UCLA football: Realistic post-spring expectations for 2023

Chip Kelly has really turned things around. UCLA football was in a bad place when he took over and it took him a few years to really get the wheels turning.

Following a few straight solid seasons, the Bruins are headed in the 2023 season with some momentum and a real shot to contend in the Pac-12. This will be the Bruins’ last season in the conference as they’re getting set to make the move to the Big Ten in 2024.

So why not go out with a bang?

Unfortunately, UCLA will be trying to capture the conference title without veteran quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson who finished his career in 2022 and is now in the NFL. The Bruins will, however, bring in five-star quarterback Dante Moore to compete with Ethan Garbers and Collin Schlee for the starting job.

The offense will be solid as long as one quarterback stands out although the backfield is losing Zach Charbonnet as well. I can see the Bruins taking a step back offensively.

On defense, things can’t get much worse as the Bruins were 92nd in scoring defense and allowed just over 400 yards per game. I see a slight improvement coming.

Realistic post-spring UCLA football expectations

It’s hard to really judge this team without seeing what Moore can do in this offense, but if he lives up to expectations, I think the Bruins can contend in the Pac-12.

Looking at the schedule, the sure wins are Coastal Carolina, NC Central, Washington State, Stanford, Colorado, Arizona State, and Cal. That’s seven wins right there. Sure, they could be upset in any of those Pac-12 matchups, but I just think they’re so much more talented than the five conference teams above. The losses I see are USC, Oregon State, and Utah. The toss-ups would have to be Arizona and San Diego State.

Realistically, they could lose to USC, Oregon State, and Utah and maybe drop one of the toss-ups. An 8-4 season feels like the most realistic post-spring expectation for the Bruins.

I could see 9-3 and 7-5 as well, but I’m going with 8-4.