DeShaun Foster explains recruiting pitch for UCLA

Many in the UCLA community got their wish regarding the newest head coach of the football program and former running back DeShaun Foster. Although Foster is not a native of Los Angeles, CA, he did play in the area at the high school level before joining the Bruins program.

With that being said, the UCLA head coach might have an inside track when it comes to recruiting local talent. But when it comes to recruiting, how a coach pitches their program is essential. And during his introductory press conference on Tuesday, Foster revealed how he plans on pitching Bruins football to possible recruits.

“For recruits, most of the running back recruits out of the nation know how I am,” said Foster. “But just for people outside of that, this is a family atmosphere, you know. You’re gonna get developed to be a professional. Josh Kelly’s here, right there. That’s somebody that I developed. He’s a great back; I was able to develop him [and] he’s in the NFL. So, that’s our thing. I tell my players, Meek Mill [said] they’re chasing dreams; we’re catching them. We’re dream catchers. That’s what we’re doing.”

While playing big in the UCLA footprint will be a huge part of Foster’s recruiting plan, it is not the only plan. The Bruins are a national brand despite not necessarily living up to those expectations in recent memory. And Foster wants to remind the nation of that and plans on recruiting the best, regardless of their location.

“At this point of my career, I know a lot of high school coaches,” he said. “I either played against them [or] maybe coach somebody that they know. So there’s a lot of relationships that I have. But we’re taking this nationally.

“This isn’t just a local California LA thing. Our brand is national; we don’t have to downplay it to just being West Coast. Some of our Hall of Famers aren’t even from California Big O (Jonathan Ogden), Kenny Easley, [and] Troy Aikman, so this isn’t about just recruiting California kids. We’re most definitely gonna take care of our backyard. But this is going to be a national recruiting thing. And my boys are ready to hit the ground running, and I am too.”

Former head coach Chip Kelly departed the program, leaving Foster with the No. 70 ranked recruiting class in the nation. That ranks second to last in UCLA’s new conference home, the Big Ten, just barely ahead of last place Northwestern.

Still, regardless of where UCLA sat in the past, their future under foster appears to be something all fans are eager to see how it turns out. And if the Bruins’ new headman has his way, he will be able to procure the state of California’s elite high school prospects while providing their elite talents from across the country.