WATCH: Jake Bobo on Adjusting to SoCal Lifestyle, UCLA's Offense
UCLA football receiver Jake Bobo spoke to the media after the Bruins’ fall camp session on Saturday. Bobo talked about how he is adjusting to the Southern California lifestyle, the upsides of name, image and likeness rights and his favorite food spots in Westwood.
Go on the boat ride this week?
I did, that was a good time.
What was your favorite part of that?
Dolphins. It was really, really cool, actually. We kinda chased a pack of dolphins around for 10, 15 minutes. I had never been that close to a dolphin before, so that was cool for me. Everybody had their phones out, so it was a good time for everybody. But yeah, it was good overall, awesome of Dorian to do that. I think it was great for us as a group, kinda coming into camp to kinda reset ourselves as an offense before rolling into this thing. But yeah, it was a great time, obviously appreciate Dorian for doing that. That's why he is who he is, that's why he's the leader of this offense and this team. It kinda just shows you why he's in that position, too.
Example of how NIL can change the college athlete experience?
Yeah, yeah. Obviously, I couldn't tell you how it was five, 10 years ago, but I'd imagine it's a little different. Just in that aspect, I don't know if guys were going out in boats two days before camp, just having a good time as a group off money that was basically football or athletic-driven. Personally, I don't have a lot of experience with all that, I gotta make some more plays in blue and gold before that happens. But again, Dorian, with the position he has, the position he's in, it's cool to see him take advantage of it in that way. [INAUDIBLE – HELICOPTER] Gotta love being next to the hospital!
Do you have any NIL deals?
Not any big ones, not any kinda income-based deals, just some clothing brands on the side, just some stuff that I've gotten for social media posts and stuff like that. Which is cool, don't get me wrong, but it's cool to see how some of these guys can flip that stuff into bigger and bigger events.
How would you compare Duke's NIL success to UCLA's?
I think it's a little different, just being in LA, the market that's here. I also think it was tough cause it was the first year, last year was kinda the first year this whole thing got real. So there wasn't a ton of opportunities like the Westwood Exchange and some of the UCLA stuff, I'm sure that's in the works back in Durham. But as we move along in this thing and get deeper into it, I'm sure a lot of schools will start [INAUDIBLE].
Talk about it in the locker room?
Not really. I mean it's – there's some playful jabs here and there, some jokes being thrown around like use some of that NIL money, some for us or something like that. But I mean nothing real, it doesn't create a divide or anything down there in the locker room. That's a positive that I had a question about when this whole thing kinda got rolling, but it's cool to see that it's nothing serious.
Thoughts on the offense?
Yeah, I love it. You can see that this group has played together for a while. Dorian and Zach and some of the guys up front, kinda how they work together, even with Kam and Kaz, some of those guys. It's cool to kinda step in and be a part of that chemistry with guys who have been playing together for two, three years, four or five if you're Dorian or some of those guys up front. But we're explosive, I think coach Kelly does a great job of putting guys in positions where they can make big chunk plays. And obviously, you hand the ball to 24, you never know what's gonna happen. So we gotta make sure we get that guy the rock and then on the perimeter, we're blocking our tails off for him. But it's cool to be in an offense where any down and distance, you can take it to the house, which we all know, we're all aware of. But yeah, it's good to be a part of that system.
On-field chemistry with Dorian?
I think it’s been good. For me, it’s been great. I give all the credit in the world to him and who he is and the type of player he is. I came in and he immediately took me kind of under his wing, so to speak, showed me the ropes, scheme and some of that stuff, took me through the playbook. Coach Kelly’s playbook can be daunting at times; he always says, ‘If you have any questions, text me, call me, whatever’—I take full advantage of that. You know, sometimes I’m sure he doesn’t appreciate it that much but he’s been great at helping me along and giving me shots to make plays, too, which you’ve got to make it right when he does.
Something that sets Dorian apart from other QBs you've played with?
Yeah. His ability just to … the explosiveness, I think bottom line, with his arm and his legs is different than kind of what I’ve been around. I’ve been around some really, really quarterbacks at Duke the last four years, but the difference kind of with him is the combination of his legs and his arm—he can scramble and get out of the pocket and the next thing you know, he’s 20, 25 yards down the field at the snap of a finger, that stuff happens. That’s kind of what sets him apart—he can make good plays with his arm but then you look away for a second and he’s got a 30-yard scramble.
How are you liking LA?
Yeah, I think LA took some getting used to, just how big—there’s a whole lot of people here, but it’s been awesome so far. There’s always something to do, you know, not really having to worry about that in the month of August, these next three weeks not really have to worry about that. But you’ve got the beach right there, you’ve got downtown, Santa Monica’s a great spot, so I’ve been having a lot of fun hanging out with these guys especially, but there’s never a dull moment in LA.
Teammates from LA showing you the ropes?
Show you the ropes, show you the spots, yeah, those guys have definitely helped out with the transition for sure.
Divided fan base with In-N-Out comments in spring camp? Anything else in Westwood you do like?
Listen, I’m not going to say I take back those comments—I have a different appreciation for In-N-Out, a couple of guys on the team have taken me down there a bunch of times and given me a hard time—it’s a good burger, it’s a solid burger, it’s just when you compare it to some other restaurants. I think Fat Sal’s down there is a great spot, Hangry Moons is a great spot, you’ve got the classic Chipotle down there on Westwood Boulevard, yeah, there’s a plethora of options down there in downtown Westwood, which has been great.
No NIL deal from In-N-Out?
Nah. I don’t blame them either after that last episode.
Burgers you like more in Durham or Boston? What are you measuring In-N-Out against?
The Cook-Out scene—there’s a restaurant called Cook-Out (Kam Brown shaking his head). Cook-Out is a good spot, kind of measuring up against In-N-Out, say what you will.
Late-night texts to Dorian?
Like ‘You up?’ texts? Nah, I tend to stay away from those but I’m sure he’d be open to it
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