UCLA’s Giovanni Gentosi proves to be perfect fit as fullback
Giovanni Gentosi figured something unexpected might happen when he heard the plan.
UCLA coach Jim Mora informed his players before the spring game in April that the halftime interview subjects at Drake Stadium would include center Scott Quessenberry, linebacker Kenny Young … and Gentosi.
The first two players were obvious selections. Quessenberry was an All-Pac-12 Conference first-team member last season and Young was a returning star who is on the watch list for almost every award available to a defensive player.
Gentosi? The walk-on made a start at tight end last season, but the only statistic he logged was one tackle on special teams. There wasn’t much subject matter to cover in an interview.
“I kind of had a feeling something was happening,” Gentosi acknowledged last week.
His suspicions were correct. After some small talk about the importance of special teams, the interviewer revealed that Gentosi had been awarded a scholarship. His teammates swarmed him in celebration, whooping and hollering.
Mora later explained that Gentosi earned the scholarship because of his efforts to win the starting fullback job while he became a central component of the Bruins’ special teams and locker-room chemistry. Mora said that he usually awarded scholarships in private but wanted to recognize Gentosi in front of fans during the spring game because of a difficult personal situation he was enduring.
The pick-me-up moment had its intended effect on the redshirt junior.
“It was an awesome experience,” Gentosi said.
Gentosi became a valuable part of UCLA’s remade offense in training camp by capably using his 6-foot-2, 250-pound frame as a blocker and receiver out of the backfield. He said he liked new offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch’s plans for the fullbacks after the Bruins essentially abandoned the position over the second half of last season when they went back to a spread-type offense in the wake of an injury to starting quarterback Josh Rosen.
Gentosi said he anticipated the new offense to be more reliant on outside zone plays, which require the fullback to block for a tailback, who aims for a point outside the tight end unless an opening materializes that would allow him to cut upfield sooner.
The position switch seems to be a good fit for a player also experiencing life on scholarship for the first time.
“I feel at home at fullback,” Gentosi said, “so I can’t be more happy right now.”
Take a load off
Sophomore defensive tackle Boss Tagaloa celebrated an appreciable drop in body fat by treating himself to Fat Sal’s, the Westwood eatery where the menu includes high-calorie items such as buffalo chicken cheese fries.
“I let loose,” Tagaloa said. “I started going to Fat Sal’s because I was proud.”
Maybe it’s no coincidence that Tagaloa said he’s back up to 25% body fat after dipping as low as 21%. He’s down from his previous 28% body fat and he’s also dropped about 25 pounds, leaving 295 pounds spread over his 6-2 frame. Tagaloa said he’s noticed a difference in his ability to move laterally after the changes to his body.
Tagaloa’s experience isn’t unique among the Bruins. Several players said they shed body fat even if they didn’t necessarily lose much weight. Sophomore linebacker Lokeni Toailoa said he also reduced his body fat but wasn’t as forthcoming as Tagaloa about the specifics.
“It went down,” Toailoa said with a laugh. “It went down.”
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