Freshman Drew Has Senior Savvy

The true measure of running back Maurice Drew’s development is that two weeks into training camp, Coach Karl Dorrell no longer looks at him as a freshman.

“I wouldn’t feel any different about Maurice right now if he was a sophomore or junior,” Dorrell said when asked if he had been careful not to overload the former Concord De La Salle High star early in camp.

“He’s shown he can learn our system. He’s like any other player who just happens to be a freshman. Usually, these are not advantageous situations for freshmen, but there are always a few who are a little sharper picking things up, who are more mature than others.”

Drew, whose high school teams went 51-0 in four years, has been the whiz kid of Bruin camp, speeding up the depth chart as if he’s in the car-pool lane and the other backs are stuck in traffic.

With injuries to Jason Harrison and Derrick Williams and the departure of Wendell Mathis, who left UCLA on Monday and is expected to transfer to Fresno State, the 5-foot-8, 195-pound Drew could open the season as the No. 2 tailback behind starter Tyler Ebell.

Only one true freshman running back has made a significant impact at UCLA -- DeShaun Foster, who rushed for 673 yards in 1998.

“He’s a gifted athlete, very talented,” running back coach Eric Bieniemy, who started as a freshman at Colorado in 1987, said of Drew. “The thing he has to understand now is, he’s been put in a situation where he can immediately help us, so he can’t think of himself as a true freshman. You immediately have to grow up.”

Drew was impressive in Saturday’s scrimmage, rushing for 45 yards in 11 carries. On one run, he broke a tackle and turned a five-yard loss into a seven-yard gain.

Drew is quickly adjusting to the speed and complexity of the college game, but there are nuances he is still learning.

“Reading the blitzes and the coverage schemes in college is a lot more advanced than high school,” Drew said. “You have to be able to read the body language [of the defenders]. I have to get that in my brain each week.”

Conditioning has also been an issue. Drew has looked drained after some running drills and was particularly gassed after Sunday’s practice. But there is a reason: He has asthma.

“Some things just set it off, and my lungs shut down a little bit,” Drew said. “I have to keep my inhaler around at all times, but I forgot it [Sunday], and that killed me.”

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Dorrell said Mathis, a former Merced High standout, left UCLA “for personal reasons.”

Mathis hinted at transferring after Ebell had become the starting tailback midway through 2002, and with Ebell, Drew and Akil Harris ahead of him in camp, Mathis’ playing time would have dwindled. An ankle injury early in camp didn’t help his cause.

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Ebell, out since Thursday because of fatigue, was cleared to rejoin the Bruins for Monday afternoon’s practice after a urine test came up negative.... Defensive back Nnamdi Ohaeri, sidelined because of a heart murmur, practiced in pads for the first time Monday.... Matt Moore continued to pull away from Drew Olson in the battle for the starting quarterback job. Moore took about 60% of the repetitions Monday.... Dorrell said Ryan Smith, who is more of a possession receiver, had the edge over breakaway threat Junior Taylor in the bid to replace academically ineligible flanker Tab Perry.