UCLA coach Chip Kelly will take the field on Saturday, returning to college football for the first time since leaving for the NFL in 2013, with an experienced starter at quarterback. After refusing to name a starter throughout camp and into game week, Kelly revealed Thursday that former Michigan quarterback Wilton Speight had earned the starting job.
Head Coach Chip Kelly has named Wilton Speight the starting QB for the home opener vs. Cincinnati!#GoBruins | #BeatCincy pic.twitter.com/7UTocUHVl2
— UCLA Football (@UCLAFootball) August 30, 2018
This was contrary to Kelly's stance earlier in the week, which was much less decisive.
"We haven't informed anybody, because we haven't made the decision," Kelly said on Wednesday. "When we make a decision, we'll let everybody know. We haven't talked about it to the players yet, so they're still just taking reps. We're not trying to hide anything. That's the point I keep trying to make on this."
Speight started for the Wolverines during each of the last two seasons but missed much of 2017 after suffering three fractured vertebrae in the Big Ten opener against Purdue on Sept. 23. He was 257 of 437 for 3,192 yards, completed 58.8 percent of his passes and had 22 touchdowns to 10 interceptions during his Michigan career.