UCLA Football

HEIGHT: 6'2"

WEIGHT: 247

HAND: 9 1/4"

ARM: 30½"

WINGSPAN: 75"

---

40-YARD DASH: 4.68

3-CONE: N/A

SHUTTLE: N/A

VERTICAL: 39.5"

BROAD: 10'3"

---

POSITIVES

— Impressive overall athlete who is quick, agile and has good change of direction, giving him the potential to be an effective pass-rusher in the NFL.

— Works to get on an edge when bull-rushing and has a nice swim move as a counter off the bull.

— Keeps his legs moving through contact as a pass-rusher and has a high motor to help get coverage sacks.

— Decent bend with a flexible lower half to help turn the corner at the top of the rush.

— Can use his quickness and athleticism to make offensive linemen miss against the run.

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NEGATIVES

— Use of hands as a pass-rusher needs work. Drops his hands and doesn't play the offensive tackle's hands well, which is currently limiting his pass-rush arsenal.

— Needs to finish pass-rush moves with a more violent rip to get clean wins.

— Isn't physical at the point of attack as a run defender. Lacks the strength to hold his ground against one-on-one blocks from good competition.

— Subpar block recognition, which can lead to him getting reached.

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2023 STATISTICS

— 13 G, 38 TOT, 8 SK, 16 TFL, 2 PD

---

NOTES

— 3-star recruit in the 2019 class, per 247Sports

— Transferred to UCLA from North Texas ahead of the 2022 season

— Twin brother, Grayson, also is an edge-rusher for UCLA, UNT transfer and NFL draft prospect

---

OVERALL

Gabriel Murphy has the potential to develop into an effective third-down rusher in the NFL. His athleticism and bend are apparent on film, which helped him win in college and be an effective looper in line games.

However, he does need to improve his use of hands to develop a go-to move or two. Murphy currently struggles with the accuracy and timing of his initial chops to begin his moves, making it difficult for him to "defeat the hands and defeat the man." But the movement skills are there for him to develop a nasty stick move and build on his overall arsenal.

Against the run, the UCLA product relies on his quickness and agility to make offensive linemen miss. That can work occasionally, but more athletic and patient offensive linemen will be able to stay in front of him and push him around. He even struggles to hold ground against good blocking tight ends and may never be a three-down player in the NFL.

Schematically, Murphy would be best as a standup outside linebacker who can contribute on passing downs.

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GRADE: 6.4 (High-Level Developmental Prospect — 5th Round)

OVERALL RANK: 130

POSITION RANK: EDGE14

PRO COMPARISON: Cameron Goode

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Matt Holder

Visit B/R's NFL Scouting Department hub for scouting reports on all of the top prospects.

Former UCLA head coach Chip Kelly is expected to be named the offensive coordinator for Ohio State, according to Bruce Feldman of The Athletic.

Kelly spent the past six seasons with the Bruins and is set to succeed Bill O'Brien as the offensive coordinator on Ryan Day's staff. He previously served as the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles as well as the San Francisco 49ers. Kelly informed the Bruins on Friday that he planned to leave for a new job, per Matt Zenitz of 247Sports.

The two have history together, as the current Buckeyes head coach was a member of Kelly's staff in each of his two NFL head coaching stops. Day served as the quarterbacks coach for the Eagles in 2015 and the 49ers in 2016 before heading to Columbus the following year.

Kelly was also considered for the Seattle Seahawks' vacancy at offensive coordinator, interviewing with the team about potentially joining new head coach Mike Macdonald's staff on Tuesday, per Benjamin Solak of The Ringer. It appears that he'll now be heading to the Big Ten instead, though.

Despite Kelly's 7-17 record in his first two years with UCLA, the team gradually improved as he established himself as one of the most innovative offensive coaches in the sport once again. The Bruins owned one of the country's top scoring offenses in 2022 and went 8-5 in 2023 despite having multiple quarterbacks start throughout the season.

UCLA won bowl games in each of those years, including a dominant 35-22 victory over Boise State in the 2023 LA Bowl.

He'll be taking over a Buckeyes offense that previously averaged a commendable 30.5 points per game, although the team will be losing Biletnikoff Award winner Marvin Harrison Jr. to the 2024 NFL draft.

UCLA head coach Chip Kelly could make a return to the NFL in a coordinator capacity this offseason, according to CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones.

Jones reported Sunday the 60-year-old "has been mentioned as a possible offensive coordinator by multiple head-coaching candidates this cycle." Some prospective suitors have begun the process of vetting him.

The Bruins finished 8-5 in 2023 and capped off the year with a victory over Boise State in the LA Bowl.

Kelly has yet to deliver a 10-win season in his six years at UCLA and life is unlikely to get any easier for the program as it leaves the Pac-12 behind for the Big Ten. The coach could plausibly be on the hot seat depending on how 2024 unfolds.

But there isn't anything to indicate Kelly is in immediate danger of losing his job at such a relatively late stage of the college football coaching carousel. Leaving for the NFL would also mean taking a lesser title and presumably less money — he's earning nearly $6 million a year at UCLA.

Having said that, Kelly has been outspoken about his dissatisfaction with the general direction of college athletics. In December, he advocated for schools to become independent in football along with the creation of a 64-team conference made up of Power Five programs.

I think we can all agree that college football is flawed right now.

The game we love has become very complicated.

Well, #UCLA head coach Chip Kelly has answers.

And I think the powers that be should listen to him.

🔊⬆️ pic.twitter.com/h9BOqvTeg0

— Jay Tust (@KTVBSportsGuy) December 16, 2023

In addition, recruiting has never been Kelly's forte, and now that's an even larger part of his duties thanks to the advent of NIL rules and the transfer portal.

It wouldn't be that shocking if Kelly ultimately preferred to take a position with fewer demands. If he harbors any aspirations of working as a head coach in the NFL again, being a coordinator is probably the only realistic path to that as well.

Kelly has a 28-35 record over four years in the pros, and he lasted just one season with the San Francisco 49ers after going 2-14 in 2016.

There's probably nothing he can do at UCLA or any other school to address the concerns that led to his NFL exile because his personality rather than his coaching was one thing that largely did him in.

If Kelly were to thrive as a coordinator, then he will have potentially shown he's more suited to coaching an NFL team this time around.

Henry Hasselbeck will not follow in his father's footsteps at Boston College.

Hasselbeck, the son of former BC Eagles and NFL quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, announced his commitment to the UCLA Bruins on Wednesday. He also received offers from Michigan State, Pittsburgh and UAB, among other programs.

Committed. @UCLAFootball 🐻 #4sUp@XBHS_Football 🟨🟦 pic.twitter.com/uVcTiql75z

— Henry Hasselbeck (@HenryHasselbeck) December 20, 2023

Hasselbeck said of his decision, via Brian Dohn of 247Sports:

As a kid you always say, 'Oh, I want to play in the prime time. I want to play under the big lights.' That is something really cool and I'll be given that chance at UCLA, but you can find that in any game you play. I am going to bring that same level of competition as I would in a recess football game against my best friends here but UCLA, there is definitely a big spark to it.

A lot of my friends here love to watch the games on Saturdays and there is definitely a big, bright lights about it but I just love to compete. I love to compete whether it is a big game at UCLA because they're going to be in the Big Ten now or something out in the backyard.

Hasselbeck also said the opportunity to play for head coach Chip Kelly factored into his decision.

"Talking to him really opened my eyes to what football can be. He knows the whole language about football and he's a great guy, first and foremost," he said. "When he came up to visit me here before my (official) visit, just starting a relationship with him and seeing him talk to my parents and talking to him myself, he's just a great guy overall.

"He seems like a really good coach. All his players love him. When I was on my visit, I was asking all the guys on the team and they had no bad words to say about him."

Hasselbeck initially committed to Michigan State before pulling out after the Spartans fired head coach Mel Tucker following sexual harassment allegations.

Hasselbeck is a three-star prospect in the class of 2024 out of Xaverian Brothers High School in Westwood, Massachusetts. He's the No. 70 ranked quarterback and the No. 6 ranked prospect out of Massachusetts in the 247Sports composite rankings.

His father, Matt Hasselbeck, was drafted by the Packers in 1998 out of Boston College and spent 17 seasons in the NFL playing for Green Bay, the Seattle Seahawks, Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans, earning three Pro Bowl selections in that span.

Hasselbeck will be hoping to follow in his father's footsteps at the NFL level, but first he'll have to prove himself worthy at UCLA.

UCLA head coach Chip Kelly reiterated his belief that college football should be isolated from other college sports, especially after the newest round of conference realignment.

Kelly said Tuesday on The Pat McAfee Show "the realignment thing blows my mind" because of the logistical challenges for non-revenue sports. He posited that college football should be "separate" from the traditional model with its own structure:

"The realignment thing blows my mind..

Our football team is going to play in the Big Ten but why do the rest of our teams have to go play in the Big Ten..

Our softball team is off the charts & now they're not gonna play Arizona because football left" ~ Chip Kelly #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/4xEBxMZdjr

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) December 19, 2023

Kelly initially outlined the idea during a media conference last week. He called for Power Five and Group of Five conferences that each have 64 teams where schools maintain some of their historic rivalries while cycling through opponents on the other side of the country.

I think we can all agree that college football is flawed right now.

The game we love has become very complicated.

Well, #UCLA head coach Chip Kelly has answers.

And I think the powers that be should listen to him.

🔊⬆️ pic.twitter.com/h9BOqvTeg0

— Jay Tust (@KTVBSportsGuy) December 16, 2023

Once the dust settled on the last realignment cycle, the more romantic of college football fans pointed to the continued shift away from the regional nature of the sport. The quirky traditions and geographic allegiances are what have set it apart through generations.

Even those with less of an emotional attachment almost immediately questioned the sustainability of college sports writ large when conferences now stretch from coast to coast.

The issue is less acute with football since there's enough revenue to offer players appropriate travel accommodations. Only playing one game a week eases the burden on athletes as well.

Those luxuries aren't afforded to every sport, though.

During both his press conference and on The Pat McAfee Show, Kelly referenced the UCLA softball team. The Bruins have road series against Washington, Oregon State, Stanford and Arizona State in Pac-12 play for the upcoming season. Those will be substituted out for Big Ten opponents either in the Midwest or on the East Coast.

Or consider the UCLA women's volleyball team, which played on the road for weekends at a time. Going from Arizona to Arizona State or from California to Stanford at least mitigated the travel hassle somewhat. That's not going to be the case in a conference as spread out as the Big Ten.

Assuming college football eventually embarks on some sort of super-conference era with the SEC and Big Ten (or comparable entities) reigning supreme, breaking it off from other college sports will be the most sensible path forward.

UCLA head coach Chip Kelly is an accelerationist when it comes to realignment in college football.

"I think we should all be independent in football," Kelly told reporters Friday. "You can have a 64-team conference that's in the Power 5 and you can have a 64-team conference in the Group of 5, and we separate it and we play each other."

His wider argument is that football should be separated from other college sports entirely. He alluded to the impending difficulties that will come with UCLA playing fellow Big Ten schools in non-revenue sports.

I think we can all agree that college football is flawed right now.

The game we love has become very complicated.

Well, #UCLA head coach Chip Kelly has answers.

And I think the powers that be should listen to him.

🔊⬆️ pic.twitter.com/h9BOqvTeg0

— Jay Tust (@KTVBSportsGuy) December 16, 2023

Kelly probably isn't alone in that thought at this point.

The most recent round of realignment has dramatically altered the landscape in college football and increasingly concentrated power in two conferences (Big Ten and SEC). College sports have undergone numerous changes across generations, but now they're entering uncharted territory to some degree.

With Florida State openly agitating for an exit from the ACC, it may not be long before the next wave of realignment arrives, too, one that could lead the ACC to go the way of the Pac-12. The Pac-12 went from being on the verge of building one of the biggest conferences in the country to dissolving within 12 years.

Even leaving that aside, the stratification in college football has only grown over the last decade or so to create another case for adopting something like Kelly proposed. Parity has never been a feature of the sport, but schools, particularly those in the Group of Five, are getting left behind because they simply don't have the resources to keep up.

If college football is going to cease largely being a regional enterprise, then pivoting toward a more pro-style structure with everybody playing under the same banner is arguably the most sensible approach.

The UCLA Bruins had a tough end to the 2023 regular season.

The Bruins lost three of the final four games, lost freshman quarterback Dante Moore to the transfer portal and looked like a prime candidate to lose the Starco Brands LA Bowl to the Mountain West champion Boise State Broncos.

Fortunately for the Bruins, a strong bowl performance allowed the team to go out on a positive note.

𝗟𝗔 𝗕𝗢𝗪𝗟 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗠𝗣𝗦! pic.twitter.com/xLZggtxvjN

— UCLA Football (@UCLAFootball) December 17, 2023

Collin Schlee got the start at quarterback for UCLA and did show some flashes of greatness. He went 11-of-16 for 78 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for 127 yards on seven carries. That was the only offensive touchdown the team produced while he was under center and he would leave after taking a big hit in the third quarter.

Ethan Garbers, who was declared to not be healthy heading into the game, would relieve Schlee and put on a masterclass.

Garbers ➡️ Ford for the TOUCHDOWN! 🙌

📺: ABC
📲: https://t.co/nZyOC9HyQI #GoBruins | @Ford_Kyle6 pic.twitter.com/eBPN8xJoBo

— UCLA Football (@UCLAFootball) December 17, 2023

40-YARD TD PASS FROM GARBERS TO J.MIKE 🎯

📺: ABC
📲: https://t.co/nZyOC9HyQI #GoBruins pic.twitter.com/Lolo7g0p5r

— UCLA Football (@UCLAFootball) December 17, 2023

Garbers went 9-of-12 for 152 yards and two touchdowns in relief duty, helping the Bruins put the game away.

This electric entry had fans buzzing on social media, with many expressing excitement over his future as the team's signal-caller.

UCLA is dramatically better when Ethan Garbers is running the offense. It's like a stunning difference how much crisper they are.

— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) December 17, 2023

So…Ethan Garbers. Simple as that.

Don’t overcomplicate things.

— Ben Bolch (@latbbolch) December 17, 2023

Ethan Garbers is 8 for 8 passing, which begs the question: Why didn't he start? Oh well. It's UCLA football.

— eric sondheimer (@latsondheimer) December 17, 2023

UCLA needs to double down on Ethan Garbers for next season or get someone out the portal. They need someone.

— James H. Williams | USA Today (@JHWreporter) December 17, 2023

A lot of UCLA fans (well, all five of them) are rightfully upset about Dante Moore transferring out. But the fact of the matter is that Ethan Garbers is clearly the best quarterback on their team. https://t.co/lymLITABwJ

— Adam Bradford (@Adam_Bradford14) December 17, 2023

UCLA QB Ethan Garbers completed all eight of his passes for 112 yards and a touchdown in the third quarter. He took over the offense after Collin Schlee was hurt early in the quarter.

— James H. Williams | USA Today (@JHWreporter) December 17, 2023

Bruins strike in three plays, capped off by a 14-yard TD run by T.J. Harden. Ethan Garbers doing a little "are you not entertained" to the crowd as UCLA goes ahead 27-16, 19 seconds left in the third.

— Thuc Nhi Nguyen (@thucnhi21) December 17, 2023

Eye-test aside, individual stats aside, limited ceiling aside, #UCLA is a completely different offense with Ethan Garbers. Gotta give him props.

— Gavin Carlson (@GavinCarlson_) December 17, 2023

UCLA fans will donate NIL only if it goes to Ethan Garbers.

— eric sondheimer (@latsondheimer) December 17, 2023

#UCLA Ethan Garbers is a machine at qb. Crazy accurate.

— J. Locke (@jlockefootball1) December 17, 2023

WE 💙 ETHAN GARBERS

— The Den (@uclatheden) December 17, 2023

ETHAN GARBERS THE GOAT!!!!! CHIP KELLY RESPECTS JUICE!!!!

— Kevin Walsh Jr. (@TheKevinWalsh) December 17, 2023

Dante Moore who?

Garbers is BALLIN!!!

I guess Chip knew it all along? #UCLA pic.twitter.com/2q7tcaG9fs

— Kyle McCarthy (@KyleCMcCarthy) December 17, 2023

That fact Dante Moore played one snap for UCLA is so dumb. Team is so much better with out him

— Ty Rasmussen (@TyRazzmo) December 17, 2023

https://twitter.com/JenSince96/status/1736228344809812386

Garbers' future with the Bruins looked bleak prior to Moore's decision to enter the portal, but Saturday's performance surely has things looking up for the 21-year-old.

He finishes the 2023 season with 1,136 passing yards and 11 touchdowns to just three interceptions. He appeared in eight games for the Bruins in 2023 and UCLA was victorious in six of them.

Barring any additions, it appears he took a big step in locking down the gig in 2024. He has one season remaining and could be the quarterback who leads the Bruins into its tenure in the Big Ten.

Lincoln Riley and the USC Trojans made a big addition to their coaching staff Friday as they hired D'Anton Lynn away from rival UCLA as their new defensive coordinator, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel.

Lynn, 34, is a rising star in the collegiate coaching ranks following an excellent first season leading the Bruins' defense in 2023. He took a unit that was ranked No. 89 in total defense the previous year and made them the No. 11 group in the country.

He will have his work cut out for him as he replaces Alex Grinch, who was fired during the season following the Trojans' loss to Washington back on Nov. 4.

Grinch and the rest of USC's defense struggled mightily this season, allowing 34.92 points per game as well as a whopping 438.8 yards of total offense—both of which are bottom three marks in the Pac-12.

Prior to his stint at UCLA, Lynn had nearly a decade of experience working at the professional level with a number of NFL teams. His most notable position came with the Baltimore Ravens from 2021-22 as the team's safeties coach.

Lynn will help lead the Trojans into a new era as they enter the Big 10 next season. He'll look to compliment an offensive side of the ball that is normally elite thanks to Riley and Co.

HEIGHT: 6'5"

WEIGHT: 259

HAND: 9⅝"

ARM: 32⅝"

WINGSPAN: 78¼"

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40-YARD DASH: 4.64

3-CONE: 4.34

SHUTTLE: 7.09

VERTICAL: 32"

BROAD: 9'8"

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POSITIVES

— Good size for an NFL edge, and shows impressive twitch and athleticism for someone with his frame.

— Active hands and fluid hips allow him to have a handful of pass-rush moves he can win with like a hand-swipe, arm-over and cross-chop.

— Can turn speed to power, has the quickness to develop an inside stick move and has flashed with an inside spin move as a counter.

— Flexible ankles for good bend at the top of the rush.

— Takes on blocks with his hands and has the strength to hold his ground against one-on-one blocks against the run.

— Good block recognition and agility to help avoid getting reached.

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NEGATIVES

— Suffered a neck injury at the University of Washington that caused the school's medical staff to medically retire him.

— Not gap-disciplined, he will leave his assignment early to try and make the play, opening up cutback lanes.

— Could be more violent when getting off blocks versus offensive tackles. Occasionally gets stuck against stronger competition.

— Could finish pass-rush moves with a stronger rip to get more clean wins.

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2023 STATISTICS

— 12 G, 49 TOT, 21.5 TFL, 13.0 SK, 2 INT, 2 PD, 2 FF

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NOTES

— Born Dec. 31, 2000

— 4-star recruit in 2019 class, per 247Sports

— Washington transfer

— Missed 2020 and 2021 seasons after surgery on neck injury

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OVERALL

There aren't many draft prospects who have Laiatu Latu's combination of size, athleticism and quickness. That helps him as a pass-rusher, as he can win with both finesse and power moves, giving him one of the best and most complete arsenals in this year's class.

While he's more known for his skills as a rusher, Latu is also a good run defender. His block recognition and athleticism allow him to avoid getting reached, and he has enough strength at the point of attack to hold his ground and set the edge. Against weaker competition, he'll have a handful of reps where he resets the line of scrimmage, too.

Overall, the Bruin has few flaws in his game. He could afford to be more gap-disciplined, and there are a few tweaks to his technique as a pass-rusher that he still needs to iron out, but the neck injury will be most teams' biggest hesitation when considering drafting him.

It seems like Washington's doctors were being overly cautious when they medically retired Latu, as he's been fine ever since. But that will undoubtedly be a medical red flag that clubs will want to explore during the draft process.

Schematically, the UCLA product has primarily played as a standup outside 'backer in odd fronts and has the athleticism to drop into coverage. That might be his best scheme fit. But he should have no problem playing as a hand-in-the-ground defensive end for an even-front team if need be.

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GRADE: 8.4 (Impact Player — Round 1)

OVERALL RANK: 14

POSITION RANK: EDGE3

PRO COMPARISON: Josh Allen

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Matt Holder

Visit B/R's NFL Scouting Department hub for scouting reports on all of the top prospects.

There haven't been many college football coaches that have had a toastier seat than UCLA's Chip Kelly.

Kelly has had a mostly unimpressive tenure at the helm of the Bruins' program and is in the middle of another mediocre campaign. He is—however—coming off the biggest win of the season against rival USC on Saturday in an impressive 38-20 effort.

But if this is Kelly's final rodeo at the Rose Bowl, NBC's Peter King doesn't really know what the next stop would be for the former following this uninspiring run.

"If this is Chip Kelly's last season at UCLA, I wonder what team, college or pro, would want him now," King wrote Monday. "Kelly turns 60 this week. His record at UCLA in six seasons is 34-33, even after Saturday's impressive win over USC, and when you can't win at UCLA, after not winning at San Francisco in 2016 and getting fired after three seasons without a playoff win at Philadelphia, the Oregon magic is gone

"I thought the guy had genius qualities when I covered him a few times in Philly, but boy was I wrong. His people skills aren't good. In his 10 coaching seasons post-Oregon, Kelly is 62-68. That's not a season or two. It's a decade."

Kelly is far removed from his days as the coach at Oregon where he managed to lead the Ducks to three-consecutive PAC 12 titles while running one of the most electric offenses in college football.

Following all that success, Kelly moved on to the pro ranks as the coach of the Philadelphia Eagles where he enjoyed a moderate amount of winning but made some moves that alienated the fan base and was ultimately fired during his third season in 2015 after going 6-9.

Kelly was subsequently hired by the San Francisco 49ers in 2016 but had the worst year of his coaching career, going 2-14 and not making it to a second season.

But Kelly's reputation as an elite college coach hasn't faded and it helped him land the UCLA gig back in 2018. He has amassed a 34-33 record since taking over the Bruins.

Realistically, it probably wouldn't take long for another college program to swoop in and land Kelly should he be fired by UCLA. It may not be a power five program but the glow of those four season in Eugene will follow Kelly around for the rest of his career.