UCLA Football: Bruins Only Recruited Running Back After Chip Kelly Departure

A major win for DeShaun Foster's local efforts.

Dec 16, 2023; Inglewood, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Chip Kelly reacts during the first quarter against the Boise State Broncos in the Starco Brands LA Bowl at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports / Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

Former longtime UCLA Bruins running backs coach-turned-head coach DeShaun Foster has made a concerted effort to compensate for now-departed head coach Chip Kelly's middling recruiting this offseason, writes Ben Bolch of The Los Angeles Times.

Kelly has long been maligned for his recruiting, and no longer has to do that much in his new role as Ohio State's offensive coordinator. Per Bolch, a critical new Bruins addition was only landed after Kelly ditched the Bruins for their now-Big Ten rival, and Foster took over.

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"It took Kelly’s departure for the Bruins to heavily pursue Karson Cox, even though the speedy running back from Oak Hills High had built a strong relationship with Foster and had long emerged as one of the top players at his position on the West Coast, landing offers from Washington, Oregon, USC, Utah and Oregon State," Bolch writes.

"UCLA finally ran a reverse in its pursuit of Cox after Foster replaced Kelly, inviting the prospect to campus and extending an offer. Cox accepted it during his official visit in May, won over by a coaching, recruiting and development staff full of former running backs, not to mention the Bruins’ history of sending players at the position to the NFL," Bolch adds.

Cox, a 6-foot, 190-prospect, is seen as a three-star recruit in the class of 2025, via 247Sports. He's seen as the No. 29-ranked running back in the country, and the No. 43-ranked football player, of any position, in his home state of California. 247Sports' composite rankings list Cox as a four-star prospect, however, and the No. 285-best player in the country overall. He's a talented prospect, and given that he plays Foster's old position, it's understandable that they've forged this connection already.

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