LOS ANGELES —Throughout the UCLA’s football team’s practices this spring, Bob Chesney has said the Bruins’ defense would be a bit ahead of the offense because of the nature of implementing schemes.
On Thursday, during UCLA’s 10th spring practice of the year, Chesney’s reminder rang true as the defense dominated the day with a strong physical effort from start to finish.
As the spring progresses, UCLA’s new-look defensive line unit continues to shine.
Off the edge, James Madison transfer Sahir West and sophomore Scott Taylor have had a hot start to the spring and continue to prove themselves among the top players on the roster.
Ohio State transfer Maxwell Roy and Texas Tech transfer Amier Washington made their presence felt along the interior defensive line.
The development of Taylor
A local product out of Loyola High, Taylor worked his way into the rotation last season as a true freshman. He produced 12 tackles and one forced fumble.
After Chesney was hired away from JMU in December, Taylor elected to stay at UCLA instead of hitting the transfer portal.
It’s a move that has seemingly begun to pay off as teammates and coaches rave about his talent and leadership abilities.
For most of the spring, Taylor has been working with the first-team defense. He’s one of the youngest players on the field, not evident by the way he plays.
The 6-foot-4, 235-pound sophomore lines up everywhere on the field from edge rusher to linebacker, his versatility a source of pride.
“It’s the best,” Taylor said about playing in a hybrid role. “It’s been great. I like being versatile. It’s one of the things I think I’m great at. I really pride myself on being able to do multiple things.”
Taylor has been lining up opposite of West during most team periods. The two do-it-all defenders have been dominant during the media viewing portions of practice and are part of the reason why the defensive line has looked sharp this spring.
“Sahir’s been great, we’ve been lining up on opposite sides of each other unless it’s third-down packages, but getting to know him, we’re starting to bond and get better at our pick games,” Taylor said. “That relationship is definitely growing. It’s been great to meet him and all the other transfers as well.”
Chemistry brewing
Senior quarterback Nico Iamaleava’s connection with JMU transfer Landon Ellis has been growing and during an early team period it was on full display.
Ellis was the top receiver at JMU last season, hauling in 36 receptions for 624 yards and five touchdowns. He comes to UCLA as a big part of their revamped wide receiver room that features six newcomers.
The Bruins’ offense did not have the best start to practice. The first-team period saw the offense produce three bad snaps, each to a different quarterback.
Working without JMU transfer running back Wayne Knight, who was limited for the second practice in a row, the Bruins’ running backs struggled to score near the red zone .
West made life hard for the Bruins’ run game and was disrupting the flow of their pass attack. Whether it’s with a hand in the dirt or standing up off the edge, he has emerged as a true game-wrecker this spring.
After practice, running back Jaivian Thomas spoke about what the culture of UCLA’s running back room has looked like after Chesney retained running back coach AJ Steward.
Steward, along with nickels coach Gabe Lynn, are the lone holdovers from former coach Deshaun Foster’s staff.
“It started with Coach AJ. It’s just the type of guy he is, he brings that culture to the room. The guys already in the room, we knew a lot about each other. And we brought in two guys, Wayne and (Dylan Lee), and we made them comfortable as soon as they got here,” Thomas said. “We want to get better at the same time. So we’re gonna push you to be the best you can, so you can push us to be the best we can.”