UCLA OL Alex Redmond hires agent, won't play in Foster Farms Bowl
Well here's a curious one.
UCLA coach Jim Mora said Tuesday that offensive lineman Alex Redmond has left the team and would not play in Saturday night's Foster Farms Bowl. Redmond has hired an agent and is preparing for the NFL draft.
Redmond, a junior, was the team's starting right guard and started 10 games in 2015. He started eight games in 2014. According to the Orange County Register, Redmond's declaration for the draft puts the UCLA offensive line in a bit of a pickle.
That leaves the Bruins' depth along the offensive line thinner. Freshman guard/center Fred Ulu-Perry transferred to Hawaii earlier this month due to homesickness. Left guard Kenny Lacy is returning from an ankle injury that sidelined him for the second half of the USC game.
In place of Redmond, Caleb Benenoch may slide over to right guard, with Kolton Miller stepping in to start at right tackle.
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It's easy to wonder why he didn't want to wait to declare until after the game against Nebraska. What was the compelling reason to leave the team? Given the way that NFL teams evaluate prospects, it's easy to see many NFL executives looking at his decision to leave the team before the bowl game as a big negative barring a logical explanation.
Redmond was a four-star recruit in the class of 2013. He started every game for the Bruins as a true freshman.
For more UCLA news, visit BruinSportsReport.com.
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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
