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UCLA football coach Bob Chesney’s players must constantly make grade
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- UCLA football coach Bob Chesney’s players must constantly make grade
Playing for new UCLA football coach Bob Chesney means always being at your best.
Or at least trying to be.
Almost everything besides players' facial expressions when they enter the practice facility is graded.
UCLA's Scott Taylor (20) has embraced coach Bob Chesney's attention to detail. "Nothing is too small for him," Taylor said of his coach. Getty Images
Every repetition in the weight room. Every rep on the field. Every test in the winter to learn the scheme.
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It's all part of Chesney's attention to detail , down to the cleaning of lockers and the weight room. That's graded, too.
"There's nothing too small for him," hybrid edge rusher-linebacker Scott Taylor said Thursday. "Everything is scored and everything is measured, and being able to track everything, it's a lot of clarity and helps you know where you stand, and you're not confused on where you land."
Some scores are posted in the locker room and weight room. Others are sent to players on their phones. Taylor, who's usually toward the top of the leaderboards, said he's not stricken by a jolt of fear whenever those scores pop into his phone.
"I guess at the beginning it could be anxiety-provoking for some people," Taylor said, "but when you just breed competition into your everyday life, then it becomes something that you look forward to and not fear or stress about, so it's nice to live with that competition every day."
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Here are five observations from the Bruins' 10th spring practice:
Playing with an edge
Perhaps the most visible sign of Taylor's growth is his massive arms.
He's gone from 233 pounds as a freshman to 245 this spring, saying most of the extra weight came naturally.
"It's been all good weight," he said. "I got faster, so I can't complain."
The supersizing of one of the Bruins' top defenders should help his transition to a dual role in which he plays some on the edge and some at linebacker. During spring practices, he's often lined up opposite star edge rusher Sahir West, giving UCLA a pair of dynamic pass rushers.
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"I like being versatile, it's one of the things that I think I'm great at, and I really pride myself on being able to do multiple things," said Taylor, who made 12 tackles, forced a fumble and blocked a kick last season. "Being able to line up off the edge, pass rush and then in heavier sets come off from behind the ball, that really plays to my skill set."
UCLA football coach Bob Chesney has helped assemble "the fastest offense" many players have been around. Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Run, Bruins, run
After going from California 's leading rusher as a sophomore to part of a run game that seemed stuck in slow motion during his first season as a Bruin, Jaivian Thomas wants to get back to speed.
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Given what he sees around him this spring, he's in the right place.
"I feel like it's probably the fastest offense I've been around," said Thomas, who ran for 294 yards and one touchdown last season while averaging 3.6 yards per carry.
Thomas ticked off several reasons for optimism in the run game, including an improved offensive line and transfer running back Wayne Knight 's unselfishness. In the offseason, Knight taught the other running backs drills to help with their balance.
"He wants to improve the [running backs] room," Thomas said of the newcomer from James Madison. "Like, he's not just looking to be here and come in and be the guy and be selfish — he wants to be the guy, but at the same time he wants to help the guys around him."
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Hut, hut, yikes!
Snaps were a universal issue during one goal-line portion of practice.
All three centers struggled to make clean snaps, with one going off quarterback Nico Iamaleava's hands and over his head.
The snapping blunders prevented the first, second and third teams from scoring after each unit was given three downs from the 5-yard line.
Friday night lights
The Bruins will hold an hourlong evening practice Friday as part of a coaching clinic.
The team has invited 175 high school coaches — including 30 head coaches — from California, Arizona and Virginia . The event will start with explanations of coaching schemes and will also feature position group breakouts, including suggested practice drills.
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"So not only a clinic on the board but then a clinic with exactly what we said, then we come out and do it," Chesney said, "and I think it adds a lot of value to them being able to leave with information that can help their teams."
This and that
Center Sam Yoon , who had been sidelined by an undisclosed injury, made his spring debut and worked with the second unit during the portion of practice open to reporters. … Backup kicker Mateo Orosco, given all the reps early in practice, made 4 of 5 field goals, with a long of 40 yards.
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