UCLA’s receiver room is deep enough that the conversation may soon shift from who can play to who gets the snaps.
That’s a nice problem to have, especially after a season that has already forced the Bruins to shuffle pieces around because of injuries. The wideout group has taken hits, but the setbacks haven’t looked like long-term issues, and UCLA should be back to a fully healthy unit within the next week or two if no one else goes down in the meantime.
Mikey Matthews had been taking a healthy chunk of the workload before a lower-body injury limited him to just a quarter over the last two weeks. Landon Ellis left early in Week One with a head injury and only recently made it back against Purdue. Even Brian Rowe, who has been one of the steadier options, has had to come out of games for short stretches after getting shaken up.
Those absences opened the door for other receivers to grab real opportunities, and a few have done exactly that. Semaj Morgan has turned into a key part of the offense over the last two weeks after his role expanded with Matthews out. Leland Smith also delivered in a big way late against Purdue.
That leaves Bob Chesney and Dean Kennedy with an interesting decision once the full group is available again. Ellis, Rowe and Matthews looked like the top three to open the season, but Morgan’s recent production makes it hard to imagine simply pushing him back into the background.
There’s also the matter of timing and trust with Nico Iamaleava. Morgan and Rowe have both benefited from more time on the field, and that has helped build chemistry with the quarterback. Over the last two weeks, Morgan has clearly become a dependable option for Iamaleava, while Rowe has remained one of the most consistent receivers on the roster this season.
As the schedule gets tougher, availability may end up mattering more than anything else for this group. UCLA’s depth is a strength, but Iamaleava’s growth will be tied to having a dependable set of targets instead of a rotating cast from week to week.
Depth helps. Consistency might matter even more.
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Marylands Biggest Problem Isnt Fixed Yet Ahead Of UCLA
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Now the challenge gets even sharper with UCLA coming in for the Big Ten opener. Maryland is also dealing with injuries at running back, which has pushed the offense toward short perimeter throws and RPO looks, but that adjustment has to hold up against a Bruins team built around a strong rushing attack. [Read more 🡒]
UCLA's New Schedule Puts Early Pressure On A Roster Still Coming Together
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The Bruins will be asking a lot of new faces right away, including projected starting center Xavier Booker, whose role figures to be central as the season unfolds. Games like these tend to reveal a teams progress faster than almost anything else, and UCLAs upcoming slate leaves little room to ease into that process. With tough stretches built into the schedule, the early months could say plenty about how quickly this group can come together. [Read more 🡒]