As the 2022 season began, the Bruins were being judged by their peers.
Athlon Sports spoke to several coaches at the Pac-12 who have agreed to be anonymously quoted regarding their conference opponents heading into the fall. UCLA football was one of the talking points, from overall leadership of the program to quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson and coach Chip Kelly.
Most coaches spoke out about the general confusion surrounding Kelly, both on and off the field. There have been many questions — some judgmental and others honest — about his ability to adapt to a changing college football landscape.
Recruitment was also discussed, with some trainers unnerved by the staff’s decision to offer so few prospects and build such small classes. Perhaps the most damning statement of all, however, was that UCLA missed its chance to take over college football in Los Angeles while USC was out for the count.
Thompson-Robinson, on the other hand, has received some praise for his high ceiling, and he seems to have earnest defenders and supporters throughout the conference.
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Here are all the quotes Athlon Sports shared regarding UCLA’s upcoming season:
“A very difficult program to read from the outside. Are all those involved in the school really striving to be elite in football? You hear stories that they’re always halfway there, or they’re not on the same page.”
“The problem with Chip [Kelly] is that everyone is doing what Chip did to become a famous innovator, at least on the field. But where he really shined, what made him different, was all that behind-the-scenes stuff. Sleep studies and exercise structures and when to go light and how to train for speed. Are they that innovative?”
“DTR [Dorian Thompson-Robinson] is a damn talent. He was sometimes wrongly slandered. But he’s got a hell of a ceiling. If he has a hot hand, they can run with anyone and set them on fire.”
“Many coaches have noticed that UCLA has been very reluctant to recruit. It’s almost as if Chip brought more of an NFL scouting mentality back into college recruiting, and that just won’t work. They still have holes in their list and that’s because they’re not as aggressive as they need to be.”
“They missed the window to make significant moves in LA after USC hired new employees.”
“We’ve all been waiting for Chip to unveil some kind of version 2.0, some kind of new thing that changes the game as much as they did in Oregon, and maybe that’s not going to happen. Maybe they’re just a good program with a reasonable expectation for wins. But that’s not how they sold it when he got there.
For quotes on each team in the conference, see Athlon Sports’ full compilation released Thursday.
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