NFL
By: Brock Vierra
When D’Anton Lynn traded Westwood for University Park, it sparked irritation for the Bruins. Already disgruntled with Chip Kelly, UCLA will now enter 2024 without their trusted defensive coordinator and several defensive pillars including expected top 10 NFL Draft pick, Laiatu Latu. However, there might be a cheap solution that would set up the Bruins up for instant success as they begin their inaugural year in the Big 10.
With the Los Angeles Chargers electing to fire their defensive-minded head coach Brandon Staley, it would be a match made in heaven. Staley comes from a college background, he’s a knowledgeable coordinator and unless he returns to the Rams, UCLA would allow him to keep his family in the Los Angeles area which would align with his personal goals.
He brings a Vic Fangio style of nickel/ 3-4 defense that has greatly improved over his three years with the Chargers and should Chip Kelly be given his walking papers, Staley could be the solution to their long-standing problem of not being consistently competitive. Also with a year left on his deal with the Chargers, UCLA could get him for cheap.
UCLA goes as their defense takes them
Let it not be mistaken. UCLA has been an offensive-driven team since I started watching college football. From DeShaun Foster and Maurice Jones-Drew to Brett Hundley and Dorian Thompson-Robinson, the Bruins have sent their fair share of offensive playmakers to the NFL. Despite a slew of offensive standouts, UCLA also has an underrated list of defensive players who have made an impact at the NFL level. Players like Kenny Easley, Eric Kendricks, Anthony Barr, and Darnay Holmes came from UCLA. J
And with expected top-ten pick Laiatu Latu leaving for the NFL as well, Kelly is going to need a coach to manage and rebuild their defense. Now UCLA needed their defense in 2023. Despite a bunch of highly touted offensive transfers and the recruitment of 5-star QB Dante Moore, UCLA’s offense struggled. In UCLA’s 5 losses this year, they averaged 11 points per game. That will not happen in 2024.
In their 8 wins, UCLA put up 36.1 points per game. In those wins, UCLA gave up 14 points per game. That’s a 22-point differential. In fact, in 13 games, UCLA’s defense held teams under 21 points in 9 different contests. With a move to the Big 10 where points will be at a premium, the defense needs to be a number one priority.
How will Staley help
Staley will help immediately in three ways. Defensive scheme, recruiting, and acquiring young coaching talent. From a scheme standpoint, I know people are looking at me sideways due to his track record with the Chargers and I understand the skepticism. Let me say this. When he was with the Rams, the Rams defense was one of the most statistically successful teams in the NFL and the Rams made the postseason with him as DC. The Rams held opponents to 20 or less points in 9 games. They also held Seattle to 20 points in their road Wild Card playoff win.
Why didn’t Staley’s defense work out with the Chargers? He never had a true CB1 like he had with Jalen Ramsey with the Rams as J.C. Jackson never panned out. Kenneth Murray struggled to transition from 4-3 OLB to 3-4 MLB, allowing him to constantly get beat in coverage and the Chargers suffered a bunch of injuries. With the transfer portal, Staley will be able to get his guys.
And that leads us into recruiting. UCLA has a long history of constantly being on the final list of many top recruits and few if any chose UCLA. Staley changes that. Players want to play for coaches with NFL experience because they see it as a gateway to the league. Staley still has many connections within the NFL and front offices will value his opinion on his players. Staley also schemes up a desirable defense that lets players be aggressive and play close to the line of scrimmage.
Staley is also very close to Sean McVay. McVay has a whole host of coaches who are looking for promotions and opportunities. UCLA yearly has many positional openings so for young coaches, having a coach like Staley to teach you while remaining in LA as your career progresses is a desirable thing. Plus McVay loves to let coaches develop before rehiring them for high-level positions. That’s a great tool to have.
The prediction
I expect UCLA to average around 23-26 points a game in 2024. They need a defense that can handle the run-heavy offenses that UCLA will face. Staley is a cheap option who can bring in the players to handle those big boys in the trenches. Staley will implement high-level schemes that college offensive coordinators aren’t used to and won’t be able to teach their players how to exploit. It’s time for UCLA to get ahead of the curve because Lynn opened the door. Now it’s time to step through it.
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