UCLA football position battles to watch at 2024 spring practice

24/04/2024 04:56

It has now been over three months since the Michigan football team raised the national championship trophy back in January at NRG Stadium in Houston. It was a season to remember in college football as it was the last year of the four-team College Football Playoff, and it was also the last year of the Pac-12. There are going to be a lot of changes next season, and there have also been a lot of changes in this offseason already in terms of coaching moves and the transfer portal. Now, spring football is well underway, and a sense of hope has returned to college football fans. UCLA football have their spring game this week, and Bruins fans can’t wait for the season.

Spring football is a special time of year as fans across the country get to see their new team in action for the first time. It’s hard to tell much about a team from spring practices, but it’s still fun to see the teams on the field competing against each other, and football fans are all eager for the new season to roll around. The first few months of the offseason are tough to get through and the football season seems so far away. Now, the weather is warming up, and you can sense that the new season is nearing. There is still a ways to go, but it’s coming.

This next season of college football is going to be an exciting one, and there are a ton of reasons to be looking forward to it. There are a lot of changes coming to the game like rule changes, coaching changes, conference changes and playoff changes. Perhaps the most intriguing part of the new season will be the new conferences. The Pac-12 is gone, and the Big Ten and SEC are going to be loaded. They both seem to be on the verge of forming super conferences.

The SEC will be welcoming Texas and Oklahoma to the conference next year, and the Big Ten is getting a good crop of Pac-12 teams as USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington are all joining the conference. Both the Big Ten and the SEC are going to be absolutely loaded next year, and it seems like more schools will potentially join the conferences in the future.

Next season, the College Football Playoff will look different as well as it is expanding to 12 teams. There will also be first round games on college campuses. More teams will have a chance to make the CFP, and there will be more games. It’s going to be fun.

UCLA has a lot of questions marks this offseason

One team that has a big offseason ahead them is UCLA football. The Bruins lost head coach Chip Kelly in the offseason as he left to be the new offensive coordinator at Ohio State. UCLA now has DeShaun Foster, and he certainly has his work cut out for him.

UCLA football struggled last season, and things will likely be a lot more difficult for them this upcoming season in the Big Ten with a new head coach. The new Big Ten is going to be loaded, and the schedule is not easy for the Bruins. They have a lot of work to do to get ready for the 2024 season if they want to be able to compete in this talented conference.

The good news for Foster is that he done some work in the transfer portal and he does also have some starters from last year coming back in key positions. His situation isn’t great, but it could be worse. Still, this UCLA team has a lot of work to do in the next few months, and here are a few position battles that you should be paying attention to if you’re a fan of the Bruins.

Wide receiver

Seeing who the go-to wide receivers are going to be will be interesting, and especially because of the edition of Notre Dame transfer Rico Flores Jr. The Bruins have a few guys that are returning at WR, but Flores Jr. should be able to make some noise on this UCLA football team next year. He had a big freshman season with the Fighting Irish as he hauled in 27 receptions for 392 yards and one touchdown.

If Flores Jr. has a good offseason and can make a big jump during his sophomore season, the Bruins should be solid at the WR position. He is certainly a newcomer to keep an eye on.

Quarterback

You might be surprised to see the QB position on this list because UCLA will have Ethan Garbers back next season. His backups have just about zero playing experience and there is really no pressure on Garbers in terms of a QB competition. However, that is exactly why this position is listed.

If UCLA football is going to be competitive in the Big Ten, they will need good QB play. Garbers came in last season and replaced true freshman Dante Moore. He played well, but it’s going to be interesting to see how he performs this offseason and if he is going to be able to take a leap next season. He should be fine in terms of winning the starting job, but this position is crucial and Garbers will have to have a good offseason to be ready for the schedule that the Bruins are going to face next season. Sometimes not having any sort of competition can end up hurting a player if they aren’t careful and hungry.

Secondary

The secondary is going to be interesting to watch because of all the transfers that UCLA is bringing in. First off, kudos to the staff for getting players in the transfer portal. A rebuilding year can become something completely different if you get some good transfer players.

Some portal players to keep an eye on for the Bruins are Ramon Henderson, Bryan Addison and KJ Wallace. All of these guys are expected to earn starting spots, and it’s going to be interesting to see if that actually ends up happening.

UCLA football certainly has an uphill climb this offseason, and their first season in the Big Ten could end up being a difficult one.

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