LOS ANGELES – The weight of five stars can be heavy. UCLA freshman linebacker Mique Juarez has learned that the hard way.
Just a few days into fall camp, the former five-star recruit stopped showing up on the practice field while Coach Jim Mora explained his absence only as “excused.” Juarez has missed nearly six weeks of practice and three games as the Bruins prepare for their Pac-12 opener at 5 p.m. Saturday against Stanford, but he said he does intend to return to the team in the future.
“It was just too much pressure,” Juarez told the Southern California News Group.