DeShaun Foster has reinvigorated the UCLA Football fanbase since being hired in mid-February 2024. Prospect visits have spiked and he oversaw the first player commitment early in March 2024.
It is far too early to make any judgments on the Foster era at UCLA, but he is a familiar face around Westwood. He was a running back for the Bruins from 1998-2001. When he left the school he had the third most rushing yards in school history with 3049 yards and served as the team’s running back coach from 2017-2023
In his time as coach, Foster fostered some of the best rushing attacks in school history. Let’s take a look at the running backs in each year of his UCLA coaching career.
2017: The Two-Headed Monster
Deshaun Foster‘s impact was immediately felt in his first season. He inherited two senior backs that split time in the Bruins backfield, Bolu Olorunfunmi and Soso Jamabo. In 2016, they went for a combined 597 yards and the Bruins were the 127th-ranked rushing team, averaging 84 yards per game. The next season the team jumped to 114 yards a game with the same two backs leading the charge. They ran for 1011 yards at nearly 5.0 yards per carry.
UCLA ranked 116th by yards per game in the NCAA this season
2018-2019: Joshua Kelley’s Improbable Rise
Joshua Kelley is one of UCLA Football’s best stories. Kelley had been a 2-star recruit coming out of high school and had modest success at UC Davis, with 1,139 yards and seven touchdowns in two seasons, before leaving and joining the Bruins as a walk-on and serving on the scout team in 2017 while sitting out the year as a redshirt due to transfer rules.
A few years under DeShaun Foster’s wing he blossomed. In 2018, he rushed for 1,240 yards at 5.5 yards per carry and 12 touchdowns. his 113 rushing yards per game ranked fourth-highest in the Pac-12 Conference and ninth in the nation and finished with 12 touchdowns to rank second in the conference.
He followed it up with 1060 yards and another 12 touchdowns. He is currently UCLA’s 15th all-time in rushing yards and 12th in rushing touchdowns. Kelley was drafted by the Los Angeles Chargers in the 4th round.
UCLA ranked 86th then 81st by yards per game in the NCAA these seasons.
2020: DeShaun Foster’s One-Two Punch
UCLA football went back to a committee approach, but this time it was with hand-selected running backs, Demetric Felton and Brittain Brown. The two combined for 1211 yards and nine touchdowns. With Dorian Thompson-Robinson adding 361 yards on the ground the team ended the season 12th in the nation and 5th among Power-5 schools in rushing yards per game.
Both backs were drafted into the NFL.
UCLA ranked 12th by yards per game in the NCAA this season
2021-2022: UCLA Football’s Charbonnet Era
In just two seasons with UCLA football, Zach Charbonnet cemented himself in the record books. His 2496 yards are 12th in UCLA history, his 27 touchdowns are 9th, and only Kermit Jones’ 6.7 yards per carry tops Charbonnet’s 6.3 yards per carry. In his final season, he rushed for 7.0 yards per carry, tops among Power-5 runningbacks.
UCLA ranked 11th and 6th by yards per game in the NCAA these seasons.
Charbonnet was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round.
2023: Bruins Big Bruiser Backs
In DeShaun Foster’s final season as running backs coach, they went with the sophomore TJ Harden, and Ball State transfer Carson Steele. They combined for an impressive 1673 yards at just above five yards per carry. They were the most consistent part of a topsy-turvy UCLA offense.
UCLA ranked 17th by yards per game in the NCAA this season.
Steele will leave the team for the NFL draft and TJ Harden will return for his third season, with Foster now at the helm of the UCLA football program.