The UCLA Bruins football team saw Dorian Thompson-Robinson head to the NFL, so the quarterback position was one of need for the 2023 campaign. The Bruins landed five-star recruit Donte Moore after he flipped from Oregon, and they also landed Kent State transfer Collin Schlee in a big transfer portal move.
The other option is Ethan Garbers, who was the backup last year and has experience in the Bruins system. With the UCLA QB battle taking place all summer long, Chip Kelly has decided to roll with Garbers for the opener against Coastal Carolina, per Bruce Feldman of The Athletic.
‘QB Ethan Garbers will start for UCLA in their opener vs Coastal Carolina. He was the back-up to DTR last year and has the most experience in the system. Kent State transfer Colin Schlee had been banged up in camp and is just starting to get back to 100 percent. Five-star freshman Dante Moore has had an impressive camp, I'm told. All three will likely play.'
As Feldman reports, all three are likely to play, and Schlee has been banged up in camp, which helped Garbers emerge as the winner of the job. However, this might not last long, and whoever plays the best against Coastal Carolina should be the starter for Week 2 against San Diego State.
After a long summer, Ethan Garbers is officially the starting quarterback for the UCLA Bruins, although things can change quickly in this tight race. It will be interesting to see how things progress throughout the season.