DeShaun Foster Reveals UCLA's Running Back Plan

UCLA Bruins head coach DeShaun Foster made the rounds at Big Ten Media Days and left fans and public media with a better taste in their mouths than he did last year at this time.

Amidst all the appearances, Foster sat down for nearly 12 minutes with UCLA's Wayne Cook and Nick Koop to talk all things Bruins leading up to the season. One of the topics they discussed was UCLA's revamped running back room and how Foster plans to utilize every talent in the backfield.

The depth at the position features two prominent returners, redshirt seniors Jalen Berger and Anthony Frias, and two impactful transfers, junior Cal transfer Jaivian Thomas and redshirt junior Utah transfer Anthony Woods. Foster, a former running back, couldn't contain his excitement.

"Jalen Berger is returning, so we're really excited about that," Foster said of what we can expect at the position. "But Jaivian Thomas, the transfer from Cal, home run threat."

Cook interjected, "He can make you miss in the hole, too."

"Exactly," Foster added. "And we needed that. It's a perfect combination with both of them, playing together. So I'm looking forward to that, with Berger and [Thomas], and sprinkling Anthony Woods in there, and Anthony Frias.

"[Frias] came in the Fresno State game [last season] and saved us. A couple of guys missed protections in that game, and we kind of put them on the side and told him, 'just go.' And, guess what? He grabbed the reins and he's still been running. Hasn't stopped."

Thomas was the No. 11 running back in the transfer portal and had a formidable year with Cal, finishing with seven touchdowns and 626 yards on 100 attempts.

Berger returns for his final year of eligibility after a 2024 season in which he was recovering from an injury in 2023. He finished last season with 178 rushing yards on 48 carries and 10 receptions for 59 yards and two touchdowns.

Woods didn't play a snap with Utah due to an injury. However, with Idaho in the 2023 season, he rushed for 1,144 yards and 16 touchdowns en route to earning All-Big Sky honors. We have him ranked No. 3 because of the sheer upside Woods has despite recovering from injury.

Frias is another returner, except he played a lot less than Berger did last season. In an improved position group, Frias will likely be competing for a high backup role. However, his familiarity with the program can go a long way.