Colts met with physical, versatile UCLA offensive lineman
Colts met with physical, versatile UCLA offensive lineman The Colts met with a versatile UCLA offensive lineman at the Tropical Bowl earlier this offseason.
The Indianapolis Colts continue to look heavily into the offensive line and defensive line position groups in this year's NFL draft.
In an interview with Justin Melo of The Draft Network, UCLA offensive lineman Josh Carlin mentioned that he met with the Indianapolis Colts at the Tropical Bowl. Carlin also met with Houston and Dallas there as well.
"Those three teams knew a good bit about me," Carlin told Melo. "They like my versatility and how that's the biggest aspect of my game. They appreciate that I've had some great coaches and how that played a role in my time at UCLA."
Carlin is listed at 6-5 - 310 pounds and played mostly right guard at UCLA--over 1,400 career snaps during two seasons as a starter--but he has some center experience as well.
In 2023, Carlin allowed only two sacks and 10 pressures on 478 pass-blocking snaps. He was one of the better-ranked guards by PFF's pass-blocking efficiency metric. However, this past season, he allowed five sacks and 29 pressures over 500 pass-blocking snaps.
Over his two seasons as a starter, Carlin graded out as an average run-blocker by PFF's metrics.
The offensive line is a position that the Colts very much need to add to. Depth along the interior and at tackle are very much needs, not to mention that competition at right guard wouldn't be a bad thing either.
"I love playing in a phone booth," Carlin added. "Obviously, you want to be physical as an offensive lineman. Coach Castillo always said physicality isn't about being the loudest or biggest guy. It's about finishing and playing with terrific effort. That shows your physicality as an offensive lineman."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NBC Sports
3 hours ago
- NBC Sports
Rivals Camp Series: The five best QBs of the 2025 regionals
Editor's Note: This article first appeared on the leader in college football and basketball recruiting coverage. Be the first to know and follow your teams by signing up here. The regional stops of the Rivals Camp Series is in the books with the Rivals Five-Star at the Indianapolis Colts' practice facility coming up later this month. Today, we look at the best players at each position through the regional events starting with quarterback. RIVALS CAMP SERIES: Rivals Five-Star heading back to Indy | Rivals Five-Star roster | Schedule/info CLASS OF 2026 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State CLASS OF 2027 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State TRANSFER PORTAL: Full coverage | Player ranking | Team ranking | Transfer search | Transfer Tracker Houston showed in Dallas that he has all the traits of an elite quarterback and it's why USC has made him its top priority in the 2027 class and many others, including Oklahoma, Georgia, Texas, Texas A&M and LSU, are staying involved. The Shreveport (La.) Evangel Christian high four-star is not the biggest quarterback in the world but that's what everyone said about Kyler Murray, Bryce Young and so many others. In today's game, quarterback height is less important than ever before. Houston is a playmaker and even if a camp setting isn't the best for him, the four-star still delivered in a major way. Over the last few days, Jarrard has visited Purdue, Notre Dame and Clemson and heading into the Atlanta camp he had received offers from Georgia and Ohio State as the 2027 four-star from Kennesaw (Ga.) North Cobb is one of the hottest quarterbacks in the entire country. The ball pops off Jarrard's hand. He has velocity, timing and everything else to back up all the attention he's received on the recruiting trail. The Atlanta Camp was loaded at quarterback and even though Jarrard didn't win the MVP award, he was definitely impressive and one of the best QBs at any Rivals regional camp. To beat out Teddy Jarrard, North Carolina commit Travis Burgess, Mississippi State pledge Brodie McWhorter and others for the MVP award, Johnson had a phenomenal performance at the Atlanta camp which was one of many this offseason. The 2027 four-star quarterback from Valdosta (Ga.) Lowndes was sharp, showed off great arm talent, had a clean motion throughout the event and then seemed to get better and better throughout the camp. It was a close race at the top but Johnson edged out some other elite quarterbacks. The five-star quarterback was fantastic as always at the Los Angeles stop and what's even more impressive is that a camp setting is not where Lyons does his best work. The Folsom, Calif., standout sat in the pocket and zipped passes all over the field. He knows when to dial it back a little bit and has such an unreal feel for receivers and immediately having chemistry with them. Lyons is best when he can freelance a little bit, escape pressure and make magic happen and that's not a camp setting but he was still great. Oregon, BYU, Michigan and others continue after him. It's hard to believe that Wade is a 2028 prospect because he has all the tools and is physically developed enough that it wouldn't be a shock to anyone if he reclassified because he doesn't need three more high school seasons. He's now the guy at Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy and he should shine because he is a special prospect who will clearly be under five-star consideration. Wade was arguably the best quarterback at the loaded Los Angeles event, which is always so deep at the position. Even still, the 2028 prospect stood out. He has the total package from decision-making to arm talent and beyond. Oregon, Texas and others have already made an impression.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Former UCLA AD expects Elliott to thrive at UH
The University of Hawai'i Board of Regents will meet on Monday, June 16, to vote on the approval of Matt Elliott as the next athletics director for the Rainbow Warriors. Elliott, most recently with the Hawai'i Community Foundation, spent 13 years in athletic administration at UCLA, including as chief strategy officer. He played a key role in leading the Bruins into the Big Ten Conference. According to former UCLA athletics director Dan Guerrero, Elliott is well prepared to thrive in his new role at UH. 'Well, it became very obvious the first time I met Matt that he had something special,' Guerrero said. 'Over the course of 10 years that he was with me, he proved that he was one of the finest administrators that I've had the ability to work with.' Guerrero, who was inducted into the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) 2021 Hall of Fame class, noted that Elliott's path into athletics administration was unconventional. 'When I first met him, he was a very successful attorney working for Ropes & Gray out of Boston in their sports practice,' Guerrero said. 'He was working with agents, writing contracts, doing compliance and infractions issues, all those kinds of things. But he wanted to work on a campus, to be involved with student-athletes. For him to leave a prestigious law firm and a great salary to essentially walk into an entry-level compliance role at a major university took a huge leap of faith. We sort of bet on each other, and it all turned out exactly as I thought it would. He'll be special for Hawai'i.' Guerrero believes Elliott's nontraditional background is a particular strength in today's rapidly evolving college athletics landscape. 'For him to bring experiences from outside the traditional world of college athletics adds value,' Guerrero said. 'In the 10 years he was at UCLA, he was among the very best. He knows how to win. He's been around it, working with national championship coaches and student-athletes. But he also knows the other parts of the business, the parts that can make or break you. 'I put him in charge of all our risk management. It was a natural fit with his background, and the policies and protocols he implemented saved us many times. He brings that perspective while also managing budgets, working with coaches and student-athletes, and building relationships both internally and externally.' Looking ahead to Elliott's transition to Hawai'i, Guerrero acknowledged the unique challenges of running a Division I program in the islands. 'Obviously, the geographic situation creates an innate challenge for any athletics program there,' Guerrero said. 'It takes a village, no one does this in a vacuum. You have to build authentic relationships to get the support you need. That requires hard work, really busting your tail to make inroads with the right people. 'One of Matt's strengths is in governmental relations. At UCLA, he was my point person on that. He often testified to the state legislature on my behalf. He understands that politics play a big part in being successful on any campus, but especially in Hawai'i, where everyone is invested in the welfare of the university and the athletics department. Matt can navigate those waters successfully.' Elliott was selected by UH president Wendy Hensel to be the next athletics director. If approved by the Board of Regents on Monday, he will officially take over the role. Stay with KHON2 Sports, on-air and online, for continuing coverage. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Miami Herald
6 hours ago
- Miami Herald
UCLA, Penn State deny reports of private equity funding from Elevate
UCLA and Penn State have denied a report Monday by Sportico that they have partnered with consulting firm Elevate to receive funding from its $500 million College Investment Initiative. Elevate formally announced the initiative earlier Monday and told news outlets that two schools had signed up with the project. However, UCLA and Penn State officials each denied Sportico's reporting that they have engaged with the new fund. Both schools said they're partnered with Elevate for ticketing operations but not for private equity. The College Investment Initiative is backed by Velocity Capital Management and the Texas Permanent School Fund. The idea behind the initiative is to offer capital to schools for revenue-generating projects -- like NIL platforms or athletic venue upgrades. Boise State athletic director Jeramiah Dickey told Front Office Sports that his university is 'actively considering' private equity and hopes to have a deal set within the next six months. Field Level Media 2025 - All Rights Reserved
