With Big Ten move looming, does UCLA need a reset?
In each of the last four years, UCLA finished with four losses. This season, though, the Bruins head into Week 12 with a 6-4 record into this week’s game against USC which might be Chip Kelly’s last as head coach.
Kelly now has a 33-33 overall record since taking over at UCLA in 2018, and the Bruins have some questions at quarterback. All the while, the program is gearing up to leave the Pac-12 for the Big Ten next year — and they have to address some areas of the roster before moving to that type of conference.
That begs the question of whether it’s time for a reset. While it doesn’t seem that way on the surface, this could be the time to do so, according to On3’s J.D. PicKell.
“It’s funny because there’s nothing from the outside looking into the house noticeably wrong,” PicKell told Andy Staples on Andy Staples On3. “Like, you look at the record like hey, they’re 6-4, the quarterback play’s kinda dicey. … Chip Kelly, a guy who’s specialized in offense, for that to be the result. But when I look at UCLA, I think it’s 100% true.
“Moving into a conference where one, you’re going to be better on the line of scrimmage, and UCLA has some ground to make up there. … And you’ve got to acquire talent. Chip Kelly, for all the things that he’s phenomenal at, recruiting isn’t necessarily like right in his wheelhouse.”
Kelly’s recruiting classes have perennially ranked in the top 50, including last year’s group which came in at No. 29, according to the 2023 On3 Industry Team Recruiting Ranking. But it still feels as if the program needs a jolt on the recruiting trail, and Kelly’s recruiting chops might not help the program bring in some of the top-tier talent.
Considering the step up in competition next year with old and new programs in the new-look Big Ten, Staples said recruiting is going to be paramount as UCLA makes the transition.
“Chip Kelly had a choice between the UCLA and the Florida jobs, and I think [he] wisely took UCLA because he knew he was not going to be expected to bring in the five-star talent,” Staples said. “But that was before the conference move. Like, if you’ve got to play Ohio State and Michigan and Penn State — and oh, by the way, still have to play Washington and USC and Oregon — you better have some dudes on your team, especially in a state that’s so talent rich in California.”
California boasts plenty of high-profile recruits, including 10 of the top-100 players in the nation from the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. That provides quite the opportunity for a better recruiter to come in and keep some of that talent closer to home.
“Especially in a state that’s so talent rich in California,” PicKell said. “I mean, the Trinity League’s right there. I’m not saying it’s Florida or Texas, but by nature of how much talent you have access to … you can get in the car go down 55 south and be in good shape to go find some good talent.”