LOS ANGELES — Just a handful of practices into UCLA’s spring football calendar, Chip Kelly’s sparkly new toy was introduced to the media for the first time on Saturday morning, as Dante Moore joined most of the rest of the Bruins’ crowded quarterback room in making his big splash.

And what a splash it was.

Poised, funny and charming, UCLA’s quarterback of the future — and potentially Dorian Thompson-Robinson’s heir apparent —  talked about getting lessons from the very legend he is vying to replace.

“Dorian, I appreciate him a lot,” Moore said. “When I first met him at the Elite 11 (camp), I’d always watched him and his highlight tapes, and what he’s done for UCLA, being a great playmaker for the team. I knew he was a great person to talk to, being a young black quarterback, in the same shoes as me. Today at practice was an example. I was talking to him about footwork, and understanding that. Him being on campus and being a source, getting ready for the draft, I really appreciate him every day.”

Getting some pointers from UCLA’s long-time starter is a good idea. After all, it wasn’t all too long ago that Thompson-Robinson was a freshman quarterback controlling the huddle for the Bruins. It just feels that way.

For the first time since DTR’s freshman year in 2018, UCLA will break in a new starting quarterback. While he was not a perfect passer, he improved by the year, finishing his career with 10,695 yards and 88 touchdowns with 36 interceptions. In his final 2 seasons, Thompson-Robinson completed 442-of-666 attempts for 5,563 yards and 48 touchdowns with 16 interceptions.

He leaves a gaping hole at quarterback, and in terms of leadership.

“With Dorian being gone, there is a little gap that needs to be filled,” said Ethan Garbers, who, along with Moore and Kent State transfer Collin Schlee, is in the mix for the starting gig. “I’m trying to do that, everyone else is trying to do that. Since winter workouts, we’re going in the right direction.”

Garbers has the edge in working experience, as he enters his third year in the program since transferring from Washington in January 2021. He’s seen some time, playing in 6 games for UCLA in 2022, throwing for a season-best 164 yards against Alabama State. Schlee might have the most practical experience, having started 11 games last year for Kent State, passing for 2,109 yards and 13 touchdowns with just 5 interceptions.

“I’ve seen what Chip Kelly has done on all levels,” Schlee said. “If I want to go to the next level, being around that, I picked UCLA for that.”

But all eyes are on Moore, UCLA’s 5-star recruit, plucked right from the hands of Oregon, easily Kelly’s biggest commitment and arguably his hope for the future.

Like Schlee, Moore said Kelly drew him to Westwood.

“For Coach Kelly, him being one of the greatest head coaches doing it in college football, coaching in the NFL, at the highest level, him having the resume he has, coaching the great quarterbacks like Marcus Mariota, Mike Vick, that really drew my attention,” Moore said. “In the Oregon days, he had Mariota in that explosive offense.”

Fans wonder what Moore could do under Kelly’s tutelage.

Moore passed for nearly 10,000 yards and 135 touchdown passes in his illustrious high school career, leading Detroit’s MLK High to back-to-back state titles. 

Is he ready in Year 1? That’s the big question.

“When I first came in from high school — I had a great offensive system there — but coming here, it’s an NFL-style offense, (with) a lot of different things to change at the line of scrimmage or if you see different coverages, what to adjust about. It’s really complicated, but I know I’m going with the flow of everything.”

The biggest adjustment for Moore?

“I’ve only been here for a couple months, my first spring ball ever,” he said. “I’m still adjusting to the way the guys move on the football field. In high school, you had some guys who ran 4.5, 4.6 (40-yard dash). But out here, everyone is running 4.5, 4.4. D-ends, you’re seeing guys running 4.4s. The speed is very, very different.”

But UCLA’s invitation to the Big Ten, which will send him closer to his family for road matchups, was a draw.

“I’m from the Midwest, from Detroit, and a lot of the Big Ten is there,” he said. “Being out here, of course I’m loving the L.A. weather, but going back to into the Big Ten and playing in the cold again — of course that was a factor.”

He did have some familiarity with Los Angeles, though.

“I played GTA, and GTA is just like this. I said, let me see if it’s real? When I went to the pier, everything was the same. I love the weather. Back home, it’s inches of snow.”

If he gets used to some fun in the sun, UCLA could stay in good hands.