UCLA middle linebacker Kenny Young was one of 42 players named to the Lott IMPACT Trophy watch list on Friday.
Young, who is coming off a breakout junior year with the Bruins, was sixth in the Pac-12 in tackling last year with 90 total tackles (7.5 per game). He had five sacks, which ranked second on the team, one interception and three fumble recoveries. With the departure of the conference’s leading tackler Jayon Brown, Young will be the centerpiece of UCLA’s linebacking unit this season.
Young would be the third UCLA linebacker to win the Lott Trophy, which recognizes the top defensive player in the country while also celebrating the player’s off-the-field characteristics. Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks won the award in back-to-back years in 2013 and 2014, respectively.
Other links:
- Josh Rosen is ranked 15th in NFL.com’s top 50 college football players for 2017
- The Spokeman Review ranks UCLA fifth in its early offseason Pac-12 power rankings
- Jim Mora tumbled to 49th in CBS Sports’ ranking of all 65 Power Five head coaches. Mora was ranked 29th last year. Chris Petersen and David Shaw, ranked seventh and eighth, respectively, are the list’s two highest ranked Pac-12 coaches.
- UCLA’s top draft pick Takkarist McKinley officially signed with the Atlanta Falcons this week:
Extremely blessed to be able to sign my first NFL contract and be apart of the Atlanta falcons organization and the brotherhood #riseup pic.twitter.com/HXipx4zEa3
— Takkarist McKinley (@Takk) May 12, 2017