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UCLA ended its 2022 football campaign with an overall record of 9-4 and a 6-3 record against conference opponents. It started the season with a 6-0 run with wins over Washington and Utah, but went 3-3 in their final regular-season games as they fell to Oregon, USC and Arizona. A 47-yard field goal from Pittsburgh kicker Ben Sauls and a late-game interception would ultimately seal a 37-35 UCLA loss to Pittsburgh in the Sun Bowl.
The Bruins hired former Baltimore Ravens safeties coach D'Anton Lynn to be their next defensive coordinator in February. Lynn, a former assistant for the Houston Texans and the Los Angeles Chargers, would replace Bill McGovern. McGovern would remain on the staff as the Director of Football Administration.
UCLA saw a few high-level transfers enter the program during the offseason. USC receiver Kyle Ford and Cal receiver J.Michael Sturdivant will join a Bruins offense that finished in sixth place in the Pac-12 with 265.2 passing yards per game. Safety Jordan Anderson transferred in from Bowling Green after spending four seasons with the Falcons.
What are some bold predictions for UCLA heading into the 2023 season?
4. Carson Steele will rush for 1,000+ yards in 2023
Running back Zach Charbonnet, UCLA's top rusher in the 2022 season, was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Steele committed to the Bruins in January. The former Ball State running back ended the 2022 season with an astounding 1,556 rushing yards in the 12 games he played for the Cardinals. The figure put him in ninth place in the country ahead of Marshall running back Khalan Laborn, Michigan running back Blake Corum and East Carolina running back Keaton Mitchell. He nearly broke the 200-yard rushing yard mark as Ball State took on Toledo in November, tacking on three rushing touchdowns as the Rockets defeated Ball State in Toledo.
Carson Steele will join a few new and returning faces in UCLA's running back room for the 2023 season. Running back TJ Harden will return to the Bruins after taking fourth place on the roster with 325 rushing yards last year. Anthony Adkins joined UCLA's football program via the transfer portal in December.
If Steele can replicate his success from last season, he will have the opportunity to break the 1,000-yard mark and be a leader on a UCLA rushing offense that led the Pac-12 with 238.2 rushing yards per game in 2022.
3. Dante Moore will win UCLA's quarterback battle
The Cleveland Browns selected quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Thompson-Robinson finished the 2022 season with 3,154 passing yards and 27 passing touchdowns. He became UCLA's all-time leader in passing yards and passing touchdowns during his time with the Bruins.
UCLA will have an assortment of quarterbacks who could start under center next season. Five-star quarterback Dante Moore flipped his commitment from Oregon to UCLA in December. Quarterback Collin Schlee, who played in 11 games for Kent State in 2022, transferred to the Bruins the same month. Quarterbacks Ethan Garbers and Justyn Martin will return to the roster in 2023.
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It will be difficult to duplicate the talent Thompson-Robinson brought to UCLA. But Moore can be a talented option for the Bruins if he can win the starting job against Schlee and some of UCLA's returning signal callers.
2. UCLA will finish with a regular-season record of 9-3
UCLA will have its fair share of key matchups during its 2023 football campaign.
It will face No. 14 Utah to cap off the month of September after games against Coastal Carolina, San Diego State and North Carolina Central. A matchup with No. 18 Oregon State will occur after a game against Washington State. UCLA will play against No. 6 USC in Los Angeles on Nov. 18.
The Bruins defeated Utah and Washington last season. They fell in a close loss to USC at home in November. If UCLA can pull off a strong start in September and keep pace with some of the Pac-12's more formidable competitors, it can end the 2023 season with at least nine regular-season wins.
1. Laiatu Latu and Darius Muasau will make the All-Pac-12 First Team
Defensive lineman Laiatu Latu and linebacker Darius Muasau will return to Pasadena in 2023. Latu, who finished the 2022 season with 12.5 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks, earned a spot on the All-PAC-12 First Team in 2022. Muasau took a spot on the All-PAC-12 Second Team. He tied with defensive back Morrell Osling III for first place on UCLA's 2022 roster in total tackles.
The duo took spots on the preseason media All-Pac-12 First Team last month. If they can define their roles under a new defensive coordinator early and carry over their impressive performances in the 2022 season, they could earn spots on the All-Pac-12 First Team in 2023.
