UCLA football kicked off its spring practice schedule Tuesday with a familiar face as Dorian Thompson-Robinson returned as starting quarterback for his fifth season in Westwood.

But if it were up to Bruins coach Chip Kelly, perhaps Thompson-Robinson would be preparing for the NFL draft right now. As the senior detailed following the Bruins’ first practice of the spring, Kelly was actually encouraging Thompson-Robinson to turn pro after a junior season in which he led UCLA to an 8-4 record and the second-highest scoring offense in the Pac-12.

“He let me know from the beginning that he wants the best for me,” Thompson-Robinson said. “Hearing that from him, as well as some of the other people I really look up to saying some of the same things, really made me consider wanting to leave, but ultimately I felt like this was the place for me.”

Thompson-Robinson said he considered a bunch of scenarios when thinking through his decision, including teammates like wide receiver Kyle Philips and tight end Greg Dulcich turning pro, finishing his degree and hearing out Kelly. His own coach encouraging him to leave got “pretty awkward at times,” according to Thompson-Robinson, but he stressed that it “ended up working out.”

Instead of Kelly and his staff working in a new quarterback, Thompson-Robinson’s return gives UCLA much-needed stability as it works in several transfers and new starters in key positions on both sides of the ball. While Thompson-Robinson is losing top targets in Dulcich, Philips and wide receiver Chase Cota, who is transferring to Oregon for his final season, he’ll still be handing the ball off to running back Zach Charbonnet, who also came back for his senior year following a 1,000-yard rushing campaign.

“As soon as he told me he was coming back, it was almost set in my mind that I was going to come back and join him too,” Thompson-Robinson said of Charbonnet.

On Tuesday, Logan Loya, Kazmeir Allen, Kam Brown and Titus Mokiao-Atimalala, a transfer from UCF, saw action at receiver. Michael Ezeike and Hudson Habermehl appear slated to take over at tight end.

Thompson-Robinson didn’t connect on all of his passes during the first practice, but his throws appeared crisp and sharp, and he showcased the mobility that makes him a dual-threat quarterback.

On the defensive side, UCLA is working under a new coordinator in Bill McGovern, who takes over for Jerry Azzinaro. Linebacker Bo Calvert, who is returning for his fifth season, said that installing McGovern’s scheme is a work in progress.

Tuesday’s practice consisted of “really simple things,” Calvert said.

He added: “We were just flying around. I was pretty surprised how quickly we got into it. It felt like we were in a midseason practice. Everyone was just running around, going crazy.”

The Bruins will look to replace a few key players on the defensive line and the secondary, which lost three starters in Jay Shaw, Quentin Lake and Cam Johnson. Helping in that transition for key transfers like cornerbacks Jaylin Davies (Oregon) and Azizi Hearn (Wyoming) and linebacker Darius Muasau (Hawaii).

“When you have a lot of new faces that come in, switching in and out of different positions and moving around, you kind of have to build up that trust and figure out how the communication is going to work with different guys,” Calvert said. “That’s one of the things early on is overcommunicating things and just hustling to the ball.”

Calvert, who led the Briuins with four sacks last season, said staying for a fifth year was “kind of a weird experience,” joking that younger players wonder if he is a graduate assistant or a member of the coaching staff. But he enjoyed sharing his wisdom and experience with newer players.

“It’s just really rewarding,” Calvet said. “It helps me a lot too. When you have to teach somebody what you are learning yourself, it helps you to learn even better.”

As for big-picture goals, Thompson-Robinson said he wants to win a ring in his last season, and there’s more to prove. Despite notching the first winning season in the Chip Kelly era last year, UCLA finished second in the Pac-12 South and had to back out of playing in the Holiday Bowl due to COVID-19-related issues.

“I think we left a whole lot on the table last year,” Thompson-Robinson said. “So, definitely those four games that we lost, plus the bowl game was definitely hurting. It definitely left a bad taste in our mouth, so we got some things we want to prove still.”

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Notes

Linebacker Ale Kaho, who transferred from Alabama last year and was in contention to start this season, was wearing a boot on his right foot and on a knee scooter. …

UCLA’s spring practice is open to the public for viewing from the top level of Parking Structure 8. Practices run every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday morning beginning at 8:45 a.m. at Spaulding Field.