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UCLA Coach Jim Mora: Spring practice ends with fluid depth chart

UCLA Coach Jim Mora, shown on the sidelines with the Seattle Seahawks in 2009.
(Jonathan Ferrey / Getty Images)
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UCLA Coach Jim Mora released the Bruins’ depth chart Monday.

And …

“It’s not worth the paper it’s printed on, and that’s 2 1/2 cents a sheet,” Mora said. “It’s as fluid as water. It changes daily.”

To underscore that, there are five players listed at the top of their positions who barely participated in spring practice because of injuries -- guard Wade Yandall (concussion), safety Andrew Abbott (knee surgery), tackle Torian White (hip injury), wide receiver Ricky Marvray (back surgery) and linebacker Jordan Zumwalt (bruised kidney).

Still, even if Mora still has decisions to make, he is upbeat as he heads into summer.

“No one coming out of spring talked about feeling that we’re anywhere close to where we need to be or anywhere close to where we will be, but we got a group of kids who will do what is necessary to get there,” Mora said during a conference call Monday.

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The details are to come. The starting quarterback will be named on Aug. 16. Adjustments on both sides of the ball are expected -- running back Dalton Hilliard has been moved to safety and outside linebacker Damien Holmes could shift inside if the need arises.

Mora, though admitting there is a lot of work to be done, said, “I like this team.”

The team will certainly change. There will be 24 freshman arriving this summer, giving the Bruins 94 scholarship players, nine over the NCAA limit.

Mora expects attrition to occur in the coming weeks.

“We’ve got decisions to make and some guys have to make decisions,” Mora said. “We want kids who are tough, accountable and competitive. We made spring tough as we could, a fight-or-flight atmosphere. There are a couple guys who are half in and half out.”

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Mora singled out wide receiver Jerry Johnson, defensive end Cassius Marsh and fullback David Allen among those who had improved their standing during spring practice. He also said that defensive tackle Ellis McCarthy, defensive back Ishmael Adams and tackle Simon Goines were among the incoming freshmen.

Meanwhile the status of Yandall and safety Alex Mascarenas (concussion) remains to be determined. But Mora was confident that linebacker Patrick Larimore (concussion) would be able to play.

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UCLA Coach Jim Mora: Spring practice ends with fluid depth chart

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