Dymond Lee commits to UCLA as a dual-threat quarterback

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UCLA needs to fill out its quarterback depth chart. And it’s going to try and do so with one of the state’s best receiver prospects.

West Hill Chaminade’s Dymond Lee committed to the Bruins’ 2016 class on Wednesday, telling Bruin Report Online that he was doing so as a passer rather than a pass-catcher. The 6-foot-2, 175-pound Lee is ranked a four-star recruit by both Scout.com and Rivals.com, with the latter slotting him as one of the top 30 national prospects at receiver.

This is an interesting verbal commitment for several reasons — not least of which being Lee’s limited game experience behind center. Primarily a receiver at Chaminade, he was second on the team with 616 yards and 33 catches. He also rushed for 117 yards on 16 carries.

When he did line up as a quarterback in a Wildcat package, he usually took off running. As a junior, Lee only threw 10 passes all season, completing six of them for 97 yards. He is expected to play more quarterback as a senior.

But after the transfer of former four-star recruit Asiantii Woulard, UCLA was left with just two scholarship quarterbacks on the roster: true freshman Josh Rosen, the five-star recruit who appears likely to win the starting job, and returning backup Jerry Neuheisel. Walk-on Mike Fafaul is also in the competition.

Assuming that Rosen fulfills his considerable promise, it is difficult to imagine Lee becoming a full-time quarterback for UCLA. The most likely scenario for him as a passer may be a role similar to that of receiver Devin Fuller, a former quarterback recruit who switched positions shortly after becoming a Bruin. Fuller, who will be a senior this fall, has completed all three of his passes in the last two seasons for 41 yards and a touchdown.

But unlike Lee, Fuller had starring role guiding his high school offense. As a senior at Old Tappan High School in New Jersey, he threw for 2,247 yards and 20 touchdowns on 127-of-195 passing.

Lee is the second quarterback to commit to UCLA’s 2016 class, following three-star recruit Matt Lynch.