UCLA Football: What's Behind Coach Foster's "Friday Night Lights' Spring Practice?
UCLA is seeing a surge in recruiting buzz, and new head coach DeShaun Foster feels it. "Just the fact that kids want to be here," said coach Foster to gathered reporters just this week, "You know what I mean?". Apart from this overhaul in UCLA's recruiting pitch, led by Foster, has been shifting around the team's spring practice schedule.
UCLA announced its spring practice schedule late last week (all of which will be open to the public), and it was one practice that will be held in an untraditional time slot.
All spring practices but one are to be held at 8:30 in the morning, with the lone exception of the Bruin's April 19th session, which will be held at six in the evening.
"We used to do that when Jim More (Jr.) was here," said Foster. "We practice so early, it's hard for the recruits to get here, we got guys missing school and stuff. So, if I hit Friday Night Lights, everybody can get here after school, and your parents can bring you. I need to get more parents here too, you know. 7-on-7 coaches can bring guys and stuff like that but I want to engage with parents, too."
It makes one wonder; Why weren't they doing this under the previous (Chip Kelly) regime? UCLA can obviously have a great recruiting class without it, but where does the downside arise in flexing one spring practice to later in the day?
It's hard to tell from the outside looking in, but given how far removed we are from football season, any potential negative downstream side effects of one odd-ball practice time can surely be mitigated, especially if it leads to better talent on your roster because of it.
