UCLA football: Should Dante Moore be handed the keys in 2023?

When Dorian Thompson-Robinson went down with an injury in the Sun Bowl against Pitt, it felt like UCLA football was doomed.

Pitt went on a 20-0 run after UCLA built a 28-14 lead and the game hinged on Ethan Garbers’ arm with Thompson-Robinson in tears on the sideline because he couldn’t help his team. Garbers started slow with a couple of bad sacks taken, but he did lead the Bruins down the field with two minutes left to take a one-point lead with 34 seconds left.

Of course Pitt went down and kicked the game-winning field goal to break the hearts of Bruin fans everywhere, but it was to no fault of Garbers.

But did he show enough to make the staff believe in him as the future at quarterback even with Justyn Martin heading into year two and five-star Dante Moore coming in?

UCLA football would be best served with Dante Moore as QB1

While I do believe in players earning starting jobs, I think Moore is the best possible option for UCLA next season. Garbers wasn’t bad, but he looked uncomfortable in the pocket when the lights shone the brightest and Martin hadn’t played a single snap all season long.

Could Martin overtake Garbers as QB1 next season with DTR gone? Possibly, but Moore is arguably the most college-ready quarterback in the entire 2023 class.

Chip Kelly believed in Thompson-Robinson as a freshman and he turned out to be a beloved player in UCLA history. Moore comes in with even more talent and a rocket for an arm. He should be the favorite to win the starting job next season if Kelly wants to improve on this season and contend for a Pac-12 title.

We’ve seen freshman quarterbacks break out on a national level over the years such as Trevor Lawrence, Tua Tagovailoa, and Caleb Williams, and I think Moore will be the next to join that list.

The staff may say Garbers has a chance to win the job, but Moore should be the guy.

No one should be “handed” the keys, but Kelly should go into camp believing the job is Moore’s to lose.