UCLA linebacker Darius Muasau is expecting big things in his second year with the Bruins.

The former Hawaii standout led the UCLA defense in tackles last season. Though he moved up a level, he looked like he would flourish right away. In Year 2, Muasau is hoping to impress scouts at the next level.

“One of my major goals is to get the ball back, meaning create turnovers for my team because that’s one thing that I know the NFL is looking for,” he said Wednesday when he met with reporters. “They want guys that are playmakers that want to give the ball back to the offense. So, get some picks, get some forced fumbles, jump on balls that are on the ground, fumble recoveries, things like that. That’s something that I want to implement into my game.”

His final season with the Rainbow Warriors, Muasau posted 109 tackles — breaking the century mark for the second year in a row — to go with 14 tackles for loss, seven sacks, and five forced fumbles. He was everywhere, a guy who excelled at creating havoc plays for his team.

During his first year with the Bruins, he took more of a backseat in that department. There were modest numbers from a havoc standpoint — three TFLs, one sack — as he spent more time in coverage and less time rushing the passer. But the Murphy twins and Laiatu Latu were sacking quarterbacks left and right; Muasau didn’t necessarily need to be that kind of player for his team.

Latu hopes to have 15 sacks in 2023. He wants to get to each quarterback he faces.

Muasau can look for splash plays in other ways. He had two picks and a forced fumble last fall. He’s looking to bump those numbers up.

The Bruins put an emphasis on conditioning this offseason. “We’re going to be the best-conditioned team out there in the Pac-12 this season,” Muasau said. With the linebacker looking to create more takeaways, it’ll be interesting to watch how his game evolves from a coverage standpoint.

“I feel like just overall, my instincts, my pre-snap reads, my post-snap reads, everything like that has sharpened and heightened since this past offseason,” Muasau said. “Just being in the film room with Coach (Ken) Norton, learning this new defense with Coach (D’Anton) Lynn, I feel like everything is just set up for me to succeed and I’ve really taken advantage of it.”