UCLA Bruins News

OL Stan Hasiak's Bruin Career likely done http://wp.me/p14QTT-j51

Could never focus on books, rather party

Big transfer for UCLA, he was a very good player for Vandy and eligible

former Vanderbilt DB Jamie Graham is transferring into UCLA to attend graduate school and to play football.

http://www.bruinsnation.com/2011/7/18/2280621/transfer-ucla-football-jamie-graham--vanderbilt

UCLA loses DE to transfer

An injury prevented Derrick Bryant from playing for UCLA as a true freshman in 2010. Now, an “illness” will keep the defensive end from ever suiting up for the Bruins in an actual game.

The Columbus, Oh., native has left the football program and informed the Los Angeles Times that he will be transferring from the school to an undetermined location.

You have to be kidding me, back and forth

Jon Gold of the Los Angeles Daily News is reporting that Willis could very well be transfer back to UCLA at some point in the very near future. Willis himself as well as a souce inside the football program confirmed to the Daily News that a move back to the Bruins is a possibility.

I would re-do Brett Hundley's ratings a bit. He is a dual threat QB in the McNabb mold. I'd lower his 67 AWR (well above other true frosh QBs) and make his SPD, AGI, ACC somewhere in the 80s. Also has a strong arm.

Rivals:

On the Hoof: Hundley is probably slightly shorter and lighter than his listed size. He really looks like a taller Charlie Ward with an athletic basketball lower body. He clearly has room to fill out and could eventually play around 230 pounds yet still keep his overall athleticism.
Needs Improvement: He sometimes has a tendency to lock onto receivers in the flat, which is very dangerous. His deep balls need a little more air allowing his receivers time to glide underneath. Hundley has to become more confident while rolling left.
Most Impressive: Hundley has smooth change of direction and can make tacklers miss in the open field. He possesses a strong arm, which allows him to make almost any throw in the playbook. If you are looking for an intelligent player with natural leadership skills then this is your guy.
Conclusion: He will likely redshirt while he learns the offense but has a chance to make a big splash as early as his second year on campus.

wow, really messed up. I know we are having struggles in California, but he earned it, irregardless of who dad is

Taxpayers want Diddy’s son to turn over UCLA scholarship

Last November, via a press release from a PR firm, the son of hip-hop mogul the son of Diddy/P. Diddy/Puff Daddy/Sean “Puffy” Combs announced that he was verbally committing to play football at UCLA. In February of this year, Justin Combs, who played his high school football in New Rochelle, New York, made good on that verbal pledge by putting pen to paper on National Signing Day.

Now, the fact that a very rich man’s son will be utilizing a free scholarship has gotten some California residents’ unmentionables all wadded up.

A website called BusinessInsiders.com writes that “state taxpayers are calling on the well-heeled freshman to turn over his $54,000 scholarship to students who need it more.” Just who those taxpayers are isn’t explained, although toward the end of the article the “Occupy Wall Street” movement’s rallying against tuition hikes at UCLA earlier this year is mentioned.

The argument appears to be that, since Justin Combs’ father is worth hundreds of millions of dollars, the family should be compelled to pay for his schooling regardless of his athletic merit that led to the scholarship offer in the first place.

Fortunately, there’s a voice of well-reasoned sanity that can be heard above the inane howling.

“He’s done what he needs to do to be successful and in a meritocracy we have to accept that no matter who your father is, whether he be rich, poor or absent, that you can in fact be successful on your own merit,” Dr. Steve Perry said during an interview on CNN. “There’s nothing free about a Division I athletic scholarship. It’s 40 hours-plus of work on campus every single week in order to maintain that scholarship. There’s nothing free about it, because this child will earn this. …

“This is about some people feeling that, because Sean ‘P-Diddy’ Combs has in fact been successful, that his child should not receive any form of support for his own ability. … We have to begin to celebrate success at some point in this country. We can’t, as we say, hate on this brother (Combs’ dad) for his success or for his children for being able to be successful.”

Amen.

UCLA determined that Combs, a cornerback, was worthy of receiving one of the couple of dozen or so football scholarships it hands out annually. Based on the Bruins’ evaluation of his football skills as well as what he brings to the academic side of the equation — a 3.75 high school GPA — what his father makes or doesn’t make literally means nothing when it comes to exactly what the younger Combs received: a merit-based scholarship.

http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/05/31/taxpayers-want-diddys-son-to-turn-over-ucla-scholarship/

Safety Alex Mascarenas and offensive lineman Wade Yandall have taken medical retirements, safety Anthony Thompson and linebacker Jared Koster are transferring and defensive lineman Wesley Flowers is leaving because of a coaches decision. Those players are no longer listed on the official UCLA football roster.

http://espn.go.com/blog/los-angeles/ucla/post/_/id/10770/ucla-makes-changes-to-football-roster

incoming UCLA lineman Lacy Westbrook underwent surgery Thursday to repair a brain aneurysm. Westbrook collapsed while jogging earlier this week.

The good news is that Westbrook is currently in stable condition and expected to make a full recovery.

Rivals.com ranked Westbrook as a four-star recruit for the Bruins’ 2012 class, but the Compton native will greyshirt this season and enroll in 2013.

Obviously, here’s hoping for a speedy recovery.

UCLA names starting QB

UCLA decided to go in a new direction last year by hiring Jim Mora to be the head coach. Now, Mora’s doing the same thing at quarterback to begin a new era.

The school announced Friday evening that redshirt freshman Brett Hundley would be the starter behind center over veterans Kevin Prince and Richard Brehaut.

http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/08/10/brett-hundley-named-uclas-starting-quarterback/

Big loss for UCLA at LB
the Los Angeles Daily News is reporting that Larimore left UCLA’s camp after practice and medically retired from the sport. It appears concussions were the overriding factor in the decision as the the fifth-year senior linebacker suffered two in a span of less than six months.

The school subsequently confirmed the development, with the Daily News reporting that the news was broken to the team during a meeting yesterday.

http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/08/13/uclas-defensive-mvp-retires-from-the-sport/

GoAztecs wrote:Big loss for UCLA at LB
the Los Angeles Daily News is reporting that Larimore left UCLA’s camp after practice and medically retired from the sport. It appears concussions were the overriding factor in the decision as the the fifth-year senior linebacker suffered two in a span of less than six months.

The school subsequently confirmed the development, with the Daily News reporting that the news was broken to the team during a meeting yesterday.

http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/08/13/uclas-defensive-mvp-retires-from-the-sport/

Damn big loss for them.

UCLA senior Damien Holmes will make his second position switch since last season, now moving from OLB to ILB.

UCLA loses LB to transfer

Senior Iuta Tepa will transfer from UCLA to Hawaii and is expected to line up at OLB.

Tepa has experience as a pass rushing defensive end at UCLA, but in Hawaii's defense he will fit best as an outside linebacker. The senior only saw action off the bench, but played in 25 games in the last two years and registered 11 tackles for loss including three sacks.

Source: Stephen Tsai on Twitter