UCLA Offense Takes Another Hit

The UCLA offense is a little thin these days, what with starting quarterback Patrick Cowan and backup Ben Olson already nursing various injuries. Cowan is actually lost for the entire 2008 season after tearing his ACL, and Olson suffered a broken right foot late in spring ball and should miss most of the off-season training sessions. But now the offensive line has joined in, as projected starting right tackle Sean Sheller could be on the shelf for some time.

According to the LA Times, Sheller was injured over the weekend while riding an ATV. He suffered an open wound on his left ankle as well as an undisclosed injury to his left knee. An MRI is pending on the knee to determine how much damage was actually done in the accident.

An interesting angle is that the LA Times also reports in the same story that UCLA gained a JC tackle in Donovan Edwards. Edwards is a late signee who could be eligible to play immediately this fall, pending summer school results.

The troubling thing for UCLA is what this does to an already-thin offensive line. It's bad enough when you are without a couple of QB's and it's only June. But the Bruins were already down to two returning starters up front with the "Micah" duo of Micah Reed at center and Micah Kia at left tackle. Overall eight of the top 10 listed on the offensive line depth chart didn't even play a single snap last year, so potentially losing Sheller isn't exactly good news.