UCLA Football: 5 position battles to watch for in Spring Training

5. The Backup QB Spot

Matt Lynch vs. Austin Burton vs. Chase Griffin

Unless something drastic happens to Dorian Thompson-Robinson (which would force a starting QB battle), the returning dual-threat sophomore will be the starter heading into Spring Training, Fall Camp and the 2019 season. But what is almost as important is the battle for the backup QB.

In the last few years of the Jim Mora era, we saw how not having a game-ready backup QB can disrupt the offensive flow. We also saw how having two quarterbacks properly prepared in Chip Kelly’s first year not only saved the Bruins but helped the offense improve as the season went on. But now that Wilton Speight has graduated, a second signal caller will be needed to assist DTR with the offense.

The candidates for this position include two players that have already been with the program for a few years and a dual-threat that was the Texas State Player of the Year last season. Matt Lynch and Austin Burton have shown that they have the tools to run this offense, but it is possible that freshman Chase Griffin has enough raw talent to capture that backup spot.

With this in mind, it will be a very close battle to get that backup spot as all three will be in contention to support DTR.

One other thing to keep in mind is that this battle could thin out as it has been rumored that Lynch might move to receiver.