— Josh Rosen missed Monday evening’s practice because he was attending a funeral, and the Bruins went back to the two-by-two quarterback rotation they had employed until Saturday. Asiantii Woulard took all of the first-team reps, while Jerry Neuheisel took the reins on the second string.
Woulard didn’t look as good as he did on Saturday, a performance that head coach Jim Mora called the best in the quarterback’s two-plus years at UCLA. He started off the day in a good rhythm, but began to devolve a bit in the latter half of what was a very long practice. He threw numerous interceptions, including a tipped ball that ended up in the hands of nose tackle Kenny Clark. Overall, I’d call his showing “pedestrian” at best.
Neuheisel didn’t have a great day either, and just doesn’t seem like a viable candidate to win the starting spot due to his lack of arm strength. Even if another candidate is more prone to mistakes, using the returning backup would make the offense too predictable for opposing defenses — especially as the season progresses.
Mora said he and the staff will discuss Tuesday whether or not to keep the two-by-two quarterback rotation for a little longer, or cut down the list of names competing for the starting spot.
— The physical transformation that Marcus Rios has undergone over the last year is remarkable. After battling a life-threatening fungal infection back in late 2012 to early 2013, the cornerback has filled out again. He said he’s up to 185 pounds after playing at closer to 160 last season, and clearly looks more comfortable with the increased mass.
He nabbed a nice pick in practice today, intercepting Woulard.
— Jordan Lasley has held his emotions in check after getting in skirmishes with a defensive back through each of the first three spring practices, but it’s clear he has a fiery streak to him. That might be good for someone who plays receiver, though he’ll always need to be careful to toe the line.
After one catch in one-on-ones on Monday, he bent his knees and sort of waddled into a taunt as the defensive back walked away. That prompted secondary coach Demetrice Martin to chirp, “Damn, they’re gonna give you a flag for that.”
— Jayon Brown was pretty active at inside linebacker, forcing a fumble and making a few other notable tackles. He’s not going to start ahead of Myles Jack or Kenny Young, but he should make for a good reliever if either of them need rest.
— News flash: the reigning Pac-12 rushing champion is still good. UCLA has been happy to give practice reps to Nate Starks, but Paul Perkins is still clearly the guy in this offense. He broke out a few nice runs today, and will be a nice pillar to lean on for whoever starts at quarterback.