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One year after torn ACL, UCLA tight end Hudson Habermehl fights his way back

UCLA tight end Hudson Habermehl smiles after scoring a touchdown against Boise State during the 2023 L.A. Bowl at SoFi Stadium. (Ryan Sun / Associated Press) Just over a year ago, UCLA tight end Hudson Habermehl endured the toughest moment of his Bruins career — a spring injury that abruptly cut short his push to become a go-to starter. '1 year ago, today. 2 surgeries later,' Habermehl wrote on his X account, marking the anniversary of his torn ACL with a video and photo from the day of the injury. Advertisement Last spring, Habermehl suffered a noncontact injury minutes before practice ended — a moment those in attendance described as filled with screams of anguish. It left new head coach DeShaun Foster visibly distraught. The past 365 days have been an uphill battle for the redshirt senior, who has spent the past year working his way back from injury — a journey tight ends coach Jerry Neuheisel described as especially difficult to overcome. UCLA tight end Hudson Habermehl scores a touchdown against rival USC at the Coliseum on Nov. 18, 2023. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 'He'll be honest with you — I think it's been hard,' Neuheisel said. 'When you've been out that long and you want it so bad, it's hard to feel like you're away from the team.' Advertisement The plan isn't to rush Habermehl back onto the field, according to Neuheisel. Habermehl has spent much of his time by Neuheisel's side, watching film and standing on the sideline with the practice script in hand, stepping in as 'Coach Habermehl.' Habermehl has embraced a leadership role, coaching up the younger tight ends on the roster. While not ideal, his absence has allowed the group to earn valuable reps. The tight end group features a mix of talent and experience, with freshmen Noah Flores and Dylan Sim developing more quickly than expected for incoming players. Then there's Peter Bario, the former defensive end turned end-zone target, and Jack Pederson, the redshirt sophomore coming into his own as a leader and the presumed starter until Habermehl returns to contend for the job. Although Pederson is fighting for a starting role, he has been supportive of Habermehl, driving him to the physical therapist during the early stages of his recovery. Advertisement Read more: UCLA opens spring football workouts with all 19 transfers in place 'I remember numerous times we picked him up or took him,' Pederson said. 'It's tough to move around, and he was trying to do whatever he could to get back as fast as possible. So any way we could help — taking him to physical therapy, taking him wherever he needed. And he was never afraid to give a shout to any of us, because we'd be the first ones there to help him out.' 'He's a great teammate, but an even better friend,' Pederson added. For now, Habermehl's recovery has been gradual. He has spent most of UCLA's spring practice on the sideline, mixing in resistance band work and box jumps. Advertisement During the past few weeks, however, Neuheisel says the veteran tight end has started participating in team walk-throughs and teaching periods, showing noticeable improvement in his speed and taking meaningful strides in his recovery. 'He's feeling great,' Neuheisel said. 'He's running faster — he hit like 18 miles an hour. He'll be ready to go for fall camp, and I know he's fired up for it.' Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.