It’s an inevitability on par with soaring fan interest in a new coach.
Sure enough, UCLA coach Bob Chesney said he sensed that decline Tuesday morning.
“I thought on defense we did not,” Chesney said, “on offense we probably slowed down just a little bit – I didn’t feel a dip from the group, which was great, but usually right around now is when that starts to happen.”
The important thing, Chesney said, was that his players fought through the doldrums.
“I didn’t see many steps backward from anybody today, I just saw that there was just a little bit of a lull in what they were bringing [compared to] the other days,” Chesney said. “We’ll check the GPS stuff and see how the volume and intensity and everything was physiologically, but to me it just felt like a little bit of a dip.”
Anthony Woods made several nice cuts during one run. Jaivian Thomas unleashed an impressive burst of speed on another run that ended in a touchdown.
They were the sort of plays that each running back struggled to make with regularity a year ago.
Chesney said he wouldn’t simply shrug off the problems that plagued the group last year as it tries to take a major step forward in 2026.
“Well, it always matters,” Chesney said when asked if he considered the past, “where has their production been, that’s where you start to figure out who you are – are you more downhill with your shoulders square, can you stretch it a little bit more mid-zone-ish and put your foot in the ground or do you have run more behind your pads and be more of a power-type guy and get into more of the gap-scheme stuff?
“So everybody has their pluses and minuses, everybody has things they’re really, really elite at and then things that they’re a little mediocre at and I think our job every day is to make sure we’re taking that mediocre and turning it into good and then eventually great and then playing to their strengths.”
The group has been significantly bolstered by the arrival of James Madison transfer Wayne Knight and the expected emergence of redshirt freshman Karson Cox, making it what Chesney has labeled one of the stronger positions on the team.
On this team, it doesn’t matter if you’re the star quarterback or a third-string defensive back – you’re going to get plenty of pointers from Chesney.
The coach spent a minute or so speaking with Mateo Orosco on Tuesday after the backup kicker missed a couple of field goals. Chesney even went so far as to mimic the proper form.
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“I just thought his first jab step was a little bit off line,” Chesney said, “so I think then his second step pulled him a little bit to the left which made him overstep it on the right, which blocked him and pushed him a little bit.
“But he missed the same kick twice and I thought it’s not through his swing – it all looks good, everything looks good – I think he just has to, with that initial step, had to make up some ground, which left him a little bit tight to not be able to come through.”
Defensive back Robert Stafford III made one of the top plays of practice when he snagged an interception on a pass thrown by quarterback Nico Iamaleava.
Chesney suggested that Stafford was only starting to show his potential.
“There’s a couple of plays he’s just got to get involved in a little bit more physically,” Chesney said, “but ultimately his skill set – the last time in the red zone too, going back to those seven on sevens and the things we did down here – he’s been really sticky in coverage and done a really nice job. I think he’s starting to click with his playbook and understand it and that’s kind of where everybody is at this stage too.”
Chesney said he’s been pleased by the passion he’s witnessed by returning guard Julian Armella.
“He’s obviously got to harness that the right way,” Chesney said of a player who was plagued by penalties last season. “I’m sure there’s moments where when you play with that much emotion and passion it could tip over. But I’ve really been impressed with that [passion] part of it. He uplifts a lot of people when he’s out there. There’s never a moment where he’s just out here and it’s not important to him — it’s all important to him, and I think that’s infectious.”
Chesney said defensive back Scooter Jackson was not available to practice Tuesday for unspecified reasons but should return for Thursday’s session. … Offensive tackle Jordan Davis is recovering from a shoulder injury that is expected to sideline him until later in the week. …
Nine reporters showed up to cover practice Tuesday – triple the amount that sometimes was on hand in past years. …
UCLA replaced a smiling bear at the center of its practice field with the school’s four letters in cursive script.
“I like the bear,” Chesney said with a laugh when asked about the switch. “I think it was something that was eating up the grass a little bit, you know, and when you put that much paint on that, it just became a little something that you want to make sure you take care of it a little bit better. So this opens it up. We’ll go back and then we’ll flip back and forth.”
