The DeShaun Foster Era of UCLA Bruin football got off to an inauspicious start at Big Ten media days when Foster got up to the podium and spoke for 90 seconds, which was complete gibberish.
It wasn’t a good look for the first-year head coach that is stepping into a head job for the very first time. He obviously won over the administration with the interviews and eventual hiring, but Foster hasn’t quite endured himself in the early going with a lackluster offense and losses in two of his first three games.
UCLA got stomped at home to Indiana in the Bruins’ first ever Big Ten game and the Hoosiers are by far not the best conference team they’ll face. A 2-10 or 3-9 season is definitely on the table.
Ahead of Saturday’s game with the Bruins, we went to UCLA Wire and their own Matt Wadleigh to find out if Foster is truly the right man to lead the way through this time of rebuilding.
“When he was first hired, I thought so. He had energy, had support of alumni and boosters, and is a former UCLA player,” Wadleigh said. “After three weeks, I am now concerned. UCLA might not win another game until maybe Oct. 12 against Minnesota, but that’s even a question mark. Furthermore, the most wins I see them getting the rest of the year is two, max (Rutgers and Minnesota). If UCLA finishes with a 3-9 record, it will be difficult to recruit. Does Foster bring that name value to the recruit’s house?”
Recruiting is the name of the game and although Chip Kelly didn’t have that much success on the field, he could gain entry to almost any recruit’s house just on name recognition. Wadleigh is concerned Foster doesn’t possess that.
“Does he have the appeal as, let’s say, Tony White or Barry Odom? Foster has to win games in order to land top-end recruits, and it isn’t happening,” he said. “(UCLA athletic director) Martin Jarmond has some thinking to do if things continue at this rate.”