UCLA linebacker Myles Jack never saw the field on offense in the Bruins' season-opening win over Virginia, and carried just three times Saturday in a narrow win over Memphis.
But the upward trend of offensive playing time for the two-way star will apparently continue.
"We would like to expand his role," Mora said, according to the Los Angeles Times. "It's a delicate dance because he is such a great linebacker. You can't take away what he does best and make him average at two things."
The sophomore is one of the top linebackers in the Pac-12 and his primary role is as one of the top performers on the Bruins' defense, which he proved to be as a freshman last season with 75 tackles and a team-high 11 pass break-ups. He already has 19 stops this season, with two break-ups, in two games. But with a 230-pound frame, he represents a tempting option for Mora's offense as a powerful rusher between the tackles. His 7.0 yards-per-carry average last year was the best among UCLA backs with more than three carries.
Mora said inserting Jack as a running back was a sideline consideration during the Virginia game, but the right opportunity never presented itself. As for the challenge of understanding the playbook on both sides of the ball, Mora said Jack doesn't have to understand the Bruins' offense in full.
"When you're a ballcarrier, you don't have to learn the entire scheme," Mora said. "We teach him to memorize what he has to do, then go out and perform. He's done this for a year now and has a better grasp of the game. It's easier for him to comprehend what we want him to do when we put in something new."
Jack's increased opportunity to run the ball will play on a big stage as the Bruins play Texas this Saturday.
*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter **@ChaseGoodbread.*
