Ted Miller, ESPN Senior Writer 9y

Spring questions: UCLA

Spring practices end the retrospective glances at the last season and begin the forward-looking process towards the next fall. Departed players need to be replaced, returning starters need to get better and youngsters need to step up.

While some teams have more issues than others, every team has specific issues that will be front and center. So we begin a look at the main questions each Pac-12 team will address this spring.

Up next: UCLA

1. Who replaces Brett Hundley? Perhaps some folks are disappointed in how Hundley's final season went, but here's a guess that he'll be remembered as a transitional figure in Bruins football history, a three-year starter who returned the program to national relevance. Ergo, he left behind some big shoes to fill. Further, it's an interesting competition. You have redshirt junior Jerry Neuheisel, a guy with a familiar last name who came off the bench last season for an injured Hundley and led the Bruins to a victory over Texas. He's a scrapper with a good football IQ, but he's not going to blow you away with his arm or athleticism. Then you have true freshman Josh Rosen, who was rated among the best prep QBs in the 2015 recruiting class. Rosen has all the physical talent in the world, but you never know how quickly he'll pick things up and become comfortable. The transition from high school to the Pac-12 isn't easy and few true freshmen start at QB, at least for an A-list program like UCLA has become. A third option is sophomore Asiantii Woulard.

2. Who replaces Eric Kendricks? UCLA has become a bit of the Linebacker U of late, so there's some nice symmetry in hiring Tom Bradley, the former longtime Penn State defensive coordinator who was a big part of that program becoming 'Linebacker U', as the new defensive coordinator. But replacing Kendricks, the Butkus Award winner, won't be simply a matter of promoting the No. 2 guy from 2014, and not just because he's the program's all-time leading tackler. Kendrick was the defense's heart-and-soul -- a term used by former coordinator Jeff Ulbrich -- and the unit's unquestioned leader along with providing a great deal of production. Kenny Young, who made six starts and recorded 35 tackles as a freshman, is the heavy favorite to Kendrick's spot on the depth chart. But it will take some other guys stepping up -- paging Myles Jack -- to replace Kendricks' leadership.

3. Will the offensive line take a step forward? The UCLA offensive line will be as experienced as any in the Pac-12 in 2015, with five guys who have started at least 19 games returning. And while the Bruins offensive line was maligned last season, it did lead the Pac-12's No. 2 rushing attack, which averaged 210 yards per game and 4.9 yards per carry. Pass protection was an issue, as the Bruins yielded a league-worst 41 sacks. Only 15 of those sacks came after game five, indicating an improvement. Still, if the goal is to be dominant line that leads a national title contender, the Bruins need more consistency up front. It will be interesting to see how things play out. The Bruins have junior college transfer Zach Bateman already on campus, and he might push a returning starter, particularly with oft-injured Simon Goines' status far from certain. There could be some shuffling as Adrian Klemm looks for the best five guys.

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