Bragg Receives Praise for Efforts

The first day of hitting during spring football practice is usually dominated by big guys like linebackers and offensive and defensive linemen.

But that was not the case at UCLA on Monday.

Senior wide receiver Craig Bragg was one of the Bruins’ most consistent players.

“That’s a wide open group right there and we have only one guy that really has had any extensive playing time and that’s Craig,” UCLA Coach Karl Dorrell said about the Bruins’ group of wide receivers.

“He’s the only experienced one. So, [our wideouts] look different. They don’t look nice and crisp and clean like Craig.”

UCLA’s next two most experienced receivers are injured, Junior Taylor (hernia) and Joe Cowan (groin), and Bragg looks a lot like Torry Holt among the Bruins’ young group of wideouts.

Bragg, who added at least 10 pounds of muscle since the Silicon Valley Bowl in January, led the Bruins in receiving with 73 catches for 1,065 yards and five touchdowns.

The closest returning wideout in receptions was Taylor, who had 24 for 302 yards and one score.

“I wanted to get stronger and be able to carry myself throughout the season and maybe prepare myself for the next level,” said Bragg, who has moved from split end to flanker in an attempt to get him route options.

Behind Bragg, the Bruins are hoping that their younger players such as sophomore Idris Moss and freshmen Matthew Slater, Alex Ghebreselassie and Antwuan Smith step up this spring.

“We have to have quality depth and develop the third and fourth guys too in order to make the offense work,” Bragg said. “Everybody has to be a threat, whether you are a possession or a big-play receiver.

“I’m just trying to set an example that you have be there every day in order to get better.”

On Monday, UCLA’s receivers certainly dropped their share of passes.

“I just tell them to keep their heads up and to get [the dropped pass] out of your mind so you can catch the next one,” Bragg said.

“Everyone drops the ball at times.... You just have to focus in on what you have to do on the next play. That’s the key.”

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Quarterback David Koral, who transferred to UCLA from Santa Monica College, has displayed a strong arm and good leadership this spring, which has not gone unnoticed to Dorrell.

“I can honestly say that he’s gotten better with each practice,” Dorrell said of Koral, who began his collegiate career at Vanderbilt but left after the 2001 season.

“Hopefully, he’ll continue that. He has a nice arm and stands up tall in the pocket.... Once he gets more familiar with what we’re doing, he’ll be a good guy to add in our program.”

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Starting quarterback Drew Olson had a good practice on Monday despite a couple of bad throws.

Dorrell said he was pleased with Olson’s improvement in finding the right receiver to throw to.

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Center Mike McCoskey did not practice again on Monday because of a minor chest injury, which Dorrell said is bronchial and could keep him out until later in the week.