Chip Kelly on UCLA quarterbacks: 'They all have earned playing time'

Kickoff for the Coastal Carolina season opener is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. PT. Assuming UCLA receives the ball out of the gate, Ethan Garbers will be taking a first-team snap just minutes later. Head coach Chip Kelly made the decision to name Garbers the starter on Monday, with the Washington transfer winning the job over Dante Moore and Collin Schlee.

Garbers might have won the fall camp battle but Kelly was happy with how all three quarterbacks have performed over the past few months. He believes each will get playing time at some point — Garbers is just going to get the first snap on the first offensive possession of the season. No specific plan was detailed but Kelly is confident in what Moore and Schlee bring to the table.

“All three of them deserved to play,” Kelly said. “They’ve all been outstanding. It’s been a really good battle with those guys. Healthy competition and they all have their own playing time. But Ethan will take the first snap. Ethan has the most experience in our offense. So, Ethan will start the game but you’ll also see Collin and you’ll also see Dante.”

As Kelly mentioned, Garbers has been in Los Angeles the longest. Moore is a true freshman, while Schlee played his college football at Kent State last season. Garbers is familiar with the Pac-12 too, previously calling the Pacific Northwest home.

There might be familiarity with Kelly’s offense but not too much when it comes to playing time. Garbers has thrown just 88 passes in his career, completing 57% of them. He has 599 yards to his name and identical touchdowns + interceptions, coming in at four a piece.

When the time does come for another quarterback to play, Moore will likely get more attention from the UCLA fanbase. Moore played high school football at Detroit (MI) Martin Luther King, where he was a Five-Star Plus+ prospect. He was the No. 3 overall recruit in the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Rankings, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

One of the highest-rated players to ever sign with UCLA, there will certainly be a palpable buzz around the Rose Bowl when Moore steps onto the field.

But at least to start off against Coastal Carolina, everyone staying up for West Coast football will be getting the Ethan Garbers show. UCLA fans will still be hoping to get a taste of what Moore and Schlee can do.