LOS ANGELES — UCLA cornerbacks coach Kodi Whitfield was facing pressure from his players.
The signature bucket hat that he had faithfully worn every day of practice was getting to be too much for them. There were sweat stains and enough wear and tear to remind the corners of Yeezy Season 3 – a high-fashion line by Kanye West that featured worn-in, distressed garments.
Whitfield finally buckled and switched to a visor. The minor conflict and its result is just one example of the camaraderie that has helped develop one of the deepest position groups UCLA has this season.
“When we have that connection, it’s a lot easier to coach them harder,” Whitfield said. “You always want to love them just as hard as you coach them.”
The secondary could have a bigger role in UCLA’s defense this season as the Bruins work to rebuild the pass rush to match the efficiency of last season.
Cornerbacks like Devin Kirkwood, who had seven multi-tackle games last season, are poised for bigger roles. He’s also the tallest corner of the group at 6-foot-3, followed by Kanye Clark and Jaylin Davies, who are both 6-foot.
“Being a big long corner, you’re always going to be concerned with your pad level,” Whitfield said. “You’re 6-4, but can you play with the 5-8 guys? Can you play with the 5-10 guys? He’s one of those guys who’s big and long who likes to get hands-on.”
The group’s chemistry doesn’t just come from patrolling Whitfield’s wardrobe, either. Multiple corners and other members of the secondary stayed in the area over summer break to do off-the-field work and spend time together.
Kirkwood and Davies have trained together since playing 7-on-7 football with and against each other in middle school. The two are still frequently paired up with each other for one-on-one drills during individual periods at practices.
“He always knows what I’m capable of, I know what he’s capable of,” Davies said. “So if somebody’s slacking, we’ll pick each other up and make sure everybody’s cool.”
Kaylin Moore, a transfer from Cal and an Oaks Christian product, has drawn Whitfield’s attention. The coach said that his intelligence and footwork could turn him into a player who is on the field for 50 or 60 plays.
Clark has versatility and Whitfield said he’s put on roughly 10 pounds of muscle since spring. The former walk-on has also been seen returning kicks at practice during special teams periods.
The cornerbacks added former player Shea Pitts into the mix as coach after he returned from a fellowship with the Kansas City Chiefs. Both Pitts and Whitfield are hands-on with their players, jumping into drills and physically going up against players.
“Our job as coaches is really to teach,” Whitfield said. “There’s going to be guys who need to see a drill to see it demonstrated and that’s where Coach Pitts, having played recently, helps demonstrate all those drills. He can compete against those guys and just raise that level of intensity, too.”
The cornerback coaches reciprocate the pressure from their players. The test will be if they can turn it on against opponents when the season starts on Aug. 31 at Hawai’i.
