UCLA’s National Signing Day victory lap

(News4usonline) – The UCLA Bruins have had a great 2022 season. The Bruins accounted for a 9-3 overall record and fell just a game shy of playing in the Pac-12 Conference Championship game.

While their seasonal mark earned them a trip to the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl against Pittsburgh, the Bruins and head coach Chip Kelly kept the momentum going during the early period of National Signing Day.

As of Dec. 21, UCLA had picked up 13 recruits, including five-star quarterback Dante Moore from Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School in Detroit, Michigan. Without question, Moore is considered to be the cream of the crop for Kelly and the Bruins. Through a consensus, Moore is viewed as one of the Top 3 quarterbacks in the country.

With Dorian Thompson-Robinson saying goodbye, Moore, the No. 3 ranked pocket-passer prospect by ESPN, the No. 3 ranked pro-style signal-caller by Rivals, and the No. 1 overall player to come from Michigan, gives the Bruins a dynamic playmaker from that position.

“We’ve been recruiting Dante for a while now,” Kelly said during a media availability press conference. “Coach Gundy had gone out and evaluated him probably two years ago. We offered him…we were in constant contact with him. He committed to another school in the summertime. And then, I think that as they had a coaching change, they reached out to us. We kind of picked up where left with him.

“Got a chance to visit with him at his house in Detroit, and they came in for a visit, I believe it was two weeks ago. I think that he’s a really mature young man. He’s got a great head on his shoulders. He’s about all the right things. He’s about the team culture. He’s about personal development…about being the best version of himself. We clicked and hit it off from that standpoint. We’re excited to have him as part of this class.”

During his senior year, Moore completed 175 of 232 of his throws for 2,392 yards and 32 touchdowns with just three interceptions. Overall, during his prep career, Moore passed for 9,880 yards and 135 touchdowns. Moore led King to Michigan’s Division 3 state titles in both 2021 and 2022. He was selected as Michigan Associated Press Division 3-4 Player of the Year for 2022.

Even with those staggering numbers he produced at the high school level, what Kelly likes most about Moore is that he can only get better.

“I think he’s got a tremendous upside,” Kelly said. “He’s a really skilled football player, but I think that his mindset is what makes Dante special. He’s a driven young that wants to be special, and so we’re excited to have him.”

Outside of Moore, the Bruins managed to keep several California high school football stars close to home. Linebacker Ty Lee and defensive back R.J. Jones, both hail from prep football power St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower, California. Mater Dei stars Tre Edwards (linebacker) and Jerimiah McClure (wide receiver) also made the commitment to play for the Bruins.