Weekly Q&A

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

FUTURE WATCH: DEFENSE

I know it’s a little early, but why not take a look forward.

Here is a look at UCLA’s year-by-year breakdown for the 2012 season based on the team’s 2012 verbal commitments as of 2 p.m. Monday, two days before signing day. Of course, there will be some surprises, and the Bruins are still in the running for a handful of uncommitted or soft verbals, including some highly coveted wide receivers, which going forward is clearly the team’s biggest need on offense.

Some notes:
* THIS IS NOT A DEPTH CHART, THIS IS A BREAK DOWN BY CLASS STANDING.
* This takes the current roster as of Jan. 30. Many players on this list won’t be come spring ball. Rumors about players having been kicked off or transferring are not formalized yet, so that’s why the list is so full.
* As it stands, UCLA has 26 verbal commitments and 68 players listed on the official roster; the max for a college football team is 85 scholarships.

97 Damien Holmes DE RS SR
59 Keenan Graham DE RS JR
94 Owamagbe Odighizuwa DE JR
N/A Eli Ankou DE FR

90 Donovan Carter DT RS SR
98 Seali’i Epenesa DT JR
40 Kevin McReynolds DT RS FR
N/A Ellis McCarthy DT FR

3 Cassius Marsh DT JR
92 Brandon Willis DT SO
95 Brandon Tuliaupupu DT RS FR

56 Datone Jones DE RS SR
96 Iuta Tepa DE RS JR
10 Sam Tai DE RS FR
N/A Nate Iese DE FR

30 Eric Kendricks LB RS SO
14 Aramide Olaniyan OLB RS SO
48 Jared Koster LB RS SO
27 Aaron Wallace OLB RS FR
N/A Jeremy Castro OLB FR

42 Patrick Larimore LB RS SR
55 Todd Golper LB RS JR
25 Isaiah Bowens LB RS JR
44 Mike Orloff LB RS FR
N/A Aaron Porter MLB FR

17 David Allen LB RS SR
35 Jordan Zumwalt LB JR
33 Ryan Hofmeister LB RS FR
N/A Kenny Orjioke OLB FR

21 Aaron Hester CB RS SR
26 Andrew Abbott CB RS SR
23 Anthony Thompson CB RS FR
N/A Ishmael Adams CB FR
N/A Paul Perkins CB FR
N/A Jerico Richardson CB FR

4 Stan McKay SS RS JR
1 Dietrich Riley SS JR
N/A Taylor Lagace S FR

19 Dalton Hilliard FS SR
15 Alex Mascarenas FS RS JR
7 Tevin McDonald FS RS SO
N/A Trayvon Watson S FR

22 Sheldon Price CB SR
2 Brandon Sermons CB RS JR
8 Anthony Jefferson CB RS SO
N/A Marcus Rios CB FR
N/A Shannon Edwards CB FR
N/A Justin Combs CB FR

18 Jeff Locke P/PK RS SR
17 Kip Smith PK RS SO
N/A Ka’imi Fairbairn K FR

Fauria, Locke named top positional prospects for 2013 NFL Draft

CBSSports.com released its latest 2013 NFL Draft Prospect sheet, and UCLA was very well represented.

Tight end Joseph Fauria was ranked the No. 1 tight end, Jeff Locke is the No. 1 punter, Patrick Larimore is the No. 6, Johnathan Franklin is the No. 7 running back and Aaron Hester is the No. 13 cornerback. Eight more players are ranked in the top-100 at their respective positions.

Name / Position / Rank / School / Class / Ht. / Wt. / 40-yard dash
Datone Jones DE 23 UCLA SR 6-4 275 4.76
Kevin Prince QB 23 UCLA SR 6-2 223 4.74
Dalton Hilliard FS 25 UCLA SR 6-0 200 4.49
Sheldon Price CB 34 UCLA SR 6-1 180 4.56
Richard Brehaut QB 43 UCLA SR 6-2 226 4.82
Damien Holmes DE 52 UCLA SR 6-3 270 4.86
Andrew Abbott CB 81 UCLA SR 5-09 178 N/A

FUTURE WATCH: OFFENSE

I know it’s a little early, but why not take a look forward.

Here is a look at UCLA’s year-by-year breakdown for the 2012 season based on the team’s 2012 verbal commitments as of 2 p.m. Monday, two days before signing day. Of course, there will be some surprises, and the Bruins are still in the running for a handful of uncommitted or soft verbals, including some highly coveted wide receivers, which going forward is clearly the team’s biggest need on offense.

Some notes:
* THIS IS NOT A DEPTH CHART, THIS IS A BREAK DOWN BY CLASS STANDING.
* This takes the current roster as of Jan. 30. Many players on this list won’t be come spring ball. Rumors about players having been kicked off or transferring are not formalized yet, so that’s why the list is so full.
* As it stands, UCLA has 26 verbal commitments and 68 players listed on the official roster; the max for a college football team is 85 scholarships.

QUARTERBACK
4 Kevin Prince RS SR
12 Richard Brehaut SR
18 Nick Crissman RS SR
17 Brett Hundley RS FR
11 Jerry Neuheisel FR
N/A Devin Fuller FR
N/A T.J. Millweard FR

RUNNING BACK
23 Johnathan Franklin RS SR
28 Malcolm Jones JR
25 Damien Thigpen RS JR
2 Anthony Barr JR
6 Jordon James RS SO
33 Steven Manfro RS FR
N/A Tairen Owens FR

WIDE RECEIVER
9 Jerry Johnson RS SR
19 Shaquelle Evans RS JR
3 Darius Bell RS JR

WIDE RECEIVER
10 Ricky Marvray RS JR
88 Jerry Rice Jr. RS JR
15 Devin Lucien RS FR
N/A Fabian Moreau FR

FULLBACK
N/A Christian Powell FR

TIGHT END
8 Joseph Fauria RS SR
85 John Young RS SO
N/A Ian Taubler FR

OFFENSIVE TACKLE
56 Xavier Su’a-Filo SO
77 Torian White RS FR
73 Will Oliver RS FR
N/A Simon Goines FR

OFFENSIVE GUARD
75 Chris Ward JR
71 Wade Yandall RS SO
N/A Lacy Westbrook FR

CENTER64 Greg Capella RS JR
63 Kody Innes RS SO
54 Jake Brendel RS FR
N/A Carl Hulick FR

OFFENSIVE GUARD
62 Albert Cid RS JR
67 Casey Griffiths RS JR
55 Ben Wysocki RS FR
N/A Colby Cyburt FR

OFFENSIVE TACKLE
60 Jeff Baca RS SR
70 Connor Bradford RS SR
78 Brett Downey RS SR
N/A Alexandru Ceachir JR

Simon says yes to UCLA

Multiple outlets are reporting that massive offensive tackle Simon Goines out of Central (Keller, Texas) High has verbally committed to UCLA.

Goines – who is listed at 6-foot-8, 295 pounds – is rated as the No. 37 offensive tackle recruit by Scout.com, No. 56 by Rivals.com and No. 55 by ESPN.com. Recruiting analysts I’ve spoken to about Goines say that his potential is off the charts if he can grow a little more comfortable in his body. He has room to put on both weight and strength, but given UCLA’s depth at the position going forward – of which I’ll preview later today – there’s reason to think he could see major time pretty quickly.

Goines’s flip from Missouri was in the works late in the recruiting process as Adrian Klemm went after him pretty hard. Goines has offers from schools such as Arkansas, SMU, West Virginia and Kansas State. Here’s a brief video of his, but watch the three straight blocks starting at the :29 second mark. Nasty.