UCLA Football: Chip Kelly Compares OSU QB DJ Uiagalelei To Former NFL MVP
UCLA's football team takes on another conference opponent in Week 6 as the squad hits the road against Oregon State for their next game.
Chip Kelly has his hands full concerning the Beavers' opposing quarterback and praised DJ Uiagelelei's abilities ahead of their upcoming clash with a lofty comparison.
“We do tackling drills every day, but you’re not going to simulate that. We don’t have anybody on our team — unless you put a tight end at quarterback because he’s basically built like a TE,” Kelly explained. “He’s even bigger than Colson (Yankoff). Maybe we can go to the basketball team and grab a couple of Mick’s (Cronin’s) power forwards, that’s what he reminds me of. He’s a Cam Newton-type guy. It’s gonna take more than one guy.”
Newton took the NFL by storm in 2015 with one of the best dual-threat seasons from a quarterback in league history.
The former Auburn superstar's big frame allowed him to push past smaller defenders on the ground and dice secondaries up through the air en route to a dominant MVP campaign.
Carolina's overall No. 1 pick used all of his 6 foot 5 frame for 45 total touchdowns and nearly 4,500 yards from scrimmage in the Panthers' dominant 15-1 campaign.
Uigaelelei's build is similar to the NFL's all-time QB rushing touchdown leader and will pose similar challenges for Kelly's defense this weekend.
Though Uiagelelei failed to succeed in Trevor Lawrence's stead as the next great Clemson quarterback, the junior has found a home with his new Pac-12 team.
The quarterback has led Oregon State to a 15th AP rank after an upset win against Utah and his recent five-touchdown performance against Cal last weekend.
If Kelly wants an upset win for his school, stopping the Beavers' signal caller will be priority No. 1 to victory.
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