UCLA Football: DeShaun Foster's Transfer Portal Win as Bruins Coach May Have Huge Ramifications

UCLA football head coach DeShaun Foster is already winning the small battles for the Bruins before the season even begins. He entered into the program looking to change the culture that had been built at UCLA while Chip Kelly was here and so far, he has done the job and more.

Foster understands that in this new reality of college football, coaches have to do more just to keep players on the roster. The transfer portal has allowed players to pick and choose where they want to play, giving them more power than ever.

But Foster's ability to keep one of the key defensive players for the Bruins will likely have more ramifications down the line, opines James H. Williams of The Los Angeles Daily News. Instead of defensive lineman Jay Toia looking elsewhere, Foster was able to convince him to stay with the Bruins,

"UCLA’s ability to persuade defensive lineman Jay Toia to stay with the program may have been the Bruins’ biggest portal victory of the offseason," writes Williams.

While Toia isn't exactly a star player, his decision to stay shows the type of power that Foster holds. The players trust him to do right by them and they believe in what he is building.

UCLA didn't have a great year last season but Foster is looking ahead, not backward. If he can perform this well on the field, the Bruins may have something special cooking with their new leader.

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