Chip Kelly explains David Priebe, Damian Sellers not being on UCLA roster

As UCLA kicks off spring practice this week, a pair of players were missing from the roster. And head coach Chip Kelly was his usual brief self answering a question about David Priebe and Damian Sellers.

In short: They’re not on the team any more.

“Priebe graduated and Sellers hasn’t been here for a year,” Kelly said.

Priebe played five years at UCLA as a tight end, joining the Bruins in the Class of 2018. He was a three-star recruit but never found a consistent role. He appeared in 13 games in 2022, playing mostly on special teams.

Sellers, a former four star recruit as a linebacker, played two solid seasons at UCLA in 2020 and 2021 before not showing up on the roster ahead of the 2022 season. A reason for his absence isn’t imminently clear.

Kelly also had updates on a number of injured UCLA players as spring practice got underway.

Kelly confirmed linebacker Ale Kaho is still unavailable. He missed all of last year with a foot injury in his second season after transferring from Alabama. Running back Isaiah Carlson also wasn’t available, according to Kelly, but defensive lineman Gary Smith and running back Carsen Ryan are back on the field.

Smith played in nine games in 2022 after transferring from Duke. In that time, he totaled 18 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack — including a four-tackle performance against Stanford. Ryan played in five games as a true freshman in 2022, mostly in the passing game and on special teams. He ended the year with 82 receiving yards and a tackle.

Carlson signed with UCLA during the early signing period as a three-star recruit and the No. 813 prospect in the nation from the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

And perhaps most critically of all, Kelly was pleased with how heralded freshman quarterback Dante Moore is acclimating.

“They did a nice job for Day 1. It’s all new to them, really, and you’re limited by what the rules are,” Kelly said. “So there was really no football done until Monday with these guys, and then Tuesday we get on the field with them. They’re both sharp, they both picked things up really well.”

Moore was the prize jewel of UCLA’s 2023 recruiting class, ranked as a five-star prospect and the No. 3 overall player in the nation according to the On3 Industry Rankings. He was the No. 2 quarterback in the nation and the top player in the state of Michigan.