COSTA MESA — UCLA football defensive back Key Lawrence did not appear during the media watching period for the fourth consecutive practice after suffering an undisclosed leg injury Saturday.
And while coach DeShaun Foster has said Lawrence, an Ole Miss transfer, “is fine,” another Bruin has stepped up in his place in the secondary.
Scooter Jackson, a junior Utah Tech transfer, emerged alongside redshirt junior Croix Stewart as the other starting safety during first-team walkthrough reps.
“Scooter’s doing a good job,” Foster said Wednesday of Jackson, who tallied 37 tackles, one interception and five pass breakups a year ago. “You guys have seen him a little bit more since Key went down, but he’s – everybody’s just taking advantage of the reps that they’re getting. And that’s the only thing you can do in fall camp, continue to take advantage of the reps as you move and just let it play out.”
During walkthroughs the media could watch Wednesday, Jackson made a nifty play over the center of the end zone to stop a potential touchdown pass from quarterback Nico Iamaleava between two wide receiver targets.
Plays like that had sophomore wide receiver Kwazi Gilmer on notice. When asked Wednesday about who was making an impact in the secondary this summer, Jackson’s name was the first out of Gilmer’s mouth.
“Scooter Jackson, Cole Martin, I like both corners,” Gilmer said. “[Robert Stafford III and Rodrick Pleasant]. Rod’s very fast, so get that separation on him. … We got good secondary for real.”
Either way, the secondary group has plenty of room to improve with new faces abundant in the room that gave up almost 250 passing yards per game last year and ranked in the lowest quadrant of the FBS in 2024.
Offensive line set?
The group of five offensive linemen who have appeared more regularly in the latter stages of fall camp appears likely to be the starting group.
Foster said Wednesday that he had a “pretty good assessment” of who the five starting offensive linemen were. Here is how UCLA has lined up in first-team walkthrough reps in recent practices.
Left tackle: Redshirt senior Courtland Ford (Kentucky transfer).
Left guard: redshirt freshman Eugene Brooks (Oklahoma transfer).
Center: redshirt senior Oluwafunto Akinshilo.
Right guard: redshirt junior Julian Armella (Florida State transfer).
Right tackle: redshirt senior Garrett DiGiorgio.
DiGiorgio would be the only returning starting lineman from last year’s roster, with Akinshilo replacing redshirt junior Sam Yoon – who is not injured and participating at camp – at center.
Every lineman besides Akinshilo has played in an FBS game, while Ford, who transferred to Kentucky after three seasons at USC, is the only other lineman who has started in his Division I career.
“I just really like what our O-line is doing, you know, no one’s complaining, they’re excited about their opportunity,” Foster said Wednesday, adding that he’s still figuring out the 12-deep at the position. “You know, you might be at one position in one period, the next you’re in another and they’re just trying to make strides and continue to improve.”
Camp notes
Thursday’s media viewing period was the shortest of UCLA football’s Costa Mesa camp so far. UCLA held the press corps to watching team stretches for just eight minutes.
Saturday will be the final training camp day in Orange County before the team returns to Westwood, where the Spaulding Field renovation is still ongoing.