UCLA Football: Highlights from Chip Kelly’s appearance on the Jim Rome Show

Ahead of UCLA Football’s matchup with North Carolina Central, Chip Kelly called into the Jim Rome Show to discuss the Bruins’ strong start to the 2023 football season.

There’s only one lull on the Bruins’ schedule this year, and it comes this week against FCS opponent North Carolina Central. With UCLA taking one last deep breath before beginning Pac-12 play on the road at Utah next week, Chip Kelly took some time out of his Wednesday to call into the Jim Rome Show.

Kelly was asked about the triumvirate of quarterbacks at UCLA with Dante Moore, Ethan Garbers, and Colin Schlee. He praised all three passers, calling it a “good situation,” when asked about the plethora of options in the quarterback room.

He then went on to talk about Moore specifically, who has emerged as the most successful of the three in the last couple of weeks, praising both his physical skill set and his mental makeup:

This is one of the best years in the sport at the quarterback position, with no shortage of great signal callers around the country. When a national program like the Jim Rome Show takes notice of Moore, it’s a sign that he’s already made some big waves in just two starts.

Rome also asked about the Pac-12 conference, specifically its surprisingly strong start to the season despite its implosion being on the horizon. Kelly said he can’t recall the league ever being this deep:

Chip Kelly has coached in the Pac-12 for 11 years, and several of those were spent atop the conference when he had Oregon, meaning he was getting every team’s best shot, week in and week out.

Needless to say, when Kelly says this league is the deepest he’s ever seen it, that is saying a whole lot.

More notable quotes

On the UCLA running game, Kelly praised all three backs and indicated that the committee approach would continue, saying “We’ve got a little bit of depth there, and we’ll continue to develop that as the season goes on.”

On Bruin defensive end Laiatu Latu’s status among the best pass rushers Kelly has coached, Chip said, “[He]’s right up there. He’s got a unique skill set. Legit size… He’s so athletic for a defensive end/outside linebacker. He’s got a knack for getting to the quarterback. He’s one of the premier rush guys in the country.”

On North Carolina Central, Kelly gushed over Eagle quarterback Davius Richard, saying “He’s an NFL prospect. His numbers are off the charts at the FCS level… You’re gonna play against an NFL quarterback… He makes all the players around him better.”

You can listen to the full interview here.

UCLA hosts North Carolina Central at The Rose Bowl on Saturday, and the broadcast will be carried by the Pac-12 Network. Kickoff is slated for 2:00 PT/5:00 ET.