UCLA FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK: WITH A LITTLE PUSH, VAN RAISES GAME.

Byline: BRIAN DOHN

Staff Writer

Rodney Van always had the size and speed to be one of the Pacific-10 Conference's top cornerbacks, but something was missing.

When Van, a UCLA senior, was beaten for a big play, or missed a tackle, his head dropped, and his performance quickly followed.

"He's maturing, and that's the one thing I like," UCLA defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker said. "When he gets beat, he's not down on himself. He's trying to find out what he did wrong. I really think he's maturing."

Competition can do that. Van played bit roles as a freshman and sophomore, then was handed a starting cornerback spot as a junior. By midseason, a weekly topic was whether Alterraun Verner would overtake him.

But each time Verner closed the gap, Van held tough and increased his lead.

Van also had his best spring since arriving at UCLA, and overcame an ankle injury in the first week of training camp to hold tight to his starting spot.

"(Verner) keeps me on my toes," the 6-foot, 175-pound Van said.

"He never lets me be satisfied, personally. I do like that. I'm not going to lie. I am a little bit complacent. If something is set in stone, as human beings, were naturally lazy. It's taken care of and we're not going to work any more.

"Having Verner on my heels these last two years has actually helped me out, personally. It's made me work, made me a better corner, because I have to make sure all my techniques, all my reads, are on point at all times. I love the challenge of him being there at all times."

Although Van remains the starter, Verner pushed his way into the mix with a strong training camp.

During the season, Van and Verner are expected to rotate opposite Trey Brown at one of the cornerback positions. Verner will also play as UCLA's fifth defensive back in nickel packages.

"Splitting that position, I think it takes the heat off both of them," Walker said. "I think they play off of each other really well. They're good friends, so that's positive. They help each other. They talk. They really have a great relationship."

Van's inconsistencies can be maddening, given his physical talent level, but Walker has a reason to keep giving Van opportunities.

"When he's on, boy, he's pretty damn good," Walker said. "His thing is just mentally. If he has a bad play, to just come back and play. That's what we worked on with him."

Looking to lead: Bruins middle linebacker Christian Taylor is one of the emotional players of the defense, and he admits his fiery approach, at times, can sound mean to teammates during the heat of a game.

But going into his second season as a starter, and with a big piece of the leadership falling onto him, Taylor said he is tailoring his ways of speaking with teammates.

"My natural inclination is to get angry," Taylor said. "I personally would like to be more positive this year, to see the things that people are doing well, and compliment them on it. I think when they hear that, they may want to work harder.

"I would like to do more of that. I don't always do that. This is the thing; by no means am I perfect."

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Plays like this in 2006 might have caused UCLA's Rodney Van to get discouraged, but coaches say that is in the past.

Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer