UCLA Football: Is The Next Great UCLA Running Back Ready to Emerge in Westwood?

Learning from former Bruin star Zach Charbonnet, T.J. Harden could be on the cusp of a breakout season

With Zach Charbonnet now playing for the Seattle Seahawks, most national pundits assume that Carson Steele will be the starting running back for Chip Kelly and the UCLA Bruins this year.

Steele is a terrific player. He was one of the best running backs available in the portal this past offseason. UCLA quickly made a connection and got the Ball State star to head West. He rushed for a whopping 1,556 yards and 14 TDs on only 289 carries last year (5.4 YPC). 

Though Steele (6'1", 225) is clearly in the thick of things from a competition standpoint, people shouldn't be sleeping on a local kid that might be short on experience...but brimming with ability. 

Carson Steele gets the buzz transferring to UCLA but TJ Harden deserves more chatter

TJ surged late season in a more prominent role has good size at 6’2 210 and averaged 7.4 YPC as a true freshman

Don't be surprised if Harden is the next guy at UCLA
pic.twitter.com/RnW5UqQmTu

— Joe O’Leary (@TheHQNerd) April 21, 2023

CAREER STATS:

Carson Steele: 418 carries for 2,447 yards (5.1 YPC); 20 rushing TDs; 41 catches for 323 yards (7.9 YPC); 2 receiving TDs

TJ Harden: 44 carries for 325 yards (7.4 YPC); 2 rushing TDs; 4 catches for 13 yards (3.3 YPC)

Inglewood native Tomarion "TJ" Harden came on very strongly at the end of last season. After playing sparingly for much of the year, Harden got a chance to shine down the stretch truly. In the regular season finale, he notched 12 carries for 89 yards (7.4 YPC) in a win over Cal. 

In the Sun Bowl versus Pitt, Harden ran for 111 yards and a TD on only 11 carries. Despite being a true freshman, he demonstrated not only vision and power but some real burst despite being 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds. 

In a recent media scrum, Harden spoke to 247Sports -- as well as a plethora of local reporters. He touched upon several various topics pertaining to the season. 

Specifically, Harden mentioned the impact of former UCLA RB Zach Charbonnet -- and how he was a major mentor for him:

"Zach was a great mentor, just the way he worked, his work ethic, just the way he played and the mindset helped me out a lot. He taught me a lot of things I didn't know about running back."

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TJ Harden (via video above)

The competition for the starting spot will be fierce. Steele has built a national reputation for a number of reasons. Besides being a charismatic individual with distinctly cascading blonde locks, Steele is often lauded for his prowess in the weight room (Harden commented that Steele "can lift a whole weight room"). He even has a pet alligator back in his native Indiana named Crocky-J (which he's had since his childhood). 

Regardless, it appears as if Harden has been taking first-team reps at the position. Many within the program think he's on the brink of stardom. As Harden alluded to above, "The [Pitt] game was definitely a jump to the start of my career. I feel like that made me more comfortable. Without that game, I wouldn't be as comfortable as I am now."