For the third straight year, Wilton Speight will open the season as his team’s starting quarterback. This time, however, he’ll be doing so out west.
After weeks of keeping his quarterbacking cards very close to the vest, first-year UCLA head coach Chip Kelly confirmed Thursday evening that Speight will start under center in Saturday’s opener against Cincinnati. Speight, a graduate transfer from Michigan, had been involved in an offseason-long competition with redshirt sophomore Devon Modster and true freshman Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
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
Speight announced his transfer from Michigan in late November, but it was reported in January that he was putting off a decision on a new school. Later that month, reports surfaced that Speight would consider a return to U-M if Ole Miss transfer Shea Patterson was denied his appeal for immediate eligibility; in late March, head coach Jim Harbaugh confirmed that the door was open for a Speight return.
However, will all of the signs pointing towards Patterson being ruled eligible for the 2018 season -- he was, in late April officially -- Speight announced in mid-April that he would be transferring to the Bruins.
The starter for the vast majority of the 2016 season, Speight began the 2017 season as the starter as well before a late-September back injury knocked him out for the remainder of the season. Speight finished the Wolverines portion of his playing career with 3,192 yards, 22 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.