UCLA Transfer QB Chase Artopoeus Digging Chance to Play For Chattanooga

Chattanooga-(WDEF-TV) The recruiting story for Mocs transfer quarterback Chase Artopoeus is kind of backwards. Instead of UTC recruiting him, he recruited UTC.

Artopoeus zeroed in on Chattanooga when he was set to leave UCLA. While Artopoeus didn’t enjoy the spotlight in the City of Angels, he has certainly found it in the Scenic City.

Playing college football in L-A like Chase Artopoeus did at UCLA, you’re going to run into celebrities.
Said Artopoeus:”The UCLA facility sits in a really nice spot. A lot of NFL players like to vacation there. So you get a lot of guys that aren’t even UCLA grads. Tom Brady was out there my freshman year. Got to talk to him a little bit. That was like a dream come true. I really liked him growing up.”
Artopoeus was at UCLA four years and never threw a pass.
With degree in hand, it was time to leave the Bruins, and Chattanooga appeared on the radar.
Reporter:”Did Chip Kelly have any nice words about Chattanooga?”
Said Artopoeus:”I mean right when I said Chattanooga he said the Chattanooga Choo-Choo. So I didn’t know what that meant honestly. He said it was a good place in Tennessee. Said I would like it.”
Said head coach Rusty Wright:”The wide receivers coach from UCLA. I knew him from his time at Duke with (David) Cutcliffe. He called me like the day before Thanksgiving and said we’ve got this kid leaving. Want you take a look at him. I think he can help you.”
Still the Mocs were betting on a guy with basically no college game film.
Said Wright:”You know there was some practice film of him playing in scrimmages and those things. We went back and watched his high school film. You know we decided we would have taken him out of high school.”
Mocs are glad they got him.
Artopoeus has over 13-hundred yards passing in five games…7th best in the country.
Said Wright:”Couldn’t ask for any better start for somebody that hasn’t played a college football game. Yeah. For sure.”
Sounds like the Mocs have found a quarterback, and Artopoeus has found flavor country.
Said Artopoeus:”I mean I’ve had fried chicken my whole life, but I feel like it’s a little different out there. I don’t know exactly what they’re putting in it. If it’s as healthy as it was out there. I’m not saying fried chicken is healthy, but something’s a little different out here where it makes you want to eat some more.”