Chip Kelly addresses the rumors that arose surrounding Dante Moore’s UCLA future

Before Dante Moore even played a competitive snap at UCLA, he had to address his future with the program. Rumors began to swirl saying the quarterback was not happy with how his NIL situation was unfolding in Los Angeles. Moore quickly responded, saying it was not true and he is happy to be a Bruin.

Head coach Chip Kelly addressed the situation for the first time on Tuesday. According to him, the press conference question was the first he had heard of Moore’s rumored displeasure. Thus, Kelly said Moore has not been a distraction early in fall camp.

“It’s the first I’ve ever heard of it so it’s not a distraction to me,” Kelly said.

Moore played high school football at Detroit (MI) Martin Luther King, where he was a Five-Star Plus+ prospect. He was the No. 3 overall recruit in the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Rankings, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Prior to flipping to UCLA, Moore was a long-time commit of Oregon and head coach Dan Lanning. Kelly was able to get a win over the Bruins’ conference rival and acquire one of the top quarterbacks in the country. Being the Detroit area, Moore’s recruitment wound up being a massive battle between two Big Ten programs.

Moore could have the opportunity to start right away as well. UCLA currently has a quarterback competition ongoing, with Moore being right in the center of it. Sept. 2 against Coastal Carolina is the season opener in what will be the program’s final year in the Pac-12. Not exactly way to kick off the year for the Bruins.

Kelly still has a long way to go before naming a starter but has high praise of Moore. In fact, he called him the opposite of what you might find around college football during the NIIL era. Moore is more of an “old soul” according to his head coach, being incredibly grateful for the opportunity.

“Dante is awesome,” Kelly said. “That kid, in this building every day has a real special affect on everybody. He seems like he’s in the building 24/7. He’s really matured beyond his age and I told him — I think he’s a little bit of an old soul. He’s thankful for everything that’s been given to him. Same thing you’ve heard from everywhere he has been… Couldn’t be more happy he’s here.”

The post Chip Kelly addresses the rumors that arose surrounding Dante Moore’s UCLA future appeared first on On3.