UCLA Football

Despite rumors of his impending firing, Chip Kelly isn't concerned about his future as UCLA's head coach.

Following the Bruins' 38-20 win against Caleb Williams and USC, Kelly spoke to reporters about the rumors.

"Not an issue for me," he said, according to Justin Rudolph of On3.com. "I've never been governed by the fear of what other people say, and the lessons that this game has taught me is that there's gonna be highs and there's gonna be lows. And you gotta lean into the lows, embrace them, and then you just gotta go to work."

Kelly also revealed that he spoke with executive senior associate athletic director Josh Rebholz, who relayed a message from athletic director Martin Jarmond that denied the validity of the rumor.

"Josh [Rebholz] came over the other day and said, 'Hey, there's a report about this, and Martin [Jarmond] told me it was inaccurate, inappropriate," he said, per Rudolph. "I don't pay attention to that stuff, I don't read that stuff, I never see that stuff."

It didn't appear to affect Kelly's team, either. The Bruins' 38 points scored was the team's third-highest total of the season, ending a two-game losing streak.

Starting quarterback Ethan Garbers threw for 155 yards and a season-high three touchdowns, recording zero interceptions. Running back T.J. Harden crossed the century mark for the first time all season, racking up 142 yards on his 22 carries.

"You can see by the performance today it didn't bother the team," Kelly said, according to Rudolph. "I never talked to the team about it, never talked to our coaches about it. We're just fortunate. We're all blessed that we get to play this sport. And every day that we get to coach it, I'm the happiest man in the world."

UCLA moved to 7-4 after the win, as the Bruins are bowl-eligible for the third time in six years under the former NFL head coach.

Chip Kelly's time with the UCLA Bruins will reportedly soon come to an end.

It's "very realistic" that UCLA will fire Kelly following a matchup against the USC Trojans on Saturday, according to Tracy Pierson of 247Sports. However, his firing "could be delayed until after the Cal game" if the Bruins win Saturday's matchup, Pierson added.

Pierson added:

From what I've learned, a significant factor to dimiss Kelly was the perceived lack of a viable path forward as UCLA heads into the Big Ten in 2024. Kelly has little support from donors, especially in terms of NIL donations, which has now become the life blood of any college football program and its recruiting. In fact, from what I know, many UCLA donors have chosen not to donate to UCLA's football NIL fund as long as Kelly is the UCLA head coach.

Kelly has been head coach of the Bruins since 2018, posting a 33-33 record over his six seasons at the helm. And while UCLA is 6-4 entering this Saturday's game against USC, there's little hope for the team to overcome Caleb Williams and the Trojans.

Kelly's squad has only secured a bowl game once, which came during the 2022 campaign when it lost the Sun Bowl to Pittsburgh, and they have never truly competed for the Pac-12 title.

UCLA's 2023 football schedule is believed to be one of the easiest in recent program history, but the Bruins have posted unacceptable back-to-back losses to Arizona and Arizona State, furthering the indication that a new head coach is needed.

With the Bruins slated for a move to a much more difficult Big Ten in 2024, it's no surprise the program may be looking for a new voice as it enters a new era.

That said, UCLA's potential opening could be much more attractive to candidates given their change of conference.

UCLA head football coach Chip Kelly is more concerned with name, image and likeness rules than he is with Oregon and Washington coming to the Big Ten, at least when it comes to recruiting.

Kelly told reporters the Ducks and Huskies joining USC and UCLA in the Big Ten starting with the 2024 season won't take away his team's recruiting advantages because something else—in his eyes—determines where prospects choose.

"You want to know what's going on in recruiting right now? It's all NIL," he said. "So whoever has the most money is getting the most players."

USC and UCLA were already headed to the Big Ten ahead of the latest round of conference realignment that saw Oregon and Washington also join the conference. That was far from it, as Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah are heading to the Big 12, essentially ending the Pac-12 as fans know it.

Blake Baumgartner of ESPN noted "rumblings about USC's and UCLA's desires to be the only West Coast teams in the Big Ten have been out there," and the assumption is the Bruins and Trojans were concerned that Oregon and Washington jumping aboard as well would prevent them from being able to pitch being the only West Coast Big Ten teams to recruits.

Now four schools can advertise the ability to play against the likes of Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, Wisconsin and others under the bright spotlight that the Big Ten offers.

As for Kelly's NIL comments, he is far from the only coach to raise concerns.

In fact, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey and coaches from his league, including Alabama's Nick Saban, went to the nation's capital in Washington, D.C., to urge lawmakers to implement national rules and standards regarding the issue.

As it currently stands, there are a number of different laws across different states, which makes any type of regulation all the more difficult.

Kelly suggested that all it takes is money to recruit in today's college football, which is notable because the Bruins are a middling 54th in the 247Sports' composite 2024 recruiting rankings.

If they don't make some improvements on the trail, it may be more difficult to compete in the Big Ten in the coming years.

UCLA announced that Bill McGovern, who was the team's defensive coordinator last season, died Tuesday at age 60.

He had been diagnosed with cancer.

UCLA shared a statement from the McGovern family:

"Early this morning we said goodbye to our beloved father and husband Bill after his long and difficult battle with cancer came to an end and today, we would like to thank the entire UCLA community for all of the love and support you gave to Bill and our entire family during this very difficult struggle. In particular, the McGovern family would like to thank UCLA head football coach Chip Kelly and his wife Jill as well as all of the players, coaches, trainers, and support staff of the UCLA football program and their families. It was the honor of Bill's coaching career to be the defensive coordinator for the UCLA Bruins and this past season was one of the highlights of Bill's coaching career. We are so thankful for the opportunity to be a part of such a historic athletic tradition and, more importantly, we could not have made it through this past year without the love and prayers of our UCLA family. The McGovern family is so grateful and thankful to all of you for your help during this difficult time and we will be indebted to you all forever. Thank you so much and we will cherish the wonderful memories we have of UCLA and our UCLA football family for the rest of our lives."

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Bill McGovern and offer our deepest condolences to Coach McGovern's family and friends.https://t.co/wTAFpHjuiH pic.twitter.com/Vt5IZ4lny4

— UCLA Football (@UCLAFootball) May 30, 2023

Paolo Uggetti of ESPN noted McGovern stepped away from his defensive coordinator position this year because of his health and instead assumed a role as director of football administration.

McGovern was a defensive coach in the NFL for eight seasons with the Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants prior to joining the Bruins.

Yet he was more experienced at the collegiate level thanks to stints at Holy Cross, UMass, Pittsburgh, Nebraska and, most notably, Boston College. He was the defensive backs coach for the Eagles from 1994 to 1996, the linebackers coach from 2000 to 2008 and the defensive coordinator from 2009 to 2012.

McGovern was also an accomplished college football player at Holy Cross.

He is a member of the Holy Cross Hall of Fame and Ring of Honor and tied a Division I-AA record with 24 career interceptions. He set the Division I-AA single-season record of 11 picks as a consensus first-team All-American during his senior campaign in 1984.

McGovern is survived by his wife, Colleen, and his three daughters.

HEIGHT: 6'4"

WEIGHT: 303

HAND: 33 5/8"

ARM: 10 1/8"

WINGSPAN: TBD

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40-YARD DASH: 5.01

3-CONE: 7.31

SHUTTLE: 4.45

VERTICAL: 32 1/2"

BROAD: 9'6"

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POSITIVES

— Fluid, athletic mover with very good burst, quickness and speed

— Excels climbing and ricocheting up to the second level when uncovered or off of zone combo blocks to intersect, steer and seal off backers

— Smoothly redirects laterally to mirror speed moves in pass-protection

— Flashes ability to create leverage and control on jump sets using a double-under technique

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NEGATIVES

— High-cut frame with an upright, straight-legged playing style

— Lacks the lower-half strength to consistently anchor against power or hold the point of attack on base blocks

— More of a 'fitter' than a 'hitter' into contact

— Struggles adjusting his aiming points and landmarks against post-snap movement, losing quickly across his face

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2023 STATISTICS

— 13 starts at RG

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NOTES

— Former 3-star tackle recruit out of Marquette University High School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

— 30 career starts: 27 at RG, two at center and one at RT

— His 4.45 short shuttle was the best among all OL at the combine

— Invited to the 2023 NFLPA Collegiate Bowl

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OVERALL

Jon Gaines II is a three-year starter with 30 career starts primarily at right guard, including 13 in 2022 inside the Bruins' 55-45 run-pass split, play-action/RPO heavy offense with a zone-based run scheme. Gaines has a narrow, high-cut frame with an upright, straight-legged playing style, good length and very good athletic ability.

Gaines wins as a run-blocker on the move using his fluid movement skills to intersect, latch and steer linebackers out of rush lanes on zone climbs. He is more of a placement blocker that fits rather than explodes into contact and has solid but unspectacular finishing skills to run his feet and strain to the whistle. Gaines' middling play strength result in getting jolted back on contact to the wrong side of the line of scrimmage on base blocks, and because of his upright style he falls off of blocks with ease. He will also dip his head, lean and waist-bend against sudden post-snap movement across his face.

In pass-protection, Gaines shows good foot quickness and redirect skills to mirror against speed-rushers that attack upfield with some flashes of an effective double-under technique on jump sets to create quick control and leverage on defensive tackles. He shows marginal anchoring ability that results in him getting jolted on his heels and pried open against power, and he provides little thump or pop finding work when uncovered.

Overall, Gaines is a very athletic, effective move blocker who can track, connect and steer smaller targets away from rush lanes and stay in front of speed moves in pass-protection, but his narrow, angular build and upright playing style with mediocre power make it difficult for him to hold the point and control bigger, hulking defensive linemen. Gaines is a worthy end-of-the-draft flier or priority free agent to add as competition at center.

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GRADE: 5.7 (Backup or Draftable/Rounds 6-7)

OVERALL RANK: 230

POSITION RANK: IOL26

PRO COMPARISON: Luke Wattenberg

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Brandon Thorn

HEIGHT: 6'2"

WEIGHT: 203

HAND: 9⅞"

ARM: 30⅝"

WINGSPAN: TBD

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40-YARD DASH: 4.56

3-CONE: 7.28

SHUTTLE: 4.44

VERTICAL: 32.5"

BROAD: 10'1"

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POSITIVES

— Good athlete. Springy and explosive; very good long speed.

— Experienced processor and decision-maker. Decisive; plays with good rhythm.

— Tough and poised in the pocket. Willing to take hits to get the ball off.

— Above-average accuracy to all three levels.

— Above-average accuracy when throwing on the run and outside the pocket.

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NEGATIVES

— Light frame. May be an injury and longevity risk.

— Sometimes struggles with velocity and driving the ball.

— Pocket management is up and down. Internal clock can be late and lead to broken plays.

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2023 STATISTICS

— 13 G, 266-of-382 (69.6%), 3,169 YD (8.3 AVG), 27 TD, 10 INT; 118 ATT, 645 YDS, 12 TD

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NOTES

— DOB: November 14, 1999

— 4-star recruit in 2018 class, per 247 Sports' composite rating

— 40 career starts

— 2020 and 2021 second-team All-Pac 12

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OVERALL

Dorian Thompson-Robinson brings the experience, athleticism and accuracy necessary to be a high-quality NFL backup and spot starter.

He has a level of experience that the rest of this class can't match. Not only does Thompson-Robinson have 40 career starts over four years, but he's done so in multiple systems, including most recently Chip Kelly's.

The Kelly offense presented Thompson-Robinson with plenty of NFL-style concepts and full-field reads, and the veteran quarterback handled them very well by his senior season. He plays with good rhythm, adequate pre-snap understanding and the requisite amount of aggressiveness to fit tight-window throws. Sometimes Thompson-Robinson can push the envelope too far, but he's not a generally reckless passer.

Thompson-Robinson also has a decent floor thanks to his athletic profile and three-level accuracy. As an athlete, he is bouncy and loose, allowing him to easily pop out of the pocket and head to open grass. The 23-year-old is a very effective scrambler and a solid designed-run threat to the perimeter.

In terms of accuracy, Thompson-Robinson won't blow anyone away, but he generally gets the ball where it needs to be and gives his guys chances. He's not one to have many egregious misfires.

That said, it's hard to see an exciting ceiling with him.

For one, he's on the smaller side. Just over 6'1" is manageable, but being 203 pounds is light for a quarterback, especially one who may take hits as a runner. Thompson-Robinson's arm is also lackluster. He can struggle with driving the ball into tight windows down the field and to the sideline.

Lastly, Thompson-Robinson's pocket management is a bit of a roller coaster ride, oscillating between immaculate escape acts and confusing cement-footed moments when he doesn't know where to go.

Thompson-Robinson has the experience, athleticism and baseline accuracy to all three levels to be an ideal QB2. Size, arm-strength concerns and pocket-management inconsistencies hurt his potential as a legit starting quarterback, but he has enough room to grow to emerge as a steady spot starter, a la Taylor Heinicke.

Thompson-Robinson would fit best in a West Coast-style system that embraces a quick game and his strengths as an athlete.

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GRADE: 6.1 (High-Level Developmental Prospect/Round 5)

OVERALL RANK: 184

POSITION RANK: QB9

PRO COMPARISON: Tyler Huntley

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen

UCLA announced Friday that it agreed to a contract extension with head football coach Chip Kelly.

While financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, his contract will now run through the 2027 season, according to ESPN's Heather Dinich.

UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond said the following about the move:

"I am excited about our football program under the leadership of Coach Kelly and his talented staff. The football program is on an upward trajectory, both on the field and in the classroom. Coach Kelly and his staff have done a tremendous job developing young men as demonstrated by their academic excellence."

The 59-year-old Kelly was hired by UCLA prior to the 2018 season and has posted a 27-29 record during his five years with the program.

When Kelly took over as the Bruins' head football coach, they had posted back-to-back losing seasons under Jim Mora.

UCLA went 3-9, 4-8 and 3-4 in Kelly's first three seasons at the helm, but things have started to turn around over the past two campaigns.

The Bruins went 8-4 in 2021, which at the time was their best record since going 10-3 in 2014. UCLA qualified for the Holiday Bowl that season, but it wasn't played because of the COVID-19 protocols.

Last season was Kelly's best with the Bruins, as they went 9-4, including a 6-3 mark in Pac-12 play. They also played in their first bowl game since the 2017 season, losing 37-35 to Pittsburgh in a thrilling Sun Bowl.

Kelly has a history of success as a collegiate head coach, specifically within the Pac-12 Conference.

In four seasons at Oregon from 2009 to 2012, Kelly posted a 46-7 record and reached the National Championship Game once, falling to Auburn.

Kelly also spent four seasons as a head coach in the NFL, going 26-21 with one playoff appearance in three seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, and just 2-14 with the San Francisco 49ers in 2016.

The struggles with the Niners prompted his return to the college ranks, and he seemingly has UCLA on the ascent.

UCLA has not played in the Pac-12 title game since 2012 and has never won that game since its inception in 2011.

Now that Kelly has the Bruins moving in the right direction, playing for the Pac-12 title is likely the next major goal for him and the program.

HEIGHT: 6'0"

WEIGHT: 214

HAND: 9 7/8"

ARM: 32"

WINGSPAN: TBD

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40-YARD DASH: 4.53

3-CONE: TBD

SHUTTLE: TBD

VERTICAL: 37"

BROAD: 10'2"

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POSITIVES

— Excellent build. Sturdy and capable of handling a full NFL workload.

— Elite balance and coordination. Has a knack for finding equilibrium and staying on his feet.

— Great strength. Can fight through the line of scrimmage and half-hearted tackle attempts with relative ease.

— Good acceleration and speed, especially for his size. Has just enough juice to threaten explosive plays.

— Above-average lateral mobility behind the line of scrimmage.

— Great hands and receiving ability in the underneath area.

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NEGATIVES

— Stiff hips. Can be a problem when needing to make sharp cuts and turns.

— Below-average elusiveness and wiggle at the second level.

— Almost never asked to pass-protect at UCLA. Unclear projection in that area.

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2022 STATISTICS

— 10 GM, 195 ATT, 1,359 YDS (7.0 AVG), 14 TD, 37 REC, 312 YDS

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NOTES

— D.O.B.: Jan. 8, 2001

— 4-star recruit in 2019

— Transferred from Michigan to UCLA prior to 2021 season

— Started nine games at Michigan, 19 games at UCLA

— Knee surgery prior to freshman season in 2019; missed two games in 2022 with undisclosed injury

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OVERALL

Zach Charbonnet is a thick, well-built back with much more to him than strength and power.

That said, Charbonnet's size and strength is the place to start. Fighting through arm tackles, bouncing off defenders and falling forward to gain extra yardage are core tenets of his game. Furthermore, Charbonnet has excellent coordination and balance to maximize that strength. He has a unique skill for being able to contort his body, minimize contact and come to balance when battling through tackling attempts. It's very difficult to bring him down with one guy or on the first attempt.

In terms of finesse and savvy, Charbonnet is a mixed bag. Behind the line of scrimmage, he shows good lateral ability for his size and can comfortably switch lanes. However, he can be too patient and antsy to find that "perfect" lane, resulting in slowing down his feet and losing momentum. He knows how to make himself skinny through tight rushing lanes, though, which is a plus. At the second level, Charbonnet plays to his size in a negative way, showing stiff hips and average explosiveness. He won't make many defenders straight-up miss.

What separates Charbonnet from other big backs are his speed and pass-catching skills. Despite being 220 pounds, he has good acceleration and top speed to win the edge. He can get to the perimeter, turn the corner and be off to the races with enough long speed to be a threat to rip off gains of 20, 30 or 40 yards. That's a rare skill for a big man. Additionally, Charbonnet shows great comfort in catching passes in the short area and picking up reliable yardage. He can't be split out at wide receiver or run many vertical routes, but he will be a major plus as a checkdown and quick game option.

Charbonnet offers almost everything you want from a starting NFL running back. His build, strength and rare balance point to a quality starting running back, and he's got more speed than most other backs his size save for the All-Pro types. Sprinkle in his pass-catching skills and it's not hard to see a real-deal NFL starter.

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GRADE: 7.6 (Potential Impact Player, Round 2)

OVERALL RANK: 38

POSITION RANK: RB3

PRO COMPARISON: Najee Harris

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen