After missing this past season due to personal reasons, linebacker Mique Juarez looks to return to the UCLA Football team in 2017.

The UCLA Football team needs all the help they can get going into the 2017 season and it looks like they will add some depth to the linebackers as former 5-star LB Mique Juarez is eyeing a return to football.

Juarez was one of the top players in the nation at his position in 2015. He was first committed to the USC Trojans before flipping to the Bruins after the firing of Steve Sarkisian. With members of his family being huge supporters of UCLA, Juarez decided to commit to the Bruins and signed his National Letter of Intent in February of 2016.

Juarez had enrolled early to participate in spring practice, but was held out after a neck injury. With the team taking precautions, Juarez would not see the field again until fall camp. Unfortunately, Juarez took himself out of all UCLA Football activities before they went to San Bernardino for fall camp.

Though Juarez enrolled in classes at UCLA in the Fall of 2016, he did not rejoin the team for any football activities. Head Coach Jim Mora stated on several occasions that the linebacker had an “excused absence” but would say no more due to Juarez needing to handle a personal matter.

Well after the entire 2016 season has passed, it looks as though Juarez is not only ready to play football, but is ready to play UCLA Football.

LB Mique Juarez, who stopped participating with the team last February, now plans to return to #UCLA football. https://t.co/F4yy1GDRDH — Bruin Report Online (@BruinReport) January 4, 2017

I’m back …great opportunity to do something better. Painter by ceaches_ https://t.co/uVw6PMOyUX — Meek (@miquejuarez3) January 4, 2017

Though the defense was the saving grace of the Bruins last season, several players are leaving due to graduation or declaring for the NFL Draft, which means that Juarez will bring some much needed talent and depth to UCLA. Welcome back, Mique! Go Bruins!