UCLA football breakdown: How the Bruins look at the skill positions
UCLA’s offensive skill players didn’t appear to meet expectations as a result of some of the inconsistency at the quarterback position throughout the season, but the Bruins could benefit from having several of those players return.
Wide receiver J.Michael Sturdivant may not have met expectations in terms of production in his first season in Westwood, but he showed promise that he can be a true No. 1 receiver for the Bruins in 2024. He bookended the year with 130-plus yard receiving games against Coastal Carolina (136 yards, one touchdown) and Boise State (142 yards, one touchdown).
Receiver Logan Loya took advantage of his opportunities and started seven of the 13 games to become the Bruins’ leading receiver (59 catches, 655 yards and five touchdowns) while opposing defenses assigned their top cornerback to cover Sturdivant.
Kam Brown, who started a majority of games in each of the past two seasons since he arrived from Texas A&M, is one of the more significant losses in the receiver room after he decided to re-enter the transfer portal and commit to Purdue.
The UCLA offense will benefit from having running back T.J. Harden in the backfield again next season. He had 827 yards and eight touchdowns on 156 carries. The sophomore shared the backfield with Ball State transfer Carson Steele, who finished as the team’s leading rusher. Steele has declared for the NFL draft after producing 847 yards and six touchdowns on 167 carries.
Running back Anthony Adkins will return for a second season after transferring from Navy and could serve as the primary backup behind Harden. He had 30 carries for 178 yards and a touchdown in 11 games played.
The tight end room saw one of the biggest departures on offense. Carsen Ryan entered the transfer portal and decided to return to his home state in committing to Utah. Tight end Moliki Matavao returns after finishing as the Bruins’ third-leading receiver. He had 14 catches for 283 yards and two touchdowns.
Here’s a full breakdown of UCLA’s skilled positions entering spring ball, the second in a six-part series by the Southern California News Group examining the post-portal outlook for every part of the roster.
WR/RB/TE
Returning: So. RB T.J. Harden, R-So. WR J.Michael Sturdivant, Sr. WR Logan Loya, Jr. TE Moliki Matavao, Sr. TE Hudson Habermehl
Arriving: Fr. WR Rico Flores Jr. (transfer, Notre Dame), True Fr. WR Kwazi Gilmer, True Fr. RB Cameron Jones
Departing: Jr. RB Carson Steele (NFL draft), So. TE Carsen Ryan (transfer, Utah), Sr. WR Kam Brown (transfer, Purdue), Sr. WR/RB Keegan Jones (transfer, UConn), R-Sr. RB Colson Yankoff (6th-year player)
Top question
Could the Bruins return to being a high-scoring offense? Considering the experienced talent returning at these positions and the possibility of having quarterback Ethan Garbers properly serve as the starting quarterback throughout the season, the offense can gain momentum and further build on any chemistry from this past season. Kelly’s offense saw its biggest decline in production for the first time since 2019, scoring just 26.46 points per game and averaging 427 yards per game.
The group X-factor
Titus Mokiao-Atimalala. The junior receiver never saw the field in 2023 after starting three of 13 games in 2022. The Central Florida transfer was spotted participating in practice several times throughout the season, but there was never any clarification on whether he was dealing with a significant injury or if there was a decision made to redshirt. The receiver room was crowded and loaded with talent, so his services may not have necessarily been needed this season with Loya and Sturdivant leading the group in on-field production. Mokiao-Atimalala should be back healthy and in line to compete for significant time this upcoming season.