Bruins are looking to shore up their pass protection
The UCLA offensive line will need to show some improvement after the position group took a step back from what it has been in recent years in Westwood.
Chip Kelly’s front line was once considered a strength of the program, with the group being named a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award, awarded annually to the best collegiate football offensive line unit, back in 2022.
There was enough quality depth at the position that the Bruins employed whole hockey-style rotations.
The 2023 season had just two returning starters with right tackle Garrett DiGiorgio and center Duke Clemens. Josh Carlin became a first-year starter at right guard after playing 28 games as a reserve lineman and special teams player.
Bruno Fina also saw his first action as a starting left tackle after playing just six games as a reserve and special teams player in the two seasons prior.
Left guard Spencer Holstege was a promising addition to the offensive line, transferring in from Purdue after starting 31 of 32 games for the Boilermakers. Holstege reportedly re-entered the transfer portal shortly after participating in the Bruins’ 35-22 victory over Boise State in the LA Bowl. While it appeared that UCLA was going to be in search of a new left guard, Holstege withdrew his name from the portal just three days later. The reason for the decision remains unknown publicly.
The Bruins did struggle with pass protection, which only added to the odd quarterback situation throughout the season.
“I feel like everyone on the O-line understands pass protection well,” Clemens said when asked to give an evaluation of the offensive line ahead of the LA Bowl. “It’s just like nonverbal communication. I guess everyone’s thinking the same way without having to say it. I mean don’t get me wrong, communication is important but kind of like that jell factor of saying my guard is seeing what I’m seeing, kind of just working off of that. I think that’s something that we’ve been trying to improve on all season.”
While it was the first year all five Bruins had played on the line together, they remained healthy throughout the year and started all 13 games.
“It’s been a process of them learning,” associate head coach DeShaun Foster said ahead of the LA Bowl. “We had a lot of guys that this was their first time playing, so it was just good. As the season progressed, we kept improving, so we would just keep going into the bowl game.”
With Clemens having exhausted his college eligibility, the Bruins will need to find his replacement, but the other four will be back with shared chemistry upon which to build.
Here’s a full breakdown of UCLA’s offensive line entering spring ball. of 2023 on the 247sports site. The Bruins appeared to put an effort into bringing in the three linemen from high school to add younger depth to the room and begin to develop its next crop of homegrown talent. Kelly and offensive line coach Tim Drevno brought other linemen in from the transfer portal ahead of the 2023 season, but most saw limited action outside of Holstege.