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UCLA Football: Wilton Speight Wins UCLA Starting Quarterback Job

By Lamarr Fields

WESTWOOD, CA - NOVEMBER 27: Chip Kelly speaks to the media during a press conference after being introduced as the new UCLA Football head coach on November 27, 2017 in Westwood, California. (Photo by Josh Lefkowitz/Getty Images)
WESTWOOD, CA - NOVEMBER 27: Chip Kelly speaks to the media during a press conference after being introduced as the new UCLA Football head coach on November 27, 2017 in Westwood, California. (Photo by Josh Lefkowitz/Getty Images) /
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Wilton Speight has been named the UCLA Football starting quarterback and has a lot to prove following Josh Rosen in Chip Kelly’s first season as head coach.

Wilton Speight will start the Chip Kelly era at UCLA as the starting quarterback. Speight, a transfer from Michigan, will start Saturday against Cincinnati.

Speight beat out true freshman Dorian Thompson-Robinson and redshirt sophomore Devon Modster. Speight, Thompson-Robinson and Modster had separated themselves from Matt Lynch, Austin Burton and walk on Josiah Norwood.

Speight started 16 games at Michigan, passing for 3,192 passing yards with 22 touchdowns and ten interceptions. He also earned third-team All-Big Ten in 2016.

Speight is not a typical Chip Kelly quarterback because he is not dual-threat but Kelly has been more open-minded with his view of quarterbacks after coaching in the NFL.

In the NFL, Kelly had some success with quarterbacks like Nick Foles, Mark Sanchez and Sam Bradford. So Kelly must think he can work magic with Speight to get him to be successful.

I am not a big fan of this move at all; I’m guessing Kelly wanted Speight to start because he has some experience at the quarterback position and he thinks he can win some games for UCLA.

I watched a lot of Speight’s games with Michigan and I did not like what I saw.. He was inaccurate at times and seemed to be slow at processing defenses.

I thought Kelly would have gone with Dorian Thompson-Robinson because he fits the spread offense that UCLA will run. He can make plays with his legs, something Speight cannot do. With an offensive line that struggled last year, a quarterback that can move could pay off big this year.

dark. Next. UCLA season preview

The season kicks off Saturday, so will see how long Speight will as quarterback for the UCLA Football Bruins. I think by mid-season Dorian Thompson-Robinson will take over and be successful to start his era as UCLA quarterback. Who knows, maybe Speight will prove me wrong and light it up, but only time will tell.

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