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UCLA Football: Chip Kelly receives his first commitment of 2019

By Mike Regalado

PASADENA, CA - NOVEMBER 24: Devon Modster #18 of the UCLA Bruins takes a snap during the third quarter against the California Golden Bears at Rose Bowl on November 24, 2017 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
PASADENA, CA - NOVEMBER 24: Devon Modster #18 of the UCLA Bruins takes a snap during the third quarter against the California Golden Bears at Rose Bowl on November 24, 2017 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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The UCLA football program received their first commitment for the 2019 recruiting class as 3-star pro-style quarterback Chase Griffin has given his pledge to play for the Bruins.

Recruiting is a funny thing and it is getting very interesting in regards to UCLA football. Head coach Chip Kelly has a method to his madness which might not make sense right now, but in the long run it should be very beneficial to the team.

RELATED: Two UCLA targets have the Bruins’ in their Top 5

Before Thursday, UCLA had zero commitments to the 2019 recruiting class and it was slightly concerning. But one thing we have come to know about Kelly is that you have to trust his process.

That process took another step forward on Thursday evening when 3-star QB Chase Griffin (Hutto HS/Hutto, TX) gave his pledge to the Bruins after taking an unofficial visit.

According to 247Sports.com, Griffin had worked out at UCLA on Thursday, which ended with an scholarship offer from Kelly. Griffin returned the gesture with a commitment to the Bruins, making it the first of the 2019 class.

Currently, UCLA has offered five different quarterbacks for 2019, with Griffin being the most recent. The Bruins’ coaching staff has also targeted 4-star QBs Jayden Daniels, Ryan Hilinski (committed to South Carolina), Grant Gunnell (committed to Arizona State) and 3-star Shae Suiaunoa.

247Sports also stated that Kelly is looking to take two QBs in the 2019 class, which means that we could see another signal caller committing by signing day.

The target most likely to be that second QB commit is dual-threat Jayden Daniels. According to 247’s crystal ball, Daniels has a 79% chance of landing in Westwood.

So who is Griffin? Aside from emerging from out of nowhere, he was a finalist for Texas Player of the Year. Though he is listed as a pro-style QB, he is very mobile in the backfield, especially when trying elude the pass rush.

He also has a decent arm, good accuracy and strong football IQ, which is key for Kelly’s system.

Though he is not the “prototypical” Kelly QB, he has the tools to lead the offense, but seeing actual playing time might be later than sooner.

Currently, UCLA has five QBs on the roster and though that will thin out by the time Griffin gets to Westwood, he will most likely battle for a backup role. Still, if we learned anything from the Jim Mora era, it is better to have more QBs than less.

Next: UCLA Football: The Top 10 Bruin Quarterbacks of All-Time

Welcome to Westwood, Chase!