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Freshmen Nominated for Supporting Roles

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Times Staff Writer

With the uncertain status of injured junior cornerback Michael Norris, UCLA will probably feature two freshmen -- Alterraun Verner and Jeremy McGee -- in backup roles for Saturday’s season opener against Utah at the Rose Bowl.

“[He’s] been a bright spot for us since he’s arrived here,” Coach Karl Dorrell said about Verner, who has been working behind starting right cornerback Rodney Van.

“So he’s been very, very entrenched with what we have been doing defensively,” Dorrell said. “He’s solidified himself as being a solid backup for us and he will also play some special teams for us.”

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McGee, who moved from tailback to cornerback a week ago, will also be a special-teams regular and has been working as No. 2 left cornerback behind Trey Brown.

“It makes me feel good as an athlete to be switched like this because it looks like I can really help the team,” McGee said. “That makes me know that they want me to contribute.”

In high school, McGee -- who attended McKinley High in Baton Rouge, La., as a senior after being forced to leave New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, was mainly used on offense and as a kick returner. But in his first week playing defense at UCLA, McGee made major strides and displayed some noticeable skills at cornerback.

“We moved him over to defense and he is slowly getting better and better,” Dorrell said. “You can tell he’s starting to get more comfortable each day he has a chance to work over there.... He’ll catch up because he’s a pretty dynamic little player. He’s a very explosive kid.”

McGee said two things are holding him back: learning the defense and remembering that he’s no longer on offense.

“I’m so used to being on the same side of the ball with the speed, now I have to check them, that’s been one challenge,” McGee said. “And I can’t just go out there and go yet because I have to get my assignments down. But I’m going to get those things down. I’m going to be fine.”

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The X-factor to UCLA’s defense this season could be junior end Bruce Davis. After struggling to find a role with the Bruins the last two years, Davis has emerged as a big-play defender for first-year defensive line coach Todd Howard.

“He has a lot of athletic ability,” Howard said about Davis, who made 28 tackles, including six for losses, last season. “I’d be very surprised if he doesn’t have double-digit sacks this year.... If he does everything that I ask him to do and plays with proper technique, he’s going to have more than 10 sacks.”

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Dorrell on sophomore safety Robert Kibble, who has been with the team but sidelined because of a recent multiple sclerosis relapse: “Kibble is getting better, day after day. He’s in good spirits right now.... There’s no timetable for when we would want him back in full gear. We just want to make sure health-wise, he’s at a pretty good point for getting his health back.”

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UCLA, which plays in the Pacific 10 Conference, finished 10-2 last season and defeated Northwestern in the Sun Bowl. Utah, which plays in the Mountain West Conference, finished 7-5 and beat Georgia Tech in the Emerald Bowl. UCLA and Utah were unranked in preseason polls, but the Utes received 52 votes and the Bruins none by AP voters. In voting for the USA Today top 25, Utah picked up 84 votes to UCLA’s 29.

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