LOS ANGELES — UCLA football coach Chip Kelly named quarterback Ethan Garbers as the starter for the season opener against Coastal Carolina on Saturday, Sept. 2 at the Rose Bowl.

Garbers beat out true freshman Dante Moore and Kent State transfer Collin Schlee in a quarterback competition that Kelly described as “close.”

The Corona del Mar product will become the first quarterback, not named Dorian Thompson-Robinson, to open the season as the Bruins’ quarterback since 2018. Garbers was one of only two quarterbacks, along with Chase Griffin, on the roster to have previously started a game for UCLA.

Garbers completed 57 of 88 passes for 599 yards, four touchdowns and four interceptions in 12 games. He completed 27 of 44 passes for 265 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 36 yards in a loss at Utah in his first start for an injured Thompson-Robinson.

Garbers spent the 2020 pandemic season in Washington before transferring to UCLA. He becomes the ninth transfer quarterback to be named a starter for a Pac-12 Conference team.

More to come on this story.

UCLA football coach Chip Kelly announced Ethan Garbers as the starter but said Dante Moore and Collin Schlee will also play. https://t.co/kuZ01zm2O9 pic.twitter.com/F0s44VPs3T

— James H. Williams covers UCLA football (@JHWreporter) August 28, 2023

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