Corona del Mar product Ethan Garbers to start at quarterback for UCLA on Saturday

The time is now for Corona del Mar High football alumnus Ethan Garbers.

Garbers will be in the spotlight this weekend. On Monday, UCLA football coach Chip Kelly named him the starting quarterback for Saturday night’s season opener against Coastal Carolina at the Rose Bowl.

“Ethan will take the first snaps,” Kelly told reporters before Monday’s practice. “Ethan has the most experience in our offense.”

Garbers, a redshirt junior, has been in a quarterback competition with freshman Dante Moore and Kent State transfer Collin Schlee throughout training camp. Kelly said Moore and Schlee will also see playing time Saturday, but the first quarterback out there to lead the Bruins offense will be Garbers.

Kelly said he’s never had a three-quarterback system in a game before, adding that he’ll figure out how to divide the playing time by the end of the week.

“They deserve it,” he said. “It’s the only fair way to do it.”

Garbers played in six games last year for UCLA, backing up Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who now plays for the Cleveland Browns. Garbers completed 26 of 37 passes for two touchdowns and two interceptions.

When Thompson-Robinson was hurt in the Sun Bowl, Garbers led UCLA on a fourth-quarter scoring drive to take the lead, before Pitt earned a 37-35 victory with a field goal in the final seconds.

Garbers, listed at 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, also played in six games for UCLA in 2021 after transferring from the University of Washington, including his only previous start against Utah.

“I feel great,” Garbers told reporters after practice on Monday. “Now it’s time to get to work and win some football games this year ... I’m going to go out there and do what I can do, control what I can control, and give it my all every snap.”

Garbers certainly did that at CdM, leading the Sea Kings to a 16-0 record as a senior along with CIF Southern Section Division 3 and CIF State Division I-A titles. He threw for video game numbers that year, 5,035 yards and 71 touchdowns.

Garbers’ older brother Chase, who also starred at quarterback for CdM, played for four years at Cal. He was waived by the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday and will try to join another NFL team once he clears waivers.