LOS ANGELES — Despite adding 55 newcomers to its roster less than six months ago, the UCLA football team has quickly developed a family environment among its players.
Just ask senior wide receiver Landon Ellis, who spoke Thursday after the Bruins’ seventh spring practice.
Ellis, a James Madison transfer, believes UCLA brought in the right type of players to be competitive in the Big Ten Conference this upcoming season.
“I think we have everything. If you look in the receiver room, you got every skill set you could ask for. Same with the running backs, we’re deep at (offensive line), deep at tight end,” Ellis said. “It’s Amazon, we got everything you need.”
Working with the first-team offense, Ellis was joined by Michigan transfer Semaj Morgan and South Carolina transfer Brian Rowe at wide receiver.
The latter has made a name for himself this spring as coaches and players have taken note of his elite athleticism and work ethic.
“Brian is a freak athlete. He’s one of those guys who can run all day long and jump however high he wants to. Acrobat is how I’d describe him,” Ellis said.
Rowe showed off his talent during a team period when he snagged a one-handed grab, juked out a defender, and scored all in one play.
That type of excitement is something that has been missing in the Bruins’ wide receiver room the past few seasons.
Defense flips the switch
The first team period of the day saw the offense come out blazing. Senior quarterback Nico Iamaleava got into a quick rhythm by completing his first few passes before a defensive holding call pushed the Bruins’ offense into the red zone.
Unhappy with the effort he was seeing, defensive coordinator Colin Hitschler called for a quick pause in the action to chew out his unit. Hitschler could be heard from the opposing sideline demanding a better effort from the defense and he got it.
With their backs against the wall, all three levels of the Bruins’ defense stepped up and didn’t allow the offense to score in what was a huge morale-boosting moment. As the first-team offense jogged off the field, Iamaleava told the offense that they had to “kill the pre-snap mistakes.”
“Coach Hitschler is a guy,” linebacker Sammy Omosigho said. “He just expects the best out of everybody. That’s one thing I really enjoy and cherish him for … he takes no plays off, I don’t know how he sees everything but he does. That level of detail is really what you need to take the next step to be a great defense. Not just a good one, a great one.”
A couple of plays into the ensuing drive, quarterback Madden Iamaleava threw an interception to linebacker Donavyn Pellot, ending the team period on a high note for UCLA’s defense.
Earning a leadership role
Since arriving in Westwood as a transfer from Oklahoma, Omosigho has stood out from his peers.
Not because of his hulking 6-foot-1, 235-pound frame, but because of the type of leader he has worked to become.
After accumulating 97 tackles in three seasons at Oklahoma, Omosigho took a leap of faith and entered the transfer portal, looking for more opportunities to showcase who he is as a player.
At UCLA, he’s found a place where he can be himself and still compete at the highest level.
“I just try to be a genuine guy. From the first day I got here, I’ve been trying to be genuine, trying to elevate, trying to show I work hard. It’s hard to listen to someone who doesn’t work hard, so I try to show that I work hard day in and day out,” Omosigho said.