As some programs choose to remain secretive with their depth chart, UCLA released its first official two-deep Monday night ahead of the weekend’s season-opener against Bowling Green.
Keegan Jones was officially tabbed the No. 2 running back behind star Zach Charbonnet. The Bruins are looking to replace key reserve and complementary back Brittain Brown, who ran for 615 yards and scored 7 touchdowns on 102 carries last season.
Jones, a redshirt junior with 139 career rushing yards, beat out redshirt freshman Deshun Murrell, who was hampered with an undisclosed injury midway through fall camp before returning to the field for the final week.
Along the offensive line, Garrett DiGiorgio will start at right tackle. The redshirt freshman, who started one contest at the position last year, will join an experienced group that includes redshirt senior left tackle and Rutgers transfer Raiqwon O’Neal, redshirt senior left guard Atonio Mafi, senior center Duke Clemens and senior right guard Jon Gaines II.
Defensively, edge rushers and North Texas transfers Gabriel and Grayson Murphy are listed 1-2, respectively, at one spot opposite Bo Calvert.
In a bit of a surprise, Harvard transfer Jacob Sykes will back up fellow redshirt senior Martin Andrus Jr. at one of the defensive tackle positions. Jay Toia will start at the other tackle.
The thinnest group will be the linebackers. Middle linebacker Darius Muasau, a Hawaii transfer, will be flanked by Kain Medrano and JonJon Vaughns. Between backups Shea Pitts, Carson Schwesinger and Choé Bryant-Strother, only Pitts has had somewhat extensive experience in a reserve role since joining the program in 2017.
In the secondary, Wyoming transfer Azizi Hearn will join sophomore Devin Kirkwood as the starting cornerbacks, while redshirt seniors Stephan Blaylock and Mo Osling III are the first-team safeties.
On special teams, Nicholas Barr-Mira will handle both placekicking and punting duties. He held off freshman Chase Barry, who handled the bulk of the punts early in Monday’s practice.
Jake Bobo won’t just be the No. 1 receiver target for quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson. The Duke transfer also edged out Logan Loya for punt return duties. Speedster Kazmeir Allen will handle kick returns.
