pretty crazy, but it's a cool new wrinkle.

From UCLA:

Junior free safety Rahim Moore and junior outside linebacker Akeem Ayers were named to the watch list of the Bednarik Award, presented annually to the nation's top defender.

Junior defensive end Datone Jones, who suffered a fractured right foot in Tuesday morning's practice, has been named to the watch list of the Hendricks Award (nation's top defensive end).

Moore, who led the nation with 10 interceptions in 2009, has also been named to the watch lists of the Lott Trophy (nation's top/impact defender), Nagurski Trophy (nation's top defender) and Thorpe Award (nation's top defensive back).

Ayers, who scored three defensive touchdowns a year ago, is also on the watch lists of the Lott Trophy, Nagurski Trophy and the Rotary Lombardi Award (nation's top lineman).

Perhaps the UCLA position with the most to gain this season is the linebacker corps, and by extension, perhaps the positional coach with the most to gain this season is Clark Lea.
Returning one of the conference's best defenders, and with viable options at both linebacker positions and plenty of game-ready depth, Lea has much to work with, and much work to do.

He thinks he's off to a good start.

"I'm really pleased," Lea said. "It's day two, and it's so early, but the neat thing is this: These guys have worked so hard during the summer, and when they came back in our first meeting, they were way ahead of when they left in spring. The offense does some challenging stuff to us, but these guys have mentally adapted. We have a long way to go, a long way, but so far, so good."

* Obviously, the big news of the day was the loss of Datone Jones to a broken foot and the possible loss of Jeff Baca to academic ineligibility.

* On a day in which the offense appeared out of sync, Malcolm Jones was anything but. Practicing with the early unit, Jones had some nice runs, including a beautiful tuck-and-spin that got some claps. Jones also had a few catches out of the backfield, and that's something he'll need to focus on as he attempts to climb the depth chart.

* Josh Smith was held out of practice as he nurses a groin injury. He should be back shortly, but there is no timetable for his return. This is very damaging - UCLA needs to develop some offensive consistency, and having all hands on deck is paramount.

* The Damien Thigpen Cornerback Experiment has continued, but Thigpen is also still participating in offensive drills with the early group. I spoke with Thigpen after practice, and I'll have a little write-up later today.

* Jerry Johnson and Jerry Rice, Jr., had some nice plays on the day, but also mixed in some gaffes, as Rice slipped a couple times and Johnson dropped a pass or two. Their development is crucial as UCLA needs all the depth it can get. I highly doubt either would be pressed into action any time soon - Randall Carroll and Ricky Marvray are higher on the depth chart - but Johnson in particular could develop into a fourth receiver.

* Kevin Prince continues to display a very, very nice zip on the ball, but sometimes he has a little too much. I counted at least six overthrows during WR/DB 1-on-1s, but mostly on the long ball. That comes with timing.

* Prince is, however, connecting much better on the short passes that he struggled with...the obvious exception being an Akeem Ayers interception that almost looked like it fell out of Prince's hands.

UCLA junior defensive end Datone Jones broke his right foot in practice today and we'll be out for several weeks. UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel was forlorn as he addressed the media, clearly plagued by the loss of one of his defensive stars - Jones was a College Football News sophomore All-American honorable mention - and he could give no time-table on his return yet.

Jones had X-rays that confirmed the break, and Neuheisel surmised that Jones would be out until at least October. Neuheisel said Nate Chandler would likely move to defensive end with Justin Edison, Donovan Carter and David Carter manning the inside.

This is a cool, but shaky, video...

If football were golf, the 2009 UCLA Bruins would have found themselves with a great drive, dead-center of the fairway, a calm wind and a bright sun beating down, 112 feet from the hole.

Then the Bruins would have smacked the approach into the pond by the green or that small sandtrap or maybe the ball would have shanked into the gallery, plunking a poor spectator in the temple.

UCLA was only a few shots away from holding the golden cup in 2009, minute mistakes leading to bigger gaffes leading to bigger plays leading to bigger losses.

The Bruins lost six games but probably could have won half of those, an errant pass here, a fumble there. It's why they were picked eighth in the Pac-10 media poll, with one first-place vote.

That's why they were back on Monday afternoon for the opening of fall camp, trying to prove they're better than eighth in the Pac-10.

They were close last season, close, and they know it.

"I look at what we have and what we've lost, and I can see how maybe someone would come up with an idea to pick us eighth," UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel said. "But I would also tell you that there was one guy who picked us first.
"It's our job to make him the smartest son-of-a-gun in the world."

On having a quality quarterback:
"Every team has to have a quality quarterback. There are examples around college football where the quarterback just has to keep from losing the game, but those are hugely talented teams. Those are ones that when they line up, they have an advantage. Given the caliber of teams in this conference, we're not going to line up with that advantage. So we have to have great play from our quarterback. And I think we're on schedule. We played with a freshman quarterback last year and he had growing pains. That's just part of it. The upside in that is now he's a sophomore. A number of teams, Oregon, they lost their quarterback. Now thy have to have another guy. There's a learning curve, no question about it."

On increased passing leading to increased turnovers:
"Ideally, that would have been wonderful if we would have been able to limit the amount of times Kevin Craft or Kevin Prince had to throw the ball. But when the running game is getting done what it needs to get done, you got to keep track of the score, you got find a way to get back into the game. Both of those kids (Craft and Prince) had to come under duress because we were playing with an inexperienced offensive line, protection was an issue. That's why turnovers were rampant in year 1. We tried to curtail that last year but it wasn't error free. And it never will be error free but we can be better."

On the new offense:
"I hope it's a permanent fix. Is it a permanent offense? No. But I want to be in a permanent place in the top half of the conference in rushing offense. If we can do that, I know we can handle the rest of it. We'll get right back into the conference race and we'll get back to UCLA winning Rose Bowls again."

* UCLA's first fall practice was split into two groups, with the starting unit in the first group and mostly backups in the second.

* Practice was mostly focused on scrimmage work, but there was some valuable individual group time as players need to show coaches what they can do after a summer of work.

* Injury notes: Only thing to report is a slight muscle tweak by Josh Smith, unrelated to his knee injury. Smith tweaked his groin and is probably day-to-day, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him back soon.

* Mike Harris has been suspended for the Kansas State game for a violation of team rules, UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel said after practice.

* Dietrich Riley got some work with the first-team defense, and no doubt, he is physically ready for September 4. Like I've said here before, the kid is huge. Get him into pads, and he'll look no different than a senior. Not sure he's strong enough to contribute now, but the guy is built.

* Darius Bell had a few nice runs in the Pistol, and it will be interesting to see how he is used throughout the fall. I'll try to chat with him during the next couple days.

* Ricky Marvray, Randall Carroll and Anthony Barr were the standout pass-catchers, with Barr hauling a one-handed grab that brought out some oohs and aahs. Carroll is running very well, and not just deep - he'll become a valuable receiver if he can master the short routes, too. Marvray, well, he's just a beast out there.

* As of now, Jeff Baca is at left tackle, Ryan Taylor at left guard, Kai Maiava at center, Eddie Williams at right guard and Micah Kia at right tackle. That will change, almost for sure. Keep an eye on Sean Sheller, as he's still battling at the left tackle spot. Bob Palcic wants eight linemen, and it appears he has it, though.

On Kevin Prince:
"I'm fired up about our quarterback (Kevin Prince). I think his numbers were fairly, fairly good for a guy who hadn't played. Remember he didn't play as a senior in high school. He lost his senior year to a knee injury. For a guy who hadn't played on two seasons, to come in and play like he did was admirable. Certainly there were growing pains but I do believe he's done the necessary work to master the offense, especially in the throwing game. He'll come into his own in this running game because he's got the measurables to be successful as a quarterback for this style of offense. It's fun now to finally have an experienced quarterback coming back to play. That coupled with experience on the offensive line lends to more optimism."

On finding big-play performers:
"We need to find big plays. I mentioned speed -- Randall (Carroll) and Josh (Smith), hopefully we can get big plays out of them. With Nelson Rosario and Taylor Embree in their third year of experience, I think we can start to jump, with respect to their ability to make plays down the field. I think Joe Fauria, with his range, is going to be a big play type of guy. He's a 6-7 target with hands."

On the running game:
"We'll see which tailback can jump onto the scene and take it the distance. We've seen Johnathan Franklin do that last year. We've seen glimpses of Derrick Coleman. Then when you bring in Malcolm Jones and Jordon James and sprinkle in Anthony Barr, those are all very, very talented guys. It will be fun to see if they have that magic that takes a 7-yard gain into a 70-yard gain."

Opening Statement:
"We had a great meeting last night talking about our goals and aspirations for the upcoming season. I did mention to them where the prognosticators had us located, at the No. 8 spot in our conference. Hopefully we're going to be better than that. I know we can be. I know there will be a lot of work involved in terms of dealing with a very rigorous schedule. But we're anxious to get back into a conference title race."

On big plays:
"We can't beat ourselves on either side of the ball. We just can't turn it over. We look back, just bringing up one game, the Oregon game, and there we were giving up a kickoff return and an interception return in a game that was back and forth, and all of a sudden we're out of the game."

On the running game:
"In the last couple years we've talked about the issues with our running game. That's going to be a huge point of emphasis. It's the reason we had to change, the reason we had to find some other answers. We couldn't just play a pat hand when the hand wasn't a winner. We've incorporated a measure of the Pistol offense, borrowed from Nevada. Hopefully we can put our own spin on it and have people calling it something more synonymous with UCLA. Running the football is pivotal to success."

From UCLA:

New Haven, Conn. - The Walter Camp Football Foundation has announced the
names of thirty "players to watch" for its 2010 Player of the Year award,
the nation's fourth-oldest individual college football accolade.
UCLA junior free safety Rahim Moore, who led the nation with 10 interceptions,
is included on that list. In 2009, Moore was a second-team
Walter Camp All-America selection.

Alabama junior running back Mark Ingram, a 2009 Walter Camp First Team
All-American, headlines the watch list. Ingram rushed for 1,658 yards and
17 touchdowns a year ago as the Crimson Tide captured the BCS national
title. In addition, five players who were 2009 Walter Camp Second Team
All-Americans are on the 2010 list.

Hey guys,

I'm on my way to UCLA media day and first practice, and I'll have tons of stuff throughout the day. Also, I'll be on ESPN for College Football Live at 12:30 PST talking UCLA fall camp, tune in, it should be fun.

Stay tuned for updates throughout the day...

Check out the latest batch of weekly answers...

From UCLA:

TOKYO - UCLA right-hander Gerrit Cole will start for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team against Cuba in the gold medal game of the V FISU World University Baseball Championships on Saturday, Aug. 7.

First pitch at Tokyo's Meiji Jingu Stadium is scheduled for 6 p.m. local time in Japan - 2 a.m. (PT) in Los Angeles.

Team USA enters the gold medal game against Cuba sporting a 16-2 record and currently rides a seven-game winning streak after defeating host Japan in semifinal action on Thursday night. Cuba will enter Saturday's contest on the heels of an 11-0 victory over Korea in semifinal action. The Cubans have scored in double-digits in all five games of the World Championships, outscoring the opposition by a 70-8 margin.

Cole has gone 2-0 with a 1.00 ERA in four games (three starts) for Team USA this summer. The native of Santa Ana, Calif., has registered 21 strikeouts and three walks in 18.0 innings during his second stint with the USA Collegiate National Team. Cole pitched for Team USA as a rising sophomore in 2009.

A two-time All-Pac-10 Team selection, Cole went 11-4 with a 3.37 ERA for UCLA in 2010, helping lead the Bruins to the finals of the College World Series for the first time in school history. UCLA established the school record for single-season victories, going 51-17 after advancing to the College World Series for the first time since 1997.

The Cuban National Team will send Ismel Jimenez to the mound on Saturday evening. Jimenez has logged an 18.00 ERA in two innings of work at the World Championships.

Team USA has won the last three FISU World University Baseball Championships and is seeking its fourth consecutive gold medal.

Caught up one last time with Joe Hillock, who is leaving his post as UCLA men's basketball director of basketball operations for the head coaching gig at Stoneridge Prep, which will start with an entirely new squad. Gone is Enes Kanter, Scout.com's No. 1 center who is headed to Kentucky.

Hillock is in the midst of a complete overhaul: Scheduling, recruiting and evaluating, and he's bringing in some foreign players who will play immediately.

Here's what he had to say...

Going into fall camp, UCLA has questions on both sides of the ball, and to a lesser extent, on special teams. No, Kai Forbath and Jeff Locke aren't going anywhere.

Take a look at the list, and then add a couple more, or respond to the poll, and tell me what THE most pressing question is for the 2010 UCLA defense

Here is the second half of my interview with Brett Hundley, UCLA's top quarterback target for the class of '11.

Don't forget to add the Inside UCLA Facebook Fan Page - here - and my twitter feed - here - as I'll be posting updates and links on both throughout the season. The higherups are really into the Twitter thing, and really, it's an easy way to convey quick information.

Some other quick hits:

* Any particular features you'd like me to bring back from last year?
* I'd like to bring back the Poll of the Week, where the winner gets to choose 10 questions for a particular football player. Now, with the video component, I think this can be a really interesting feature.
* I've been hoarding UCLA football and basketball cards for a long time, in anticipation of some cool giveaways - who wouldn't want an Alterraun Verner autograph? - so give me some ideas for some contests we can run. What about a "Best UCLA fan" story contest, or something like that? Gotta get rid of the cards; I got them for you guys.
* Lastly, thanks to all those who made my first year as the Daily News' UCLA beat writer an enjoyable one. It's been an...interesting...year, but I've learned a lot. My first year on a major beat, first doing a blog, first with a podcast, then two podcasts, and I appreciate the votes of confidence along the way. For those who were not satisfied, I'll try harder in the year to come.
Thanks,
JG

Scout.com is reporting that Modesto Christian tigh end Raymond Nelson - profile here - verbally committed to Rick Neuheisel last night. Nelson, the younger brother of UCLA rising sophomore basketball player Reeves Nelson, had an explosive camp in late June and came away with an offer, and all indications were that he was heavily leaning toward UCLA.

Nelson has been one of the fastest rising tight ends in the country, and it looks like a good get for, well, both the football and basketball program, as now both brothers have someone to lean on. I've said multiple times that I don't think the book is closed on Junior Pomee, who de-committed after a trip to Florida but has not verbally committed anywhere again, but I think this really shuts the door on Austin Seferian-Jenkins, who seems to be enamored with Texas.

Tight end is not a huge, huge position of worry, but I wouldn't be surprised if they brought in two, particularly given John Young's surgery and Morrell Presley (and Pomee's, really) switch to the F-back position.

Had a long chat with Chandler HS quarterback Brett Hundley, Scout.com's No. 5 quarterback in the country, and UCLA's top quarterback target. Really, the only quarterback target that matters for the Bruins this offseason.

Hundley has drawn raves for his multi-dimensional game, but make no mistake, he's a thrower's quarterback. Kid loves the pressure, loves the game and loves making the decisions. He's faced with a tough one right now: UCLA or Washington.

Coming out of the interview, I didn't get the impression that he favored one over the other, but if it comes down to non-football matters, which we discussed in length, UCLA could get the edge. Hundley is very interested in pre-med, and he UCLA's medical school and hospital is playing a factor.

I'll split the interview into two parts, one for today, one for tomorrow. Too long for one post.
I will say, this is a bright kid who is enjoying the recruiting process without getting either inflated or overwhelmed by it. I think his rather incremental ascension - he hasn't been studied for years, but he isn't exactly a workout wonder - has had a good effect on the talented quarterback.

Stay tuned for part two...

Going into fall camp, UCLA has questions on both sides of the ball, and to a lesser extent, on special teams. No, Kai Forbath and Jeff Locke aren't going anywhere.

Take a look at the list, and then add a couple more, or respond to the poll, and tell me what THE most pressing question is for the 2010 UCLA offense...

Check out the latest batch of weekly answers...

Former UCLA recruit Shaquille Richardson will play for the Arizona Wildcats, the Arizona Daily Star is reporting. Richardson was one of three - along with recent Washington signee Josh Shirley and Paul Richardson - who was arrested in late-June on suspicion of felony threat (though the charges have been lessened and are still pending). The trio was denied admissions and allowed to open up their recruitment, and now it appears Paul Richardson is the only one without a home.

Shaq Richardson, Scout.com's No. 27 cornerback out of Los Alamitos, would've joined a talented young defensive backfield, but probably would have redshirted. With a logjam at cornerback, he might not have seen time for a while.

Check out the latest batch of weekly answers...

Check out the latest batch of weekly answers...

The big news, first of all, is that I spelled Tyus EdnEy's name right here. I don't know why I have so much trouble with EdnEy but I always forget the E. For the time being, the E is being capitalized. I need to break this habit. E. EEE. EEEEEEE.

Secondly, I just chatted briefly with EdnEy, but his phone is dying and we'll catch up more tomorrow. He only had time for a single quote, but it's an interesting one:

"It's really exciting for me. It's going to be a great opportunity, and it's something I've always wanted to do. Having a chance to come back to my university, I feel like I'm coming back home."

I've always wondered why there seemed to be somewhat of a disconnect between some of the team's older stars and the new generation, but maybe this bridges the gap a bit. EdnEy is a good guy, and I had the chance to sit down for lunch with him this summer, and he was very interested in getting into the coaching profession. This should be a good first step.

Regarding former UCLA DBO Joe Hillock, he told me he's headed to Stoneridge Prep to become the new varsity head coach. Joe has wanted to get back into coaching, and he was up for the CSUN women's head gig that went to Jason Flowers. Good move for Joe, who was great to me in the short time we worked together. I'll chat with him shortly.

Former UCLA legend Tyus Edney was announced as the new director of operations for men's basketball on Monday. Edney, who played in the NBA for four seasons and played several years overseas, had talked about getting into coaching, and now he has his avenue.

"I'm really excited that Tyus is joining our staff and returning to the UCLA men's basketball program," UCLA men's basketball coach Ben Howland said in a press release. "He's a Bruin through and through having graduated from UCLA and brings a wealth of knowledge and energy to the program. I feel our student-athletes will benefit greatly from dealing with Tyus on a daily basis because he has experienced the things they will experience here at UCLA."

Edney is beloved among Bruin fans for his coast-to-coast layup in the second round of the 1995 NCAA Tournament against Missouri. His 4.8-second sprint led UCLA to a one-point victory and into the Sweet 16, and the Bruins ultimately won the tournament for the school's last national title and 11th overall.

Edney, a three-year starter and three-time All-Pac-10 first-team selection, ranks second on the UCLA leaderboard in career assists (652, 5.2 apg), third in steals (224, 1.8 spg), third in free throws made (450), seventh in free throws attempted (559), ninth in free throw percentage (.805, 450-559) and 20th in scoring with 1,515 points (12.1 ppg).

"It's really exciting for me. It's going to be a great opportunity, and it's something I've always wanted to do," Edney said. "Having a chance to come back to my university, I feel like I'm coming back home."

Here's a nice write-up on former UCLA DT Brian Price, who has had an impressive debut with Tampa Bay: Price

Check out the latest batch of weekly answers...

Check out the first batch of weekly answers...

Hey guys,

Fire away with questions for this week's Q&A. Please don't post new questions on the answers section, because I don't always check the comments. Save them for next week.

I have a ton of questions to pore over, so this will be a pretty loaded Weekly Answers...

Thanks
Jon