Chip Kelly talks about value of adding Collin Schlee’s experience to QB room

UCLA had to overhaul its quarterback room after Dorian Thompson-Robinson left for the NFL this offseason. Head coach Chip Kelly chose to start a competition by bringing veteran transfer Collin Schlee along with five-star freshman Dante Moore to challenge returning option Ethan Garbers.

Regardless of which quarterback pulls away and takes the starting job, the UCLA signal callers will benefit from constant competition and a veteran presence. Chip Kelly discussed that value during spring practice and beyond.

“For all those quarterbacks in the room – Ethan’s the only one that’s taken snaps for us – but you can’t discount the amount of snaps that Collin’s had in his career. He’s played college football,” said Kelly. “So he’s been out there.

“It’s a different game, especially for a quarterback. They don’t get hit in practice. Practice and a game are really two different things for a quarterback. Every other position’s practice and games are very similar but for the quarterback it’s a little different. So I think you can count on that experience that he has, whether we call it one thing and when he was at Kent State they called it another – or we add another layer to something – he’s picked everything up quickly.”

Whether the talent of Moore is able to overcome the experience and understanding of a veteran option like Schlee or Garbers remains to be seen, but Kelly appears happy with what he has.

Chip Kelly on Collin Schlee

While all the hype coming into the 2023 season will surround the possibility of five-star freshman Dante Moore finding his way onto the field, Collin Schlee has already impressed Chip Kelly and the UCLA staff.

It is no forgone conclusion who will play quarterback for the Bruins, but receiving high praise from the coach is a good start for the veteran MAC transfer.

“Collin’s been great,” said Kelly. “I think he can handle anything you can throw at him. He’s got a very quick mind – he was a really, really good basketball player coming out of high school and he was offered a lot of basketball scholarships – he can think quickly on his feet and react quickly on his feet.

“So it’s just a matter of what we can put on his plate as he continues to grow.”

UCLA opens the season opens at home against Coastal Carolina on Sept. 2, with the first Pac-12 matchup coming away against Utah on Sept. 23.