LOS ANGELES – UCLA was chosen to finish fourth in the annual Pac-12 Conference preseason poll of league media members. On Friday morning, UCLA senior offensive lineman Jon Gaines II and senior safety Stephan Blaylock join head coach Chip Kelly to represent the Bruins at Pac-12 Football Media Day in downtown Los Angeles.
Blaylock owns the longest games started streak on the team at 31 games and has appeared in 43 contests overall. He has ranked among the top five on the team in tackles in each of the past three seasons. In 2021, Blaylock was credited with a career-high tying 11 tackles in a win over Colorado. He recorded at least five tackles in five 2022 games including eight at Arizona, five in the victory at USC, to go along with six-each in games against both Utah and Fresno State.
Gaines II started all 12 games last season along the offensive line. He handled the first snap as the center in the first two contests of the season and then also started games at tackle and guard during the course of the campaign. Gaines' blocking efforts helped pave the way for a Bruin rushing attack which averaged 215.1 yards per game and produced a 1,000-yard rusher. The Bruins ranked 14th nationally in rushing offense and registered back-to-back 200 yards-plus rushing averages for the first time since the mid-1980's.
This is the first season that the Pac-12 Football Championship Game will feature the two teams with the highest conference winning percentage. This change came about following the NCAA Division I Council's decision to deregulate the rule that had limited an individual conference's autonomy to determine their championship game participants. As a result, this year's Pac-12 standings will be listed from places one through twelve and that is reflected in the 2022 preseason poll.
2022 Pac-12 Preseason Football Media Poll
Blaylock owns the longest games started streak on the team at 31 games and has appeared in 43 contests overall. He has ranked among the top five on the team in tackles in each of the past three seasons. In 2021, Blaylock was credited with a career-high tying 11 tackles in a win over Colorado. He recorded at least five tackles in five 2022 games including eight at Arizona, five in the victory at USC, to go along with six-each in games against both Utah and Fresno State.
Gaines II started all 12 games last season along the offensive line. He handled the first snap as the center in the first two contests of the season and then also started games at tackle and guard during the course of the campaign. Gaines' blocking efforts helped pave the way for a Bruin rushing attack which averaged 215.1 yards per game and produced a 1,000-yard rusher. The Bruins ranked 14th nationally in rushing offense and registered back-to-back 200 yards-plus rushing averages for the first time since the mid-1980's.
This is the first season that the Pac-12 Football Championship Game will feature the two teams with the highest conference winning percentage. This change came about following the NCAA Division I Council's decision to deregulate the rule that had limited an individual conference's autonomy to determine their championship game participants. As a result, this year's Pac-12 standings will be listed from places one through twelve and that is reflected in the 2022 preseason poll.
2022 Pac-12 Preseason Football Media Poll
- Utah (26 first-place votes) 384 (total points)
- Oregon (2) 345
- USC (5) 341
- UCLA 289
- Oregon State 246
- Washington 212
- Washington State 177
- Stanford 159
- California 154
- Arizona State 123
- Arizona 86
- Colorado 58