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The No. 9 UCLA Bruins entered the 2015 season with questions surrounding their quarterback position. Through three games, however, true freshman signal caller Josh Rosen seems to have put those concerns to bed. Now, as the Bruins prepare to begin Pac-12 play against the Arizona Wildcats, it’s their defense that has become the issue. Multiple injuries have dealt major blows to the UCLA defense through the first three weeks of the season but the latest news that star linebacker Myles Jack would miss the rest of the season after suffering a “significant” knee injury in practice this week could be the final straw that breaks the Bruins’ D.
The junior All-Pac-12 linebacker has been one of UCLA’s brightest stars since he got onto the field back in 2013, winning both Pac-12 freshman offensive and defensive player of the year honors. His pure athleticism made him one of the top defenders in the country coming into this season following up his strong sophomore campaign where he finished second on the UCLA defense with 88 tackles, including eight tackles for loss, seven pass breakups and an interception. His ability to play in the box against the run or line up in the slot covering a receiver made him a unique asset to the Bruins which allowed their defense a tremendous amount of versatility.
Through three games this season, Jack was well on his way to another strong season, recording 15 tackles, a pass breakup, and an interception on defense. His interception at the end of the game against the BYU Cougars sealed the Bruins win to push their early record to 3-0 heading into conference play. He had only gotten a pair of carries so far this year in the season opener against the Virginia Cavaliers, but he found the endzone for his 11th offensive touchdown of his career. As the season wore on, Jack figured to get more touches offensively as he has proven himself to be an effective rusher, particularly in goal-line and short-yardage situations.
He joins a talented group of UCLA defenders that have sidelined with injury for the 2015 season with All-Pac-12 cornerback Fabian Moreau suffering a season-ending Lisfranc foot injury and defensive end Eddie Vanderdoes suffering a knee injury in the season-opener against Virginia. The Bruins now face the daunting challenge of navigating a difficult conference schedule without the best player at each level of their defense. While Moreau and Vanderdoes left large shoe to fill, to be sure, there’s no denying that Jack’s playmaking ability will the most difficult loss to overcome.
Myles Jack is a special football player that was a key part of UCLA’s plan to make a run at the Pac-12 title in 2015. With Jack joining an all-star cast sidelined with injury for the Bruins, can they still be a legitimate contender? We may find out this weekend in Tucson.
You can follow Tyler Brett on Twitter @ATylerBrett, on Facebook and on Google.
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