UCLA Football: DeShaun Foster Talks 2024 Running Back Room

The run game will be key for UCLA.

Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports

UCLA football will head into the 2024 season with a new look after their coaching staff underwent drastic changes during the offseason. The one area of the team though that should remain similar under new head coach DeShaun Foster is the running game.

For one, Foster was previously the running backs for the Bruins since 2017, until this year when he was promoted to head coach. He had already been an integral part of the team's run offense and success at the position. Additionally, Foster hired Eric Bieniemy as UCLA's offensive coordinator. Like Foster, Bieniemy has worked as a running backs coach for UCLA. He's also worked as a running backs coach at the NFL level, before becoming an Super Bowl-winning offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs.

Along with the coaching, Foster is excited about the run game because of the running backs on the team, which includes returning backs T.J. Harden and Keegan Jones.

"I'm really excited about my running back room," Foster told reporters at Big Ten Media Day on Wednesday. "T.J. is a bigger power back going into his junior year. He played a lot as a freshman, really came out of his shell last season. Keegan was used as a utility player last season but he played running back all the way up to that. Explosive kid, when he gets the ball in his hands you can really see a difference in his speed and how he plays the game."

Harden heads into his junior season after finishing second on the Bruins in rushing a season ago. He carried the football 156 times for 827 yards and eight touchdowns at an average of 5.3 yards per carry. With UCLA rushing leader Carson Steele now in the NFL, Harden is expected to be the Bruins' lead back next season.

Also returning to the Bruins is Jones, who is entering his fifth season as a Bruins. As Foster said, Jones has taken on a utility role in the past, contributing to the offense as a pass-catcher and running back. He showed the explosion that makes him a dynamic weapon, averaging 10.9 yards per carry in 2023.

The Bruins have also added Michigan State transfer running back Jalen Berger, who transferred to UCLA this week. Berger has previously played for MSU and Wisconsin, compiling 1,165 rushing yards over his first four collegiate seasons.

"We're just excited to add depth with another player that's been in the Big Ten, he's been at two other schools," Foster said of Berger. "We're just excited to have Jalen in our program and get him up to speed once he gets into training camp."

These backs will be tasked with continuing a run game that will be a critical component of UCLA's offense. UCLA's run attack has ranked top-20 in college football each of the last four years, which makes its efficiency a key for the Bruins' potential in 2024.

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