JUST IN: Former Michigan quarterback Wilton Speight to play at UCLA in 2018

0
575

After deciding to transfer shortly after the end of the 2017 regular season, former Michigan quarterback Wilton Speight has decided to use his fifth and final year of college eligibility at UCLA.

Speight made the announcement on his Instagram account:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BhfW1t4Fmlw/

Speight was the first of a flurry of transfer announcements from various Michigan players not long after the season ended with a 31-20 loss at home to rival Ohio State. The native of Richmond, Virginia called it just a “gut feeling” for him to declare transferring as the right move for his football-playing career.

Speight earned the full-time starting nod in 2016 and performed admirably, throwing for over 2,500 passing yards and 18 touchdowns, completing just under 62 percent of his pass attempts in 12 games played. 2017 was a much different story for Speight, unfortunately, due to injury. He was limited to just four games and suffered what would be a season-ending injury resulting in multiple fractured vertebrae.

http://gty.im/852753298

Speight’s injury eventually opened the door for transfer John O’Korn and eventually Brandon Peters to becoming the starting quarterback for Michigan. And while he’s always felt confident in his competitiveness and ability to be a No. 1 signal-caller, Speight reiterated that his decision to transfer did not have to do with having to potentially partake in yet another quarterback battle during spring practices.

Back in early December, shortly after his announcement, Speight clarified that there were restrictions placed on his transfer options by the university. More recently, Speight has been spotted at multiple spring practices for UCLA in the past week, including again on Thursday. He will join the Bruins and new head coach Chip Kelly out in Los Angeles for the 2018 season.

Speight will have every opportunity to earn the starting job for UCLA. The Bruins are slated to only have two other quarterbacks on the roster for 2018: redshirt sophomore Devon Modster and incoming true freshman (and former Michigan recruiting target) Dorian Thompson-Robinson.