Spring practice brings plenty of questions

You have questions, we have answers about UCLA football.

Question: I was wondering about the status of running back Raymond Carter, who injured his knee last year in spring practice?

David DeCamp

Answer: Carter, who tore his anterior cruciate ligament in training camp in August, has been cleared to do light drills during spring practice and should be ready to go by training camp in August.

Kahlil Bell is another matter. He tore his ACL in late October, and I think it’s doubtful he’d be ready the opener.

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Q: It doesn’t sound like the offensive line was an area of focus in the recruiting class that Coach Neuheisel inherited. Is there any indication Neuheisel will look for any talented junior college transfers to shore up this weakness?

Charles Carter

West Hills

A: The Bruins must create a line out of players who, for the most part, have no experience and have yet to live up to the potential that earned them a scholarship. The offensive line is a high priority in recruiting this year, as is the defensive line. Coaches are hoping a few will be up to the task, and it can happen. Micah Reed did that last year and now he’s the rock they’ll build around at center.

UCLA was able to sign several skill players (receivers, running backs, defensive backs) this past year, so it has to fill in the blanks elsewhere this year. The trouble is, high-end offensive linemen are hard to come by, and UCLA may have to look out of state. I do know they are working hard to land Michael Philipp from Arroyo Valley High School (as are many others). As for community college transfers, it’s a possibility if they find the right guys, but they are more likely to go that route to get immediate help on the defensive line.

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Q: What do you think of the chances of quarterback Kevin Craft actually winning the starting gig at UCLA?

Rocbloc

A: Right now, his chances are as good as anybody’s. Coaches are going to evaluate all five quarterbacks (Ben Olson, Patrick Cowan, Osaar Rasshan, Chris Forcier and Craft) early in spring practice, then thin the herd. Every indication I get is they like Craft and expect him to be in the mix. He was not just an insurance policy in case a quarterback or two transferred after the coaching change.

The quarterback situation does need to be resolved, though it may carry into August. But the offensive line is a greater concern. If UCLA doesn’t solve that, the Bruins may need all five quarterbacks next season. After all, they needed four last season.

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Q: Will UCLA redshirt quarterback Nick Crissman this year to build up his size and strength? Also, will any of this year’s incoming class be participating in spring practice?

J Yeyna

A: I can’t see them doing anything but having Crissman sit out a year. Most incoming freshmen do, especially quarterbacks. Look at last season, with all the quarterback problems UCLA had, they still held out Chris Forcier. Why burn a year of Crissman’s eligibility when you have five quarterbacks already?

As for spring practice, none of the incoming freshmen can participate. Craft can because he enrolled in classes and is now a UCLA student.

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Q: Is the public allowed to attend UCLA football practices? If so, what are the dates and times and where are the practices (I assume Spalding field)? Do you know if photography is allowed?

Homer Hernandez

A: All UCLA spring practices are open to the public. Spalding Field will be the site of every practice except the spring game, which will be at the Rose Bowl on April 26. As for photography, coaches are always a little edgy about that. They allow newspapers to shoot only the first 30 minutes of practice. While I could not get an official answer from the university right away, my hunch is if you take out a camera you’ll get your official answer in a hurry.

Here are the practice dates:

Week 1: April 3 and April 4 (3:55 p.m.), Saturday (11 a.m.).

Week 2: April 7 and April 8 (3:55 p.m.), April 12 (11 a.m.)

Week 3: April 14, April 15 and April 17 (3:55 p.m.), April 18 (7 p.m.)

Week 4: April 21, April 22, April 24 (3:55 p.m., April 26 (spring game at the Rose Bowl, 7 p.m.).

Have a question about UCLA football for Chris? E-mail him at chris.foster@latimes.com