UCLA Football: Competition Heating Up for QB2 Role

Ricardo Sandoval | Jul 17, 2024

Sep 17, 2022; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Justyn Martin (6) warms up before the game against the South Alabama Jaguars at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

The UCLA Bruins are set to commence fall camp soon, and many questions surround the Bruins, especially their quarterback room. Although that may be the case, there is no question that QB1 will be last year's QB1 to end the season, Ethan Garbers. Garbers is coming off a solid 2023 season and is expected to guide the Bruins into the next new chapter of their storied program. 

While Garbers will have the keys to the car, the rest of the quarterback room still needs to be figured out. According to David Woods of Bruin Report Online, there are some worthy candidates to be Garber's No. 2. It will be a competition worth watching. 

Woods has redshirt sophomore Justyn Martin as No. 2, but Chase Griffin is a close second behind Martin. 

"Second, there isn't an obvious No. 2 quarterback in the room, which could make this year interesting if Garbers goes down at any point," said Woods. 

"Justyn Martin is our pick to be the No. 2, after he took most of the No. 2 reps this spring," Woods continued. " He's improved in each spring that we've watched him, but he has almost no game reps, and still looks a bit mechanical at times. He's a good, big athlete with a strong arm, but the game can still go a little fast for him at times, and he's still good for a duck every 10th or 15th throw, especially if he's having to roll out."

As for Griffin, Woods described Griffin as a last-resort type of QB2. 

"Chase Griffin remains a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency quarterback," said Woods. "He's pretty much the same guy you've watched forever now – a smart, heady player who lacks FBS-level arm strength and has to make up for it with accuracy and timing. He showed a few years ago he can play in a pinch, but ideally, you'd have him as your scout team quarterback, since his lack of arm strength limits what you can call as a coordinator."

Martin will enter his third season as a Bruin and has received little to no playing time. In 2022, he did not see a game of action, and in 2023, he appeared in games; however, he did not attempt a pass and had two rush attempts for 11 yards. 

Griffin has been with UCLA since 2019 and has only appeared in five games in the past two seasons. Things will heat up in the coming weeks, and we'll see who emerges victorious soon. 

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