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Podcast: UCLA LAFB: A UCLA Bruins Show Episode: UCLA Standouts & Spring Game Storylines W/247Sports Connor Morrissette Transcript: The world's biggest soccer tournament has arrived, and you can trade it through the finals on Kalshi. England is currently trading at 11% to win it all, meaning a $100 trade pays out 826 if they win. On Kalshi, you're trading in a live market, meaning no house or odds makers. For a limited time, download the Kalshi app and use code HART to get $10 when you trade. Restartion supply, trading involves risk. Values and markets may differ from those mentioned. For more, see Kalshi.com slash regulatory. Kalshi, trade the beautiful, game. At California Closets, we design for the little things. Take this moment of a parent walking across their toy filled living room for a glass of water. And now the California Closets version of that moment. Family room and home storage solutions by designers who get you. California Closets, more room for what matters. 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This week, we finally get to see some tangible evidence on the field about what he's been cooking in the springtime. So we are super thrilled to have you on the night, Connor. We're going to be talking about different position groups, the coaching staff, but I want to talk it with a personal point to kind of start things off. You left the USC B team last year and you're headed to UCLA. And for me, I'm a little biased here. I think you made the right switch to the team across town. How has it been treating you covering this team in Westwood, especially in an exciting time with the new coach Bob, Chesney? It's been so far so good. So I started March 1st and at 24 seven sports, we do a lot of basketball too. So I was thrown right into the March Madness fire and I got to cover the men's big 10 tournament in Chicago and then the NCAA tournament in Philadelphia. And I followed the women's national title run. We had a couple of our reporters in Phoenix at the final four. And then obviously they won the championships. So that was great. But yeah, it's been so far so good. It was a unique starting point, kind of starting right in the middle of more towards the end for basketball. But it was a very logical starting point for football where spring football started in April at the beginning of the month for UCLA. So it's been nice to get to know the staff a little bit, a lot of these new players. And it's been so far so good. I appreciate you asking. Yeah, man. And we are thrilled to have you out here once again. And let's talk about it, man. I think the new coaching staff is such a big deal to a lot of people. Bob Chesney coming in with the hype as high as I can remember it for UCLA fans. He's certainly been walking the walk since he has gotten to Westwood. He's also brought on some great coordinators, you know, Dean Kennedy running the office and calling a hitchhler, running the defensive side of things. You got an interact with all these different coaches in your time watching practice. Talk to me about, you know, the philosophies of both these coaches on the defensive and offensive side and what they're bringing in a new look team for UCLA in 2026. I think first with Bob Chesney, you have to start with just he's a guy who's truly climbed the ladder. And most head coaches at the power four level have climbed some sort of ladder. But this is a guy who started out at a school that I don't think too many people would know, Norwich University in Vermont as an assistant coach. Like I'm from New England. So I am familiar with that school. Just so tiny of military or whatever. Yeah. And then Salve Regina in Rhode Island, assumption, Holy Cross, he's coached at every level that he's had success at every level. And I think that's allowed him to figure a lot of things out. And he just feels so prepared for this moment, this first power conference coaching job forum. So watching the practices, it's really unique. Every single second is planned out. And I love how they disperse the special team periods all throughout practice. A lot of times you'll see special teams, they'll start with it and then they'll end with it. And it just doesn't really feel like it's that important. And he totally emphasizes special teams and just it's a great way to keep the guys engaged. For example, like when we can go in and watch practice, they'll do a special teams period, then they'll stretch, then they'll do a quick special teams period, then they'll go back to warming up before they'll do a team period. So he's getting in those special teams periods like while they're warming up, which I just think is really unique. Because if the warm up takes forever, you can get kind of bogged down and maybe you tune out a little bit. But he makes sure that that isn't the case. So I've just been really prepared with how, impressed with how prepared he's been. And it just seems like he really knows what he's doing, which is obviously a great first step for any new head coach. And then on the coordinator's side, I can start with Colin Hichler. He just seems like a guy who I really like what he brings to the table from an experienced standpoint to where he was coaching the defensive backs at Cincinnati when they made the call to a ball playoff. And he was at Alabama as well. Obviously a JMU last year. He's had a lot of success. And we're seeing on the recruiting trail, I think guys, not only in Southern California, but highly ranked guys all throughout the country are kind of seeing what he's done historically and buying in. And that's why UCLA has been having some good fortune here on the defensive side with the recruiting and then Dean Kennedy, he like a lot of offensive coordinators wants to really have an explosive offensive course. I thought one thing that was interesting, he defined explosive plays in his offense is passing plays that are 16 yards and running plays that are 11 yards, I think. And that was something that was unique. It was a little bit different than the classic definition. But he loves to get the running backs involved in the passing game. And he's shown to get the tight ends involved a lot as well so far. So I think the vibes are definitely high. And I always say like take everything with a grain of salt when you have a new staff, we got to see what it looks like in the fall. But in terms of from when they were hired in December to now, I think they've pretty much nailed it so far. I give them an A plus for the culture that they've built in graciating themselves in the UCLA community, getting a lot of key players to come back and Nico, I am a lot of other guys like I really think so far they've done a great job and we'll see how that translates in the fall. Yeah, Dean Kennedy too. I love the Boston accent crack and through there. I mean, talking to the boys, I know you're a mass guy, so it's got to make you feel at home a little bit with that. Let's start with the offense, man, the quarterback room, I'm Ali Abba. It was a big deal. He came back. He's also learning a new offense and passing to seven new pass catchers as it is going on right now, let alone a whole new offensive line in front of him. Talk to me about the quarterback room. We know Nico's a returning starter, but we've also heard some buzz on the cow Pauli transfer, Ty deep and buck making some place here early in this break. I would say the quarterbacks, it's been a little bit clunky so far, but as we record this here Wednesday night, I felt like Nico and Ty had their best practices of the spring on Tuesday yesterday. So that was encouraging. And naturally, there's going to be a learning curve with all the new players, the new staff. So I don't hold that against the quarterbacks too much on our show that we did for a brew in 24 seven calm earlier today. I talked about with Nico. I really like how he's processing things. He checked into a play during a team period where he recognized the blitz was coming and he really nailed that. And you're seeing his intelligence or seeing his mobility. You're seeing him begin to mesh with some of these receivers a little bit. His accuracy has kind of been up and down. And I think when we talked about him taking the next step, not only just as a quarterback at UCLA, but as a potential prospect professionally, that accuracy is something I I want to see get better. And then behind him, yeah, Ty Deafenbach has had a very nice camp overall. I know they really want to push for Madden, E-Molly Abba to be the backup, which makes sense. He's kind of the quarterback of the future, the higher ceiling quarterback. But so far, I think it hasn't really even been that close tie has outperformed him thus far. So when they do release a depth chart way in the future, it'll be interesting to see who comes up as the number two quarterback. Ideally, you'd want that quarterback of the future. I'm not sure to be there, but that might not end up being the case. So I've been impressed with him as well. And he's learning this new offense and getting used to everything too. So it's been nice to see him adjust. And Madden's had some nice moments too. It hasn't been all bad with him, but just in terms of like, where the guys stack up through 13 practices, I like what I've seen from Ty a little more. Yeah, Deafenbach's an interesting case too. 6'6", 220. He's a legitimate horse out there on the football field. He can move with his legs as well. He can make some plays. Started at Pittsburgh initially, a local kid. So this guy, when you see the Cal Poly thing, it's not 100% true that he couldn't play the D1 level initially. He was at Pittsburgh. He got some reps there. He was making plays. Now he's at UCLA. I'd love to see him get some reps in the spring game just to see what we have, because at the quarterback position, man, you're one play away from getting the ball game and making an impact. Let's pivot now to the running back room, Connor, because to me, this is one of the deepest rooms on the roster. When you look at what you have, Jay Vian, Jet Thomas coming back, we really didn't get the full Jet Thomas experience. But when you look at the two years ago, when he was at Cal, he was the leading rusher on a Cal Bears team that had Jay Nott, who was just picked in the seventh round by the Cincinnati Bengals in the NFL coming from the Oklahoma Sooners. You got Anthony Woods, who is a 1,000 yard rusher, multi-time touchdown leader for the Idaho Vandals. Transfer down here, he had some bursts. He made some plays last year. And then you get Wayne Knight on top of that, who was an all-world player for the Sunbelts. I heard he's returning punts a little bit in practice as well, Connor. Do you mind diving into this running back room? Because for me, when I look on the surface of this team, there's two position groups I feel very confident about. It's the running back room and the defensive back room. I think you're spot on with that analysis. The running backs have looked great. And Wayne Knight's been banged up, so we haven't seen him a ton out there. But Jay Vian Thomas has been a massive standout so far. Not only running the ball, but he's done a lot of catching the ball out of the backfield. And we got a chance to speak with him after one of the practices. And we asked him about the competition in that room. And I just thought his mindset was really interesting, where he was like, if I am out for a practice or if I take a rep off, the competition is so stiff in this room that I might lose my spot. So he's really playing with a sense of urgency. I know he was very disappointed with how last year played out. Understandably, everyone involved at UCLA was. But he really wanted to right the wrong of last season. And he's playing like it. There's one play that Dean Kennedy has consistently dialed up that we've seen, where they got the three receivers. And then Thomas starts in the backfield. And he leaks out to one side. All the receivers go to the other side. It's a little bit of a misdirection play. And the defense, you think they would know it's coming after having to go up against it so frequently. But that's consistently giving them trouble. And it seems like Thomas either breaks that for a touchdown or has a long touchdown run at least once per practice. And he's done such a good job that that kind of puts Anthony Woods in the shadow a little bit. But he's had a really nice spring camp too. And I've been impressed with him. He seems like that that bigger kind of, if you need an in sheet, he can give it to you. Not that Thomas can't, but I see him more as a short yardage guy just in terms of maybe what he'll be to be number one on the depth chart. Because I could see Thomas starting some games for UCLA. But those guys have been interchangeable so that they can they could kind of both sub out a lot. And Woods has been really good too. And Knight, I mean, he was like you said, so good at James Madison. And I was hoping to see a little bit more from him, but injuries got in the way. So nothing against him with that. But I kind of thought he would be the starter. But after what we've seen so far, those other two guys have really earned it. And then there's some other good running backs behind those guys like Carson. Austin Weber, man. I mean, Cox is a guy coming from Oaks Christian, like a local power and multiple power five offers. So if that's your number four in the hole there, kind of waiting, you got pretty good about the running back room. And we have Wayne Cook on who you may have met at practice since you've been going to UCLA's former UCLA quarterback analyst. He loves Troy Lieber. He will not stop talking about how good Troy Lieber has been on the practice field. So just kind of an embarrassment of riches in the early parts of spring when it comes to this running back room, which I think we're really pleased by man wide receiver room. And you know, Connor, the guy we got to start with. I saw your tweet yesterday where the Brian Row play made one of the best plays you've ever seen in a practice like setting. I've seen the Brian Row catch where he kind of goes backwards, high points the ball, does like a summer salt. He's dipped in the end zone like Odell Beckham Jr. He's making plays out here. This receiver room is fascinating to me because you want to see how many different guys can come in a different skill set. Like you have land in Ellis come in a big body receiver on the outside known for making plays. Listen, he doesn't like in an outburger, but he's a good guy. It seems like outside of that. You got Leland Smith. We haven't seen a whole lot of, but I think just on a like athletic profile, like six foot four, 220, he can move like that on the film. It's very impressive to watch. Aiden Mazzell, you know, coming from Florida, you got all these different guys. Mikey Matthews returning as a slot guy. Talk to me about this receiver room, you know, Connor, and talk to me a little bit about our guy Brian Row because man, he's making some serious plays at practice and appears. He's been the star of the show for the offense so far. That play that you brought up just a tremendous one-handed grab on a throw where there wasn't really a whole lot of loft. It was kind of a rope from Nico and he just hauled it in and that brought out a lot of celebrations. The coaches were like, man, that's just different row. It was really, really impressive play. It happened right in front of me. So you can see it so clearly. But yeah, he's been, he's been really good. And before the spring, I was kind of wondering like, okay, he was in the rotation as a true freshman at South Carolina, which is impressive, but our people may be over-hyping him a little bit, which happens sometimes. Oh, this transfer from the SEC watch out. He's going to do all these great things. I was kind of like, well, I got to see it first. And I certainly have seen it with him. He has serious star potential and I'm really looking forward to seeing what he can do in the Big Ten and then a few of the other guys you mentioned. So Brian Row, he is a smaller receiver and projects to be in the slot, but he can do a little bit of everything. The true slot guy, Samadis Morgan from Michigan has gotten a lot of run during the spring and I've been impressed with him. Landon Ellis has been good as an outside guy so far. Leland Smith, like you said, has been a little bit hurt. So we haven't seen a ton from him. To me, he's the X-Factor because the glaring need on offense for them through these 13 practices, they don't have like a next level outside receiver who you really can trust. And so if Smith turns into that guy, then they'll be very dangerous. Aid Meizel maybe could potentially turn into that guy. I still want to see a little bit more from him, the Florida transfer. But those guys are sort of the group of five who I think are in the mix at the at the top of the depth chart. And then there's some nice players below them who project to be pretty good a few years down the road. Yeah, man, the Brian Roheif is out of this world. I think he was a basketball player in high school too. So he just kind of has that play above the rim at let us is him when it comes to the wide receiver room making plays out there. The tight end room is fascinating. And I saw you as coach the other day, you know, highlights and players that are making plays out there. Shane Rosenthal was one of them. And the other guy he mentioned was Brady Lofton, the Kansas State tight end transfer that's coming in. Noah Flores Fox is kind of making a push in that room too. What have you seen for the tight end room? Because I know we have a lot of bodies in there, but I don't know how the formula is going to play out on the field this year. Do you have any insight on the tight end room as we get closer to the spring game on Saturday? They've made more plays than I was anticipating. It looks like Josh Pfeiffer, the JMU transfer will be the starter. He is almost exclusively a run game player. I think in his career, he has single digit catches. He's not really that much of a threat in the past game. And we've kind of seen that play out in spring practice. But the two guys you mentioned, Brady Lofton and Noah Fox Flores, they absolutely have featured in the past game. And Fox Flores, it seems like he's making a catch at least once per drive with that top group. So he's only a second year guy, but I could see him having a role in the offense for sure. Brady Lofton caught a nice touchdown a few practices to go. So I think those three guys at the top of the depth chart will play. And then one guy to just remember, I don't know if he'll have a big year this year might be in the future, but Stevie Amar from Oaks, Christian, he transferred from... Yeah, he started at BC, didn't play a whole lot there as a true freshman, understandably. Now in his second year, still technically first year for those freshmen, but will be their second year in the fall. And he's popped a little bit. He is a bigger guy, he's a really good athlete. He's kind of more of that receiving tight end as opposed to the Fyfer who's more of that blocking tight end. So I like what I've seen from him as well. And again, I don't know if it's going to be a big role for him this year, but maybe like in the second half of the season, once he gets more experienced under his belt, I just think he has a pretty high ceiling. So he's someone else to pay attention. What I love about FIFER, at least the profile, it looks like he's 260 out there. Is that correct in your opinion? Yeah, bigger guy for sure, and a great leader. They did a really nice job. All the jam you guys that they brought over are all good players for the most part, but the leadership that those guys have brought over has been impressive and FIFER is a big part of that. What I love about FIFER is it's like bringing in another guard or tackle on those run plays where you can just bring in another big body like that. I think I'm a blocking tight end. It's kind of like 245, 250, but 260. That is a big difference between some of the tight ends we have in the roster. So really excited to get Josh FIFER on the team and start making some plays. Offensive line, man. This has been a big issue for a couple of years now, but when you look at the rotations we got going on, I know Sam Eun is just kind of getting back into the swing of things, but they had all Sunbelts guard last year. Riley Robelt taking snaps at center. You know, Hall of Shmit coming in from Boise State. He was a very solid tackle when GT had his near Heisman campaign a few years ago on the ground in terms of rushing the football. Yeah, Carter, Swayze out here. You got Eugene Brooks returning former Oklahoma transfer coming in. What have you seen from the offensive line unit? Because like you said, a lot of JMU players have come in and have made an impact. How are they doing it on the offensive line? I'd say the offensive line is one of the hardest position groups in the spring to assess because guys are moving all over the place, at least with this staff. That's been the case. There hasn't been a whole lot of consistency outside of Riley Rebel at center. And then the guys who have played tackle like Jordan Davis has almost exclusively played left tackle and Hall of Shmit has almost exclusively played right tackle. You kind of think that's where those guys will wind up. But everyone else you mentioned has been moving all around. And of course, it's just not a true game environment. So like they're blocking their guys, but some days it's more of a thud. Other days it's more of the full pad. So tough to get a complete picture went to you can't hit the quarterback. So there's someplace the offensive makes, but it's like, oh, I don't know if the offensive line really held up that well. If this was a real game situation. Tough to say, but I remember I was a little bit uncertain about the USC offensive line a year ago at this time and they pleasantly surprised me. So by no means am I saying UCLA is in trouble on the offensive line. I just don't know about their their tackles. I like Hall of Shmit a lot. I think he's kind of established himself at the right tackle spot. I feel pretty good about the interior of the offensive line, whether it's Riley Rebel at center or Sam Eun one of those guys. They both have a ton of experience and then you have SWEZY Brooks Julian Armella for two guard spots. If you starts at center and then throw a row bell in, you have four guys who you feel pretty good about at the guard spot. And then left tackle, I think is a toss up Jordan Davis has been in and out of spring practice with a shoulder injury. I think he's the guy they brought in to be the starting left tackle from South Alabama. They're familiar with him. He was a Sunbelt player last year. He just wasn't all that great last year at South Alabama. So I think he projects to be that guy. They see something in him. They want him to be the left tackle, but like they don't have a clear like, okay, I feel really good about him at that left tackle spot. We all know that's a really important position. So in terms of the questions that I have about the offense, I think the tackles are probably one of the bigger ones going into the spring game here. Yeah, Davis coming over with over 2000 career snaps to his name. But you know, this is the big 10. This is big boy football now. We got to see how he interacts in that space and Mac Indus dead coming from Eastern Michigan kind of fighting for some of the tackle spots there as well. Connor, let's pivot to the defensive side of the ball. Coach Hichler's area of concern defensive line. And you know, say here West was maybe the crown jewel of this transfer class. When you look at what he did as a true freshman with him is James Madison system and to the schools that were actively recruiting him, Ohio State, Texas A&M in the portal. He chooses to follow his old coach Bob Chesley to Westwood. You got to hear West coming in. You got, you know, Scott Taylor, a guy that's a holdover from last year's roster. Really making plays. He kind of flashed in that USC UCLA game when he blocked the field goal attempts from the USC team, making places an edge. And this is what I'm hearing in practice. He's blowing up some run plays, getting in the backfield, making some noise. I'm here in the defensive tackle room is a little bit up in the air right now and who officially is going to be starting there. But talk to me about your initial thoughts on the D line room because what's here West and Taylor, at least we got our edge duo. It looks like on paper with maybe McCulloch coming back soon from Cal. Yeah, great assessment there. I agree with everything you said. So here West has been, I think the player through 13 practices who has the highest NFL upside that you can see. I know Nico is in that conversation and we'll see with Brian Rowe, but I think to hear West in terms of his body, in terms of his playmaking, in terms of just what he has been able to do in all facets as a leader as well. He just looks the part out there and you can't go practice without him, whether it's deflecting a pass or stuffing a run or getting in on a sack. He just consistently makes plays. So I'm fascinated to see once the fall comes, he's going to get some double teams thrown his way and what else does UCLA have? Well, we'll see. But you mentioned Scott Taylor, who I really like too. I do think UCLA is pretty well stocked at that edge spot. But call is a guy who's just always been hurt. So I like him as a, like his profile, but like, I don't know, he's missed all of spring and we'll see if you can rely on him. Tyson Ford in the middle is that same way where I felt like he was having a really good spring, but he injured his ankle. I think it looked like an ankle injury a couple practices ago and he's been limited since then. He's a guy who started at Notre Dame who you really want to say like, okay, I can see him being out there and having a big role. And I can see what he's doing in practice, but he's been so inconsistent with his injuries. So that spots up in the air. Yeah, they don't really have a stud interior defensive lineman. And as we all know in college football, those guys, if they're transferring, they're really expensive. It's tough to get a premier player at that position. You got to recruit those guys from the high school ranks. So that's why George Toya trending with UCLA right now in 2020. So he's brother. Yeah, that would be a big addition. It's just really hard to get those guys in the fold. So some guys have made some plays like AJ Fuymono who's there last year. I think he's taken a step forward. Darryl Dinegoe who was at JMU two years ago, Rutgers last year, he's popped a little bit, but I don't know if they have an elite elite guy in the middle and sometimes to hear West plays in the middle because he's bigger. So he can help fill that void a little bit, but that's certainly a question mark heading into the season. What can you get from the interior, especially with a pass rush? Chesney's talked a lot about how, hey, I like what we have there, but guys don't really get into the quarterback. Can they take a step forward in fall camp? We'll have to see. Yeah, man. J. Toya, one of my favorites, the UCLA Bruin. And to get his brother in the fold for UCLA would just be amazing just to kind of keep that lineage going. One quick question before we move on. Has Maxwell Roy made any noise at defensive tackle? I mean, you look at that Ohio State transfer because on paper, you're seeing the upside that this guy possesses was a wrestling state champion at the defensive tackle spot. And I mean, you look at that Ohio State defensive line room, just even get an offer there and go there where you have guys like Kate and McDonald getting pick and the Boza brothers and, you know, chase young and these kind of players from that ilk. Has Maxwell Roy made any noises he even practicing right now? What's going on with him? He's practicing. He has pretty consistently been with either the twos or the threes. There was one practice where UCLA did a lot of short yardage work and he was thrown into the fire with the top group during that practice. So I think you could see him as a guy who they could turn to in short yardage situations because of his mass. He's just a big kid. He registered last year at Ohio State, so they don't have to worry about him burning a red shirt. So that's another reason why if it's third inches, you could see him out there. There would be no concern for him burning that red shirt. So he's kind of like Stevie Amar a little bit where I don't know how much he'll play really in the year, but as the season goes on because he has such a high ceiling, I could see him getting in there a little bit more. One thing I do want to see from him, like there's some drills with the defensive lineman kind of backpedal and try to intercept passes. I know that's not their typical thing that they do on the football field, but his athleticism I think could take a step forward. He's not very sweet on his feet right now. He's just a big guy with a ton of potential who I think needs to lock in on some of these fundamentals, get his body right. And once that happens, he could certainly be a very dangerous player for him. Yeah, man. I think the sky is the limit for our guy Maxwell Roy. We're really excited to see what he could do with a little bit more reps, a little bit more coaching up a raw talent right now as he's a younger player. But once he hones in, you know, just some of those tendencies and what this defense is looking to do, I think there's a lot of upside there. Linebacker room. And I mean, like this guy is my favorite player that I've gotten to watch thus far. Oh, my CEO, man. Like this guy just looks like a dude as John Gruden would put it, just a little linebacker in the middle of the defense coming from a top three rushing defense from Oklahoma a year ago. Just I mean, you talk about to here West looking like an NFL guy. Oh, my CEO, he looks like he's got an NFL body, or at least trending that way and what he could potentially do. And in the linebacker room, we're bringing back Jalen Woods. We're bringing back Don if it's below like names, this, you know, fan base is familiar with. We have not seen them in a functioning. Coach Hichler is getting out there to the fan base. Talk to me about the line-back to him, man. I'm really high on Samio, and I'm excited to see what he does this year. Spot on with Samio. He's rarely come off the field, if at all, with the ones during spring camp so far. He not only looks the part, like you said, he does have that NFL body, but he is a very cerebral, intelligent player. He's a really nice guy. He's a great leader. Was he a big team too? That Oakland is unbelievable. Super smart kid. When you look at the transfer rankings on 24-7, UCLA got a few highly ranked guys, but I think he was the second or third ranked linebacker transfer. He's the exact guy outside of like, if you could get an all-SEC linebacker to come play, obviously that would be great. But like, he was a guy who had a role at Oklahoma. He didn't start, I don't think any game last year, but he consistently played like 20 to 30 snaps, and he has one year left. He wants to show that he can take that next step. What a perfect spot to come to UCLA. And from day one, he's shown why he deserves to have more blank time, and he will take that next step here with the Bru. And so I've been super impressed with him as well. He's going to be the mic. I don't see him coming off the field, much if at all. So you're spot on there. And the other two returners have looked pretty good. And then Drew Spinnagati, the transfer from James Madison. He's pretty consistently been with the two group, but he's making a lot of plays. Yesterday, he stripped Jalen Lee, the Iowa State running back transfer. You don't even mention. Yeah. Yeah. That play really stood out to me. I don't know how often he'll be in there because the depth is pretty good at the linebacker spot. If there's an injury, he'll certainly play. But like if everyone's healthy, I could see him being used in certain situations. But I feel pretty good about him. He's very smart. He's a great leader. He has a great nose for the football. He's punched out a lot of balls that we've seen in practice so far. So I kind of like the profile of him as a guy who maybe don't need him when everyone's healthy, but like he's going to fill a role and he's going to make plays when his number gets called. You need guys like that. You do. And Anthony Sakha doing anything. You see the Notre Dame coming from a Marcus Freeman like environment has even out there at all. Because I mean, when you see these schools kind of similar to Maxwell Roy, where it's like, you see the Ohio State Tag as a transfer and you kind of in your mind, get those expectations up that they could be instant contributors to this team. Has Sakha done anything out there? Yeah. So he's more of a tweener. And I think they like him at that Sam Eddresher position like Scott Taylor more than the middle linebacker spot. He's a bigger guy. So that makes sense. They had an injury one guy we forgot to mention with the Eddresher's Aiden Gobera was having a jam. The J. M. You transfer. He got hurt. He'll be a rotational player. So I apologize for leaving him out. But he's been hurt. And Sakha has taken his spot as the true Eddresher on defense. But I think one Gobera is out there. We could see Sakha more as the fan behind Scott Taylor. But certainly he is more in the mix than I was anticipated. And he's one of my spring camp risers for sure. I think he'll have a role on defense in certain situations. I like what I've seen from him. I love him, man. And then Gobera. I mean, you know, you talk about just a crazy journey. He started at Notre Dame, too. You know, had to retire from injuries, came back. You know, was one of the best players at setting the edge of the Sunbelt last year. And I think just having him healthy, you know, fingers crossed. I know he's had his health issues in the past. It would be such a win for this UCLA defense. With Gobera can come back healthy. And we'll save the best for last, in my opinion, man. I think this secondary group, which is ironic for our fans that have fallen since the Chip Kelly era, even in parts of the Deshawn Foster. The secondary has been kind of an Achilles heel of this UCLA football team over the past five, six, seven years. I think it's the deepest position group on the roster. When you get guys like, cow Johnson coming in from a cow winning him led defense. 34 starts to this guy's name. Absolute stud in the safety room. And then you get scooter Jackson coming back. I know he has not been practiced. He has a blade. We don't want to speculate what's going on there until we get an official word. But I mean, this guy was, you know, touring LSU at one point, the transfer portal decided to come back to UCLA. You get Roderick Pleasant, who, you know, is sitting out right now from a guy like Dante Lovett. But Pleasant was all, you know, big 10 honorable mentioned. Like, that's not nothing. And this guy's got wheels for days. Just a large, large group, man. And Robert Stafford's getting some run there. I mentioned Lovett. You know, Tashawn James at the safety spot. Cold Martin talked to me about this room because I feel like we got four to five corners. We could rotate all game, like kind of like pass rushers if we need to be. 100%. The bad thing is scooter Jackson. Like you said, he's not out there right now. He's dealing with some academic issues. So hopefully he'll be able to get that sorted out and can return because when we asked Bob, Justin, early in spring camp, who the impression or who are the guys who've made impressions on him. Jackson was the first name. So that's a shame. But they're so deep a corner like it's okay. Potentially. Obviously, you don't want to miss a guy who's really good. But like they have a good friend. But like they have covered there with Roger Pleasant. Once he gets healthy, he's going to have a starting corner back spot. I can guarantee you that. And if scooter Jackson's on the other side, great because he's been repping a corner a lot during spring camp when he has been out there. He can also play nickel. So we'll kind of see where the chips fall there. But Pleasant will be a starting corner and then you have Don't They Lovett. Lovett. Excuse me. And Robert Stafford, like you said, and maybe Jackson is in the mix. So the competition there is just so great at nickel. DJ Barksdale is doing that. Really nice job. The JMU transfer. He starts his name, man. Like that is not nothing. And all copper's performer last year. Yeah, really, really good football player. Aaron Williams is behind him. A so-cal key. Yep. So I like the depth there. And then in the safety room, I think that's probably where they're the deepest. And you mentioned it. Cole Martin, Taoh Johnson, Tashan James, Ty Lee, Logan Highways, a true freshman who's been getting some reps with the title. And reps with the top group. They just really have that position. Just a lot of really good players. And I think Colin Hichler, that's kind of his specialty. So it's been nice to see those safeties have a lot of make a lot of nice plays. Anthony D. Michelle, the CFD's coach is another rising star, I think, in the coaching profession. And I'd have pretty high expectations for that group. If I was a UCLA fan, I think it's deserved. Man, well, Connor, you've been more than gracious with your time, man. You're so honored to have you on. Man, just promise me one thing. This isn't the last time you're coming on. We had over 100 people in here at one time coming out to see the great Connor Moore set put in work right here. Please tell me to say the last time you're coming on, bro. Yeah. Hey, anytime, man. I'm happy to do it. Well, this is awesome. Man, we are so thrilled to have you guys on. Make sure to check it out. You guys use that promo code. Well, guys, it has been a lot of fun. We need you guys out there at the spring game on Saturday, 18,000 RSVPs as a currently stands Connor. That is a far cry from what has been the recent memory of the UCLA, not only spring games, but games itself at the Rose Bowl. So a lot of great stuff coming on. Thanks again to my main man, Connor Moore set coming on. We'll be back guys after the spring game to recap everything. Four is up forever, ladies and gents. At California Closets, we designed for the little things. Take this moment of a family getting ready to leave the house. Where's my backpack? Mom, I need my cleats. I pull it was right here. If I trip over these shoes one more time. And now the California Closets version of that moment. Entryway and home storage solutions by designers who get you California Closets. More room for what matters. The finals are here and you can trade the entire series on Calchi. San Antonio is currently trading at 46% to win it all, meaning a $100 trade pays out 209 if they went on Calchi. Calchi, you're trading in a live market, meaning no house or odds makers. For a limited time, download the Calchi app used called hard to get $10 when you trade 10. Trading involves risk. Values and markets may differ from those mentioned. For more, see Calchi.com slash regulatory. Calchi, trade on anything. If you like the show, please take a moment to rate, review and subscribe. It really does help the show to grow. Thank you for listening. Show notes: Will & Jamal are joined by 247 Sports's Connor Morrissette who covers UCLA Football and lays out who has impressed him, his thoughts on Chesney, and his expectations for this Saturday's Spring Football Game