Receivers get their chance

UCLA freshman receiver Dominique Johnson did not play this season but he has already gained an edge for next year, thanks to the extra practice time gained as a result of the Bruins’ appearance in next week’s Emerald Bowl.

“I’ve always been impressed with him,” Coach Karl Dorrell said about Johnson, a 6-foot-4, 205-pound wideout from Moreno Valley Valley View High who is redshirting this year. “He’s done a nice job on the offensive side, running through his stuff.”

After working with the scout team during the regular season, Johnson stood out in practices last week featuring the type of size UCLA’s passing game has missed this season.

“I pretty much figured that this would be a good time for me to start getting ready for next season,” Johnson said. “I want to be prepared to compete.”

Johnson said he grew as a player practicing against UCLA’s No. 1 defense this season and understands his unique role among the Bruins’ receivers.

“I used the scout team reps to work to make myself better by going over things I needed to improve on,” Johnson said.

“I know that I’m a big body guy who can go up and get the ball. I have a 6-8 wingspan and I know if you put the ball up in an area, I can go up and get it.”

The Bruins like Johnson’s combination of size and power-forward wingspan. With 6-4 senior Joe Cowan, who sat this season because of a knee injury, returning, UCLA expects to have size as an added dimension to its passing game next season.

UCLA will lose three senior receivers in Junior Taylor, Andrew Baumgartner and Matt Willis, who each have played key roles in the rotation.

Johnson is one of several players who will get a chance play more next season. They include sophomores Gavin Ketchum, Ryan Graves and Jamil Turner along with small but quick freshmen Terrence Austin and Jeremy McGee.

“It’s great to see people get some reps in,” sophomore quarterback Patrick Cowan said about UCLA’s young group of wideouts. “We’re still focused” on the Emerald Bowl, “but you can see that we’re also going to have some real good players next year.”

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Defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker, a hot coaching candidate at the NFL and college levels after the Bruins’ victory over USC, on returning to UCLA next season: “We have basically our whole defense back and we have a really good staff that’s fun to work with.”

Walker, who has agreed in principle to a one-year deal to remain at UCLA, said, “Dan Guerrero, Bobby Fields and Karl gave me an opportunity that I wasn’t getting. I just feel accepted here.”

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This season, UCLA played against eight teams that are in bowl games: Utah, Rice, Oregon, Notre Dame, California, Oregon, Arizona State and USC. The Bruins were 5-3 in those games.

lonnie.white@latimes.com