Who’s going to replace DTR, Charbonnet at UCLA?

Editor’s note: Tenth in a series previewing each team in the Pac-12.

UCLA turned in a solid 9-4 campaign in 2022 — its best in five years under coach Chip Kelly.

One of the highlights was a 42-32 victory at the Rose Bowl over eventual Pac-12 champion Utah in October.

But UCLA has some major holes to fill if it is to continue the momentum it has built heading into the Bruins final season in the Pac-12.

They must replace quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson and running back Zach Charbonnet. Coming in are five-star freshman QB Dante Moore and Ball State transfer running back Carson Steele, who ran for 1,556 yards last season.

Steele, who wears long locks, left his famous pet alligator, named Crocky-J, at home in Greenwood, Indiana. He’s confident that he can perform at this level of football.

“If I had been a freshman trying to jump to the Pac-12, it would have been a crazy jump,” he told the Los Angeles Times. “But this is my third year of college football. … It definitely helped me being in college already to be able to jump to this level.”

Moore, meanwhile, is the highest rated QB in UCLA history. He participated in spring practices before he turned 18 years old.

“I might be the youngest on the team,” Moore said. “Having a person like Duke Clemens, my center, him telling me to calm down and breathe, and me being in the huddle just conversing about anything I have questions about is great.”

Will Kelly go with the prodigy in Moore as the starter or turn to Ethan Garbers, who was Thompson-Robinson’s backup the past two seasons? “There is a progression going on that we are excited about,” Kelly said. “But we have a lot of time before we play our first game. We haven’t had one discussion depth-wise at the quarterback position.”

Related

• Pac-12 previews: Is this the season Arizona returns to a bowl game?

• Pac-12 previews: Why Washington State is expected to be pass-happy again

• Pac-12 previews: How quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is leading resurgent Washington

• Pac-12 previews: Why the climb back to relevancy for Stanford could be difficult

• Pac-12 previews: Will high-profile Clemson transfer give Beavs a boost?

• Pac-12 previews: What will Oregon’s Bo Nix do for an encore?

• Pac-12 previews: Is Cal coach Justin Wilcox on the hot seat?

• Pac-12 previews: Youngest coach in FBS comes home to lead Arizona State

• Pac-12 previews: Can Colorado’s ‘Coach Prime’ revive a moribund program?

Moore was committed to Oregon before Bo Nix decided to return to the Ducks this fall.

The competition for the starting quarterbacks job, which also includes Kent State transfer Collin Schlee, could last through the nonconference portion of the schedule.

The Bruins added Cal transfer J. Michael Sturdivant, a 6-foot-5 wide receiver. He caught 65 passes and scored seven touchdowns last year. Another wideout, Kyle Ford, has joined UCLA after transferring from USC.

The Bruins’ offensive line is also rebuilding around Clemens. They added O-linemen like Jake Wiley (Colorado), Spencer Holstege (Purdue) and Khadere Kounta (ODU).

On the defensive side, UCLA has a new coordinator in 33-year-old D’Anton Lynn, who was hired away from the Baltimore Ravens.

The Bruins return eight starters to a defense that surrendered 29 points per game in 2022.

UCLA boasts pass rushers Grayson Murphy and Gabriel Murphy, who are twins, and senior linebacker Laiatu Latu, who recorded 10.5 sacks last season. Bowling Green transfer Jordan Anderson, a safety, joins the group.

The Bruins could be making their final visit to Rice-Eccles Stadium on Sept. 23.

With a year remaining until the Bruins join the Big Ten, can they put the pieces together and contend for a Pac-12 title in their final season in the league?

2022 record: 9-4 (6-3 Pac-12)

Utah ties

• RB Carsen Ryan (American Fork HS).

• 2023 schedule

• Sept. 2 Coastal Carolina.

• Sept. 9 @San Diego State.

• Sept. 16 North Carolina Central.

• Sept. 23 @Utah.

• Oct. 7  Washington State.

• Oct. 14  @Oregon State.

• Oct. 21 @Stanford.

• Oct. 28 Colorado.

• Nov. 4 @Arizona.

• Nov. 11 Arizona State.

• Nov. 18 @ USC.

• Nov. 25 California.