ESPN College Football

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

Word out of UCLA is improvement on the offensive line shouldn't be measured by how well anyone blocks Brian Price. That's because the Bruins defensive tackle has been mostly unblockable.

"It's hard to block a man on a mission," he explained.

Price led all interior Pac-10 defensive linemen last year with 14 tackles for a loss. He also had 4.5 sacks. And it wasn't like the 6-foot-2, 295-pound powerhouse was surprising an unsuspecting guard.

Everyone knew that Price required special attention, but the inevitable double-team didn't always work. That's a big reason Price, a junior, could play his way into the first round of the NFL draft this season.

"Every player thinks about one day playing there but I'm just thinking about this season," he said.

In a revelation that will surprise no one, Price said he and his teammates are not big fans of last season, when the Bruins went 4-8. The defense was generally good, but the numbers were hardly spectacular because the woeful offense provided little help.

"That's all we talked about this summer -- 4-8," he said. "We've got to get UCLA back."

The defense should be even better this fall. Price, along with linebacker Reggie Carter and cornerback Alterraun Verner are potential All-Americans who should be first-day NFL draft picks this spring.

Toss in up-and-coming youngsters such as end Datone Jones and free safety Rahim Moore and you have a unit that could rank among the best in the Pac-10.

"We have a lot of talent on defense," Price said. "We're really confident."

On the downside, the depth isn't great. This week, injuries to a pair of solid backups, end Reginald Stokes and tackle Jess Ward, necessitated the move of a pair of offensive linemen to defense: Connor Bradford and Sean Sheller.

Price, though, is the disruptive centerpiece, and he's setting his goals high. Having been named to just about all of the preseason watch lists that include defensive linemen, he's decided that "I want to win all of them. I think about all those trophies."

Asked to clarify, he says: "I want it all -- the moon and if I miss I want to end up on a star."

Most experts are skeptical that anyone would be able to block Price even if he, indeed, ended up on a star.