Confident he'll have his hands full

Gilmer emerged as the Bruins' go-to receiver last season. With more skill and swagger, he wants to take a run at the Biletnikoff Award.

- BY BEN BOLCH

"WE'RE TRYING to go win a natty," Gilmer said of UCLA's national-title mindset

He's excited for a more user-friendly offense under coordinator Tino Sunseri.

Kwazi Gilmer, yearning to do something no other UCLA wide receiver has managed, unveiled a new play after practice Wednesday.

Call it the go-for-it route.

"I want to go win the Biletnikoff," Gilmer announced, "so I'm coming for all the receivers out there."

Those are bold words for someone from a program whose closest association with the award that goes to the nation's top college receiver might have been former Bruins coach Dick Vermeil once delivering the keynote speech at the presentation banquet.

No UCLA player has won the award that dates to 1994. Neither Gilmer nor any of his teammates made the award's 47-player preseason watch list, which is based on past performance. Players can be added during the season as their performance dictates.

Gilmer's debut college season featured spectacular spurts, the freshman making 31 catches for 345 yards and two touchdowns. Emerging from a deep and experienced group of wide receivers, he started the final five games and increasingly became a go-to guy, snagging a season-high six catches for 54 yards in the finale against Fresno State.

Making a serious run at the Biletnikoff would likely require the 6-foot-2, 180-pound sophomore to triple his production from 2024. Last season, Colorado's Travis Hunter won the award after logging 92 catches for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Gilmer said his skill, hands and overall technique have improved from a year ago. There's no debating that his swagger has increased exponentially.

"My freshman year, I just wanted to get my foot in the water," Gilmer said. "Now that I got it, it's over."