LOS ANGELES — The UCLA Bruins just finished their first open practice for the general public on Saturday, allowing fans to see what the team will look like in 2023.
As senior quarterback Ethan Garbers took the first-team reps with the offense, he and senior tight end Moliki Matavao were in connection all day long.
"I think its a testament to what we've done before camp, before anything really happened, we were out here all the time during summer just working out with Ethan getting good connection." Said Matavao.
"Ethan makes sure we all know we gotta do more, meet up in the meeting rooms and all that. So I think that's what's kind of a testament to who we are as an offense right now."
As Garbers would look for Matavao as a safety window in Saturday's practice, the two met multiple times in the screen game, including one that went for a 25-yard touchdown.
Last season, the quarterback position saw a lot of change until the last six games of the season where Garbers earned his first start against California.
In Garbers first two starts, he was very solid early on. Most notably in his second start against the Colorado Buffalo where he went 20-27 with two passing touchdowns for 269 yards and one interception in a UCLA 28-16 win.
After starting his collegiate career at Oregon, Matavao transferred to UCLA after the 2022 season. Last year, he played in 13 games for the Bruins and had just 14 receptions for 283 yards and two touchdowns.
Despite not being a focal point in the offense last season, Matavao looked destined on Saturday to make a leap in 2024.
As UCLA is moving on from Chip Kelly to new head coach Deshaun Foster this season, the Bruins' offense will have a much different look this season as they will be no longer play as much in the spread and will be playing in a more pro-style offense under new offensive coordinator Eric Bienemy.
Bienemy has a rich resume when it comes to the success of the quarterback and tight end position, most notably during his time in the NFL, serving as the offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Cheifs and the connection between Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce.
As Foster has seen the newly revamped UCLA offense, he had nothing but positive things to say about his senior quarterback.
"Ethan has kind of pulled away from the rest of those guys." Said Foster.
"It's not really them pushing him anymore. It's more of him pushing himself.
Offensive Line update
As the Bruins lineman moved away for one one-on-one drills, redshirt junior right tackle Garret DiGiorgio was slow to get up during practice and needed help to get back to the Bruins medical team.
After spending a short amount of time with the medical staff, DiGiorgio was back in drills with tape on his left ankle.
DiGorgio has been a key player on the offensive line as he has not missed a game over the last two years.