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UCLA is Still in L.A.; DeShaun Foster Leans in on 2024 Gaffe

UCLA hopes its more polished start to 2025 translates to the field as well. Nebraska will face the Bruins on the road in early November.
Spencer Schubert|
UCLA head coach DeShaun Foster speaks to the media during the Big Ten Media Days in Las Vegas.
UCLA head coach DeShaun Foster speaks to the media during the Big Ten Media Days in Las Vegas. | Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

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UCLA Bruins

For UCLA head football coach DeShaun Foster, last year's Big Ten Media Days press conference was awkward, disjointing...and eventually viral. See for yourself.

One of the best things anyone can do when having a national blunder like that make the rounds on every talk show imaginable is to address it with both humility and humor, and that's exactly what Foster did Thursday to kick off his 2025 Big Ten Media Days press conference.

Not only did he not stumble, he turned his 2024 ramblings into excitement and hope for the 2025 Bruins, and he did it with a punch.

"That moment speaking to you last year taught me a valuable lesson," he said. "Authenticity resonates more deeply than perfection."

The smooth start out of the gates behind the podium now has UCLA and its fan base hoping it can turn into a better product on the field. The Bruins finished 5-7 and a game short of bowl eligibility in 2024. While a five-win season is nothing to write home about, the 2024 record is a bit more impressive when you realize the Bruins started the year 1-5. Their win over Nebraska in Lincoln was the second in a three-game winning streak that included additional wins over Rutgers and Iowa.

UCLA head coach DeShaun Foster greets quarterback Ethan Garbers during the Bruins' 2024 game against Fresno State.
UCLA head coach DeShaun Foster greets quarterback Ethan Garbers during the Bruins' 2024 game against Fresno State. | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

However, it's the inconsistency of last season that leaves plenty of question marks entering the 2025 campaign for the Bruins. Even Vegas is expecting more of the same, putting the UCLA wins over-under at 5.5. The number's even more intriguing when you realize the team will look completely different this season.

UCLA is nearly in a class of its own when it comes to the transfer portal this past offseason. The Bruins watched 22 players transfer out, but also brought in 20 new transfers. The most notable transfer of those 42 transactions is now the team's new quarterback -- Nico Iamaleava.

Unless you've spent the offseason under a rock, you're well aware of his departure from Tennessee. Already receiving around $2.2 million through various NIL deals, Iamaleava reportedly asked the Volunteers to up his payments to approximately $4 million. It's a request Tennessee did not oblige, leading a national story that hit every sports talk show imaginable.

Now, he's looking to put some of those negative headlines behind him. When asked about his transfer, he admitted it was one of the hardest decisions he's ever had to make.

"Family was the biggest thing to me," Iamaleava said. "A lot of people think it was financial stuff -- it was never that. It was me getting back home close to my family and playing at the highest level with family support. That was a very important thing for me."

Iamaleava will now be leading a new-look Bruin team under a second-year head coach in Foster with the feeling that there is plenty to prove. It's not just Foster's second year at the helm of UCLA, it's also the team's second year playing in the Big Ten Conference. In their inaugural season in the league, the Bruins went 3-6 in conference play, which is certainly a mark Foster knows his team needs to improve upon if the locker room sentiments will show up in the win column.

"We're here to earn respect, not demand it," Foster said. "However, I can tell you this. My team is ready. They're confident. They're prepared, and they're hungry to show up and show out and redefine what UCLA football can be."

The Bruins beat the Huskers by seven points in Lincoln last season.
The Bruins beat the Huskers by seven points in Lincoln last season. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

The Bruins will certainly have a chance to do that, as the 2025 Big Ten slate isn't an easy one. UCLA hits the road to take on Ohio State, USC (more of a venue change than a road game) and Indiana. The home conference slate is highlighted with showdowns against Penn State, Nebraska and Washington.

UCLA will have its chance to prove the Vegas oddsmakers wrong, but going up against one of the tougher conference schedules won't make it easy. For Foster, he's seen success at UCLA as a player, and he's determined to show he has what it takes as a coach as well.

“UCLA opened doors for me as a player," Foster said. "We're still in L.A. We're proud to be Bruins, and
we're ready to make it happen starting now."

You can watch Foster's full main podium appearance below.

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Spencer Schubert
SPENCER SCHUBERT

Spencer Schubert is a born-and-raised Nebraskan who now calls Hastings home. He grew up in Kearney idolizing the Huskers as every kid in Nebraska did in the 1990s, and he turned that passion into a career of covering the Big Red. Schubert graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2009, and kickstarted what's now become a 17 year career in journalism. He's served in a variety of roles in broadcasting, including weekend sports anchor at KHGI-TV(NTV) in Kearney, Sports Director at WOAY-TV in West Virginia and Assistant News Director, Executive Producer and Evening News Anchor for KSNB-TV(Local4) in Hastings. Off the clock, you'll likely find Schubert with a golf club in his hand and spending time with his wife, 5-year-old daughter and dog Emmy.

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