Who to Watch this Spring

Amidst all the madness that is college basketball, you may have forgotten that spring practice begins this Thursday. This is always an interesting time for college football teams. Last season's seniors are gone and the incoming freshman have yet to enroll. That leaves some players with a chance to step-up and stand-out before things really get serious in the fall.

Here is my list of players to watch this April. None of them played much, if at all, last season. If they impress the coaches in the next few weeks, however, you could see them on the field come September:

Kevin Craft (QB). Anytime you get a new candidate at quarterback, he is going to spark a lot of interest from the fans. Especially at UCLA, where our QB play has been a real sore spot in the offense. It was originally announced that Craft wouldn't be able to participate in drills and scrimmages this spring because of NCAA transfer rules. But it looks like that all got ironed out and he'll be throwing around the pig skin this April. I'm not sure if Craft will really push Olson or Cowan for the starting spot. He wasn't that highly recruited out of high school or junior college but some observers think he's a good prospect. He played some during his time at SDSU and Mt. San Antonio (his Dad, Tom Craft, was the head coach at both schools), so he should hit the ground running with Chow's offense at UCLA. How quickly he picks up the scheme compared to the incumbents and how quickly he gels with his new team will go a long way toward determining if Craft is a legit contender for playing time in '08.

Courtney Viney (CB). UCLA has a lot to replace in the secondary. Alteraun Verner is the only returning corner who started last season. With a lot of open spots, Courtney Vinney has an opportunity to step-up and claim one for himself. He impressed the bleacher bums with his play on the scout team last season. He was named the Defensive Scout Team Player of the Year and along with those honors come some big expectations for 2008. He'll still have to fight for playing time with Michael Norris and some of the incoming freshman this fall. If he has a big spring then it could be his position to lose.

Glen Love (FS). Glen Love spent a good chunk of last season recovering from a shoulder injury he sustained in high school. Now the highly regarded red-shirt freshman is ready to compete for playing time at free safety. This is a position that's wide open and it likely won't get settled until sometime in the fall. Love is tall and big, standing tall at 6'4" and weighing close to 210 lbs. He has the physical skills to be a great safety but he'll have to battle for time with junior Aaron Ware.

Akeem Ayers (LB). Linebacker is another position with some slots to fill. Akeem Ayers looks to be one of the leading contenders for the job. He's a very athletic guy and he has a good frame for this position. He's making the move from defensive end into the linebacker spot and he could really excel here. Josh Edwards is hurt and that gives Ayers a chance to play with the first team this spring.

Steve Sloan (LB). I don't know if Sloan will overtake Reggie Carter for the starting spot middle linebacker role, but the Bruins really could use some depth at this position. I'm sure coach Howard is ready to start grooming someone to take over the position once Carter graduates after the 2009 season. Patrick Larimore is coming in this fall and the two will likely jokey for the Mike spot into the future.

Raymond Carter (RB). Big things were expected of Cater in the fall of 2007. All of those expectations came to a sudden halt when he tore his ACL on the second day of camp. Raymond likely won't participate in contact drills this spring. He hasn't completely recovered from knee surgery but assessing how well he has progressed will be important. He is expected to be 100% by fall camp, which will be just in time for him to fight for playing time against the talented freshman.

Sonny Tevaga (OG). It seems like the starting spots at offensive tackle and center are set with Kia, Lanis and Reed back. But the offensive guard spot is up in the air. It will be interesting to see if Sonny Tevaga, the younger brother of All PAC-10 guard Shannon Tevaga, can follow in his brother's footsteps. He's listed behind Nick Ekbatani on the depth chart, but Nick has been bumped from the starting spot a number of times through out his career. Tevaga could really push him for playing time.

Darius Savage (OG). He's in a similar boat. With the OG spot wide open, the big 335 lb Savage definitely has the size for the position. He's a strong guy with great upper body strength from competing in track and field. I like him on the o-line and I think the move was a good one from the defensive tackle spot. It seems like he was in the dog house with Dorrell's staff, so with a fresh start this might be his time to really shine.