As UCLA football kicks off spring camp, notable departures and arrivals have created plenty of uncertainty within several position groups on the Bruins’ roster. Staff writer Gavin Carlson previews the most notable battle, at quarterback, and outlines where he believes each candidate ranks in their quest to earn the starting job in Westwood.

Quarterback is arguably the most important position in all of sports, so anytime there’s uncertainty surrounding the signal-caller of a football roster, all other storylines play second fiddle.

But for UCLA specifically, the storylines and question marks surrounding this offseason’s quarterback competition are endless.

For starters, the blue and gold just said goodbye to one of its greatest quarterbacks in program history. Dorian Thompson-Robinson enters the 2023 NFL Draft this spring as UCLA’s all-time leader in passing yards, touchdowns, total yards and passing completions, thus leaving tremendous pressure to fill his shoes.

That pressure notably hasn’t been felt by coach Chip Kelly in a while, since he hasn’t had to make difficult decisions at the quarterback position since his inaugural season in Westwood in 2018, which coincided with Thompson-Robinson’s freshman campaign.

Kelly was given a contract extension this offseason partly because of the Bruins’ improved record in every season since he’s been at the helm. Yet it must be said: Having the same starting quarterback for the past four seasons from 2019-2022 certainly helps.

Picking a starting signal-caller will be Kelly’s hardest personnel decision of his UCLA career thus far, but he’s fortunate that the decision is difficult in part because of the talent – not lack thereof – that exists in his QB room.

The frontrunner

The most notable member of the group and the frontrunner to win the job is true freshman quarterback Dante Moore.

The five-star recruit from Michigan became one of the Bruins’ highest-rated recruits ever when he shocked the college football world by switching his commitment from Pac-12 rival Oregon to UCLA on Dec. 19. Moore put on a show at the All-America Bowl in January, completing 14 of 19 passes for 156 yards and four touchdowns in about two quarters of his team’s 55-17 victory.

Moore showed off his accuracy, arm strength and mobility, but it was his ability to combine all three from different arm angles and positions in the pocket that had just about everybody in the college football world buzzing. He’s a unanimous top-10 recruit in the country for a reason.

With Bo Nix returning to be the Ducks’ starter in 2023, Moore had a better chance to play right away by joining the Bruins, and he’ll likely be given every opportunity to earn the job this offseason as a result.

The contenders

If Moore isn’t starting the season-opener, the far more familiar Ethan Garbers will most likely be the reason why.

Garbers – a redshirt junior and former Washington recruit – has the returner’s advantage over the newcomers in Moore and redshirt senior and Kent State transfer Collin Schlee. The pocket passer has seen action in 18 games for UCLA in the past two seasons and completed 57-of-88 passes for 599 yards, four touchdowns and four interceptions.

In two notable stints replacing an injured Thompson-Robinson mid-game, Garbers threw a game-sealing interception in a College Game Day matchup with Oregon at the Rose Bowl two seasons ago, but he also led a go-ahead touchdown drive and showed flashes in last year’s bowl game against Pittsburgh before the defense let the game slip away.

The stats aren’t off the charts, and his limitations as more of a game-manager style quarterback make him less intriguing than Moore, but Kelly could opt to play things safe and pick the signal-caller he’s most familiar with.

Schlee, meanwhile, is the wildcard in this race.

Unlike Moore, Garbers and any other quarterback on the roster, Schlee has been a starting quarterback for an entire collegiate season. It was him, not Moore, that chose the Bruins first as the offseason began, likely with suggestions from Kelly and his staff that he’d have a legitimate chance to become UCLA’s starter.

Schlee threw for a modest 2,109 yards, 13 touchdowns and five interceptions in the Mid-American Conference, and he best fits in between Moore’s gunslinging, playmaker style and Garbers’ game-managing, pocket-passer style.

It would be a surprise, but maybe Schlee’s experience and a strong spring could steal him the job in Westwood.

The longshots

While both are returners, Justyn Martin and Chase Griffin likely have little chance at earning the job.

For Griffin – a fifth-year senior who’s attempted one pass in the last two seasons – not much needs to be said. He’s an name, image and likeness superstar, a tremendous teammate and marketable face for UCLA. But he’s probably not going to be given any legitimate shot at becoming the Bruins’ starter.

Including Martin in this group is a bolder claim, however.

Unlike the 5-foot-10-inch Griffin, Martin still has tremendous potential as a former four-star recruit and star at Inglewood High School. The sophomore admires star dual-threat NFL quarterback Josh Allen, and his 6-foot-4 frame, big arm and mobility all make him a similar player to his idol.

And before Moore chose UCLA, Martin would have had a realistic path as the only true high-upside, dual-threat quarterback in the Bruins’ room. But Moore did end up selecting Westwood and simultaneously stole that path from Martin.

Even though Martin has greater potential than Garbers and Schlee, something strange would have to happen for Moore to not be UCLA’s signal caller in the program’s Big Ten debut in 2025. Thus, Martin’s opportunity as the developmental quarterback to grow with has been snatched from him. Don’t be surprised if he transfers out of Westwood after failing to win the job this spring.