Jerry Neuheisel is the only UCLA quarterback with significant game experience, but few consider him the favorite to win the starting spot. (Andy Holzman/Staff)
When UCLA starts training camp next Monday, finding a starting quarterback will be the biggest question facing the Bruins — and one that Jim Mora wants answered “sooner rather than later.”
And while most observers expect true freshman Josh Rosen to win the job, the head coach has given no public indication as to which way his leaning. This week, Mora’s predecessor offered his two cents.
On Tuesday, former UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel talked about the quarterback race on SiriusXM College Sports Nation, offering his thoughts on Rosen as well as a defense of his son, returning backup Jerry Neuheisel.
The elder Neuheisel admitted that Rosen looked good in spring ball, calling him a “bonus baby” that comes in with a strong arm and plenty of hype — although without the running ability of former UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley.
“The question is, do you want him to go in right away and have those — the learning curve that always goes with your first couple of starts?” Neuheisel said. “And just weather that, and become the guy that everybody thinks he’s going to be? Now, if he earns that in training camp, I think that’s probably what they’ll say is the best course of action.”
But of course, Neuheisel didn’t want to count out his son either, arguing that Jerry Neuheisel’s experience and familiarity with UCLA’s offense could give him an edge. If the Bruins make the game “cerebral,” Rick said, then Jerry would be able to lean on his intangibles.
“If Jerry gets a chance to use his ability to see what’s going on on the other side of the ball,” Neuheisel said, “and he gets a chance to manipulate the offense, to take advantage of what’s happening on the other side of the ball — then Jerry will be hard to beat out. Because Jerry will get them in the right play all the time. …
“The offense that Noel Mazzone has is a point-guard offense. It’s a distributor. It’s not a big-arm offense. It’s a, get it out of your hand, get it to somebody accurately so they can run with the ball after the catch.”