UCLA Seeks a Fullback and Punter : College football: Donahue welcomes 104 players on Bruins’ first day of practice.

Coach Terry Donahue welcomed 104 football players to the first practice of his 20th UCLA football season Saturday morning and immediately launched a search for a punter and a fullback.

“Punting is one of our two most pressing needs,” Donahue said. “We need to get an idea as quickly as we can as to who can get it done there.

“It’s wide open between Justin Sogoian and Bob Ioja, who are true punters, and Chris Sailer, who’s a placekicker and punter.”

Sogoian transferred in January 1994 from Orange Coast College and redshirted last season. Ioja is a junior walk-on from Garden Grove and Sailer is a freshman from Sherman Oaks.

Donahue said the fullback candidates, all freshmen, are Jarvis Watson, Cheyane Caldwell and Craig Walendy.

Senior tailback James Milliner had several good runs over the right side on opening day, including a 15-yard scoring dash to cap the morning session.

Donahue said the quarterback position, meanwhile, “is Ryan Fien’s to lose.”

A junior, Fien was Wayne Cook’s relief man last season after sitting out most of the 1993 season because of a foot injury. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound Fien ran the offense in Saturday’s shorts-and-pads drills and seemed sharp.

The Bruins, who open against Miami at the Rose Bowl on Sept. 2, return 17 starters from last season’s 5-6 team, including All-American candidates Kevin Jordan at flanker and Jonathan Ogden at offensive tackle.

They continue with two-a-day drills until Aug. 23. After the Hurricanes, the Bruins play at Brigham Young Sept. 9 and open Pacific 10 play Sept. 16 at the Rose Bowl against conference champion Oregon.