Former Michigan QB spotted at UCLA practice, looking to fill Rosen's shoes
It looks like former Michigan quarterback Wilton Speight will be taking his talents to Westwood.
The 6-foot-6 quarterback, who missed most of 2017 with an injury, made a post on Instagram Thursday that seems to indicate he’s heading to UCLA for his final year of eligibility.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BhfW1t4Fmlw/?taken-by=wiltonspeight_3
The post says “new chapter,” followed by a rose. The video shows him throwing the ball, followed by an image of the entrance to the Rose Bowl, home of the UCLA Bruins.
It’s not a huge surprise that he’s heading to UCLA as Speight had been seen twice in the past two weeks attending the school’s spring practices. The Bruins will be led by new head coach Chip Kelly, who is known for creating high-octane offenses.
Michigan QB grad transfer Wilton Speight at #UCLA practice for a second time Thursday. pic.twitter.com/VRxQEd1k1s
— Bruin Report Online (@BruinReport) April 12, 2018
Speight, a senior, is set to graduate from Michigan in May. But he has one more year of eligibility, which he will spend in Los Angeles, not Ann Arbor. A graduate transfer waiver will allow him to play right away next fall and not have to wait a year.
Last November, Speight announced that he was planning to transfer from Michigan after the season and thanked Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bb-Yc_vFK4F/?taken-by=wiltonspeight_3
“To Coach Harbaugh for coming in and making me a better man and a better quarterback. For understanding this decision of mine and always having my back no matter what — thank you. I don’t know where next will be, and I’ll use these next four weeks to figure that out. I’m excited to keep pursuing my dreams in a new jersey, but will forever root for the boys wearing the winged helmet. Go blue!” Speight posted on Instagram back in November.
Speight suffered a season-ending injury to his back on Sept. 23 against Purdue after having won the starting quarterback job at the start of the season.
He would have had to compete for the starting job at Michigan next fall with last year’s starter, Brandon Peters, and red shirt freshman Dylan McCaffrey, according to Mlive.com in Michigan.
“It’s not that I’m not coming back because of the quarterback competition,” Speight said last November, according to Mlive. “I know that’s probably what people think.
“But I’ve proven time and time again that I love competition. I came out on top two years in a row. I’ve been here four years now. It’s just one of those things that it’s just time to move on.”
Speight started in 2016 and threw for 2,538 yards and 18 touchdowns. In his career at Michigan he threw for 3,192 yards with 22 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
https://twitter.com/WiltonSpeight/status/984620732981198850
At UCLA, Speight will competing to replace All-American Josh Rosen, who is expected to be one of the top picks in the NFL draft on April 26.
Among those also competing for the UCLA job are K.J. Carta-Samuels, who transferred from Washington where he was a backup, and fifth-year senior Craig Meyers.
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