Jedd Fisch hired by Rams

UCLA interim coach Jedd Fisch talks to his players during the first half of an NCAA college football game against California, Friday, Nov. 24, 2017, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

UCLA will not have an official offensive coordinator on its new staff under Chip Kelly, and its old one will not have to venture too far for his new job.

After one year at UCLA, former offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch has been hired as a senior offensive analyst for the Rams, the team announced Wednesday.

Fisch will be working with his eighth team in the past 11 seasons, but for the first time in almost a decade, the 41-year-old assistant and his family don’t have to move across state lines to start his new job.

He has previously talked about his friendship with Rams head coach Sean McVay. Fisch was reportedly in contention for the offensive coordinator job at Missouri before the Tigers hired Derek Dooley.

Fisch, who took over as interim head coach after Jim Mora was fired, was popular among UCLA players for his energetic personality and attention to detail.

JuCo DB/LB Je’Vari Anderson commits to UCLA

UCLA plucked another prospect from high-school powerhouse De La Salle on Wednesday as safety/linebacker Je’Vari Anderson announced his verbal commitment to the Bruins for the 2018 recruiting class.

Anderson went to Laney College out of De La Salle, the Bay Area school that also produced UCLA defensive lineman Boss Tagaloa and tight end Devin Asiasi. The 6-foot, 220-pound recruit is head coach Chip Kelly’s 14th known verbal commit for the 2018 class with two weeks left until National Signing Day.

During two seasons at Laney, Anderson had 32 tackles and three interceptions. He was also considering Kansas State, Cincinnati and UNLV.

Kelly’s recruiting class ranks 31st in the country and fourth in the Pac-12, according to 247 Sports’ Composite Rankings. With eight commits already signed, the Bruins can ink the remainder of their recruiting class on Feb. 7, the first day of the traditional signing period.

UCLA links: Chip Kelly finalizes coaching staff

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Blaine Gabbert (2) stands with senior analyst Dana Bible before a preseason NFL football game against the Denver Broncos, Saturday, Aug. 20, 2016, in Denver. (AP Photo/Joe Mahoney)

Chip Kelly‘s to-do list got one task shorter Tuesday as he finalized his coaching staff.

The new head coach announced three new hires, led by Dana Bible, who will take over as quarterbacks coach. Bible, a well-traveled assistant coach who has offensive coordinator experience in college and the NFL, will oversee UCLA’s quarterback competition this spring as the Bruins look for a new starter to replace Josh Rosen.

UCLA also officially announced the hires of Roy Manning (outside linebackers/special teams) and Vince Oghobaase (defensive line) on Tuesday and added that Jimmie Dougherty, DeShaun Foster and Hank Fraley would be returning under Kelly in the same positions they held last season. Angus McClure will return and coach tight ends.

More on UCLA’s full coaching staff

Other links:

  • NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah has Rosen at No. 7 in his top 50 prospects for the NFL draft
  • Kam Brown, a receiver from Texas in the class of 2019, decommitted from UCLA. Brown is the son of Larry Brown, a three-time Super Bowl champion and Super Bowl XXX MVP. All four of UCLA’s early verbal commitments for the class of 2019 have backed off their pledges. Signing Day for the 2018 class comes Feb. 7.

UCLA in the NFL: Matthew Slater, Patriots into Super Bowl

PASADENA, CA – SEPTEMBER 22: Matthew Slater #18 of the UCLA Bruins celebrates scoring a touchdown in the second half against the Washington Huskies at the Pasadena Rose Bowl on September 22, 2007 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images)

Former UCLA Bruin Matthew Slater will play for his third career Super Bowl championship after he and the Patriots completed a 10-point, fourth-quarter comeback in the AFC Championship Game against the Jaguars on Sunday.

Slater, a special teams stalwart for the Patriots, had one tackle in the 24-20 victory as Tom Brady led the Patriots to 14 unanswered points in the final 8:44 of the game. New England is playing in its third Super Bowl in four years.

Fellow UCLA alums Myles Jack and Marcedes Lewis had stand-out plays for the Jaguars as Jack had a forced fumble and fumble recovery and Lewis caught his first career postseason touchdown.

In the NFC Championship Game, the Eagles crushed the Vikings 38-7. Former UCLA linebackers Eric Kendricks and Anthony Barr and six and three tackles, respectively, for the Vikings.

Former UCLA safety Randall Goforth signed with the Eagles as an undrafted free agent, but is on the reserve/injured list after tearing his ACL during training camp. UCLA tight end Caleb Wilson‘s father Chris coaches the Eagles’ defensive line.

Former UCF commit Patrick Jolly commits to UCLA

Patrick Jolly‘s first commitment was to Scott Frost at Central Florida. Now the versatile athlete from Florida will play for Frost’s mentor.

Jolly, a three-star athlete, according to 247 Sports’ Composite Rankings, verbally committed to UCLA on Sunday, bringing head coach Chip Kelly‘s 2018 recruiting class to 13 total prospects with two and a half weeks left until National Signing Day.

Jolly committed to Frost’s Knights in June, but backed off his pledge soon after the upstart young coach took the head job at Nebraska. Frost’s uptempo offense that led the UCF to a perfect 13-0 season in 2017 was based off Kelly’s system at Oregon where the pair coached together from 2009-12.

Jolly’s only other Pac-12 offer came from Oregon State. The versatile 6-foot-1, 177-pound athlete also got looks from Rutgers and Syracuse.