Linebackers Switch Up

It’s a subtle switch, one that only the hard-core UCLA football fan will probably discern. But it is significant, nonetheless.

Brandon Chillar, the Bruins’ strong-side outside linebacker in 2002, has moved to weak-side inside linebacker this season, and Spencer Havner, the weak-side linebacker in 2002, is now on the strong side.

That means that Havner, a 6-foot-4, 233-pound sophomore, often will line up opposite the tight end and will be blitzing more, and Chillar, a 6-3, 230-pound senior, will have more freedom to roam in both run and pass coverage.

“In the personality of our defense, and with the individual skills they bring to the table, we felt both of them would benefit from the switch,” said Larry Kerr, UCLA defensive coordinator.

“I like Brandon’s inside presence more. He’s a little more physical of a player with great speed. Spencer is a very good open-field player, he covers the pass well and is good on the outside blitz. That’s why this really made sense to us.”

Both players, who will flank middle linebacker Justin London, welcomed the switch, although the demands of the new position will require Havner to be even more physical at times than he was last season, when he ranked second on the team with 96 tackles and tied for the team lead with seven pass blocks.

“I’ll be covering receivers more and will man up on the tight end a lot more,” Havner said. “Wrestling with tight ends can be hectic at times. There’s a lot of big dudes at that position in the conference.”

Chillar won’t miss that aspect of the strong-side position.

“This is more fun because I’m off the ball now, I get to run around a lot more, and I don’t have to fight with the tight end as much,” Chillar said. “Tight ends are some of the best athletes on the field. They’re big and they can run.”

UCLA’s linebackers are considered the strength of a defense the Bruins believe will be among the best in the Pacific 10 Conference, and the trio will get an immediate test in Saturday’s opener at Colorado, which rolled up 504 total yards, including 402 passing, in Saturday’s 42-35 win over Colorado State.

Kerr and Coach Karl Dorrell decided on the Chillar-Havner switch after spring practice. After two weeks of training camp, they’re convinced that it will make the Bruin defense even better.

“So far,” Kerr said, “I have no doubt we made the right move.”

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Freshman tailback Maurice Drew is second behind starter Tyler Ebell on the Bruin depth chart and will be a significant contributor, but Dorrell hasn’t determined how he will allocate playing time between the two.

“Backs are a little different,” Dorrell said. “Tyler is the starter, and if he gets in a rhythm and is moving the offense ... it’s like Michael Jordan, when he gets hot, you don’t want to pull him out of the game. [Drew] will get some plays, but the ratio will be determined by the feel of the game.”

Though Ebell missed four days of the first week of practice because of fatigue and was limited during the second week of camp, Dorrell said that won’t affect how he uses Ebell in games.

“That was more from the rigors of two-a-days,” Dorrell said. “When he takes a snap in practice, he’s going full speed, and when you do that in two-a-days, your body is going to get worn down naturally.

“Now that [we’ve ended] that part of camp, I don’t anticipate him having any setbacks,” he said.