UCLA Football Practice Report: August 21

The Bruins are in full game prep mode, but that doesn't mean they've moved on from the fundamentals.

UCLA football was in day No. 2 of game week Saturday ahead of its season opener against Hawai'i, which is now just a week away. There were once again a good amount of players in the black scout team uniforms, just as there were Friday, but the opening 30 minutes of practice open to the media were very similar to the sessions we saw throughout fall camp.

Reporters are also no longer allowed to film anything after the first three periods of practice, so most if not all of the footage posted to social media moving forward will be of the Bruins' special teams drills.

Special teams drills to start the day for #UCLA pic.twitter.com/Tx2rePNa14
— Sam Connon (@SamConnon) August 21, 2021

After the opening period of rotating drills, UCLA lined up in kickoff formation. Running back Keegan Jones was the first to bring one back, followed by cornerback Isaiah Newcombe. The two were joined in the end zone by receiver Ezavier Staples and running back Deshun Murrell, so it was the same group of returners that was out there when running backs coach DeShaun Foster told the media to stop recording the drill.

The rest of what went down was pretty standard – the quarterbacks practiced taking snaps from the centers and handing it off to running backs, the receivers ran deep go routes and goal line slants, the defensive line did some sled work and the defensive backs practiced footwork and interceptions.

A big chunk of the defense was seen doing up-downs, led by safety Qwuantrezz Knight. Two periods later, the defensive backs stopped mid-drill and did some more. We didn't see what sparked the two punishments, but it is a pretty common sight at practice – linebackers coach Don Pellum seems to lean on them often.

Center Sam Marrazzo was practicing with the offensive linemen and taking on significant contact, but Jon Gaines and Bruno Fina are still the centers running with the 1s and 2s.

There were two players in black scout team jerseys on the stationary bikes, so it was difficult to tell who they were. Whoever they were, they also spent some time with the battle rope later on in practice.

Linebacker Adam Cohen was in uniform and pads, still in the side workout area after a few weeks of being dinged up. Defensive lineman Quintin Somerville was seen sitting up against the wall at the edge of the weight room, held out of practice for the second straight day. He was joined by fellow defensive lineman Sitiveni Havili-Kaufusi.

And as has been the case for the past two weeks, incoming freshman transfers Jay Toia and Devin Aupiu participated in practice. Coach Chip Kelly confirmed that UCLA's compliance team has cleared them with the NCAA to play for the Bruins right away this season, adding some more depth to a front seven that was already crowded to begin with.

There was also a big crowd of people on the Wasserman Football Center balcony watching practice. It could have been donors, recruits and their families or someone else, but we were unable to lock down who exactly it was.

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