Thursday, March 28

Football’s offensive line forms bonds with help of returning players


Redshirt junior Jake Burton played in every game for UCLA football in 2018. Burton has played a total of 17 games across his first three seasons in Westwood. (Tanmay Shankar/Assistant Photo editor)


Following a summer spent together as a unit, the Bruins’ offensive line believes it has the chemistry both on and off the field to take the next step this season.

“The cool thing about this group of guys is we’re all so close now,” said redshirt junior Jake Burton. “Last year we were still trying to figure stuff out, but one of our biggest advantages this year is going to (be having) all of us together as one.”

Burton said the offensive line made it a point to spend more time together this offseason, whether it was by hanging out in Westwood or meeting up at an apartment to watch the NBA Playoffs.

UCLA football finished the 2018 campaign ranked eighth in the Pac-12 in rushing yards per game and total rushing touchdowns behind its offensive line, despite a late-season surge that catapulted redshirt senior running back Joshua Kelley into the top-five in both categories individually.

Burton, who has been pegged as the leader of the offensive line, said that while he’s been doing his part as a respected veteran to help the unit improve, he has received plenty of help from a number of his teammates.

“(Being a leader) just entails pushing the guys, but to be honest, it’s not just me,” Burton said. “All of us (senior Boss Tagaloa, sophomore Christaphany Murray, redshirt junior Michael Alves and redhsirt sophomore Sam Marrazzo), we’re all trying to have the same goal and we all realize what it takes to do that. Being one of the older guys, one of the main things I’ve attempted to do is to (say) how good we can be if we keep stacking good days on good days.”

The Bruins are also expected to have quality depth up front between redshirt freshmen Alec Anderson and Jon Gaines, as well as the new freshman class headlined by four-star recruit Sean Rhyan.

Gaines said he has been impressed with how fast the true freshmen have grasped the offense since their arrival earlier this year.

“We were really good at getting the freshmen acclimated really quickly,” Gaines said. “One thing that I really love is how the freshmen came in with an open mind and we all got them going really quick and our in-summer stuff, it’s really starting to show during camp now.”

Gaines also gave high praise to offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Justin Frye for his work with the unit up to this point and added that Frye was a big part in his own decision to come from Milwaukee, as a recruit two years ago.

“I think (Frye is) honestly the best coach in the country,” Gaines said. “He is probably the most honest person you’ll ever meet and that’s something I really wanted because in recruiting, there’s a lot of fluff, a lot of stuff that might not be the most honest and just meeting somebody like coach Frye it adds a different element to it.”

Frye – who was named the team’s offensive coordinator in December – will make his debut in less than 10 days when UCLA visits Cincinnati on August 29.

Alumnus

Smith joined the Bruin as a freshman in 2016 and contributed until he graduated in 2020. He was the Sports editor for the 2018-2019 academic year, an assistant Sports editor for the 2017-2018 academic year and spent time on the football, men's basketball, women's basketball, men's water polo, baseball, men's golf and women's golf beats.


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