UCLA Football: DeShaun Foster Makes Honest Admission On Return Of Injured Bruins Top-Stars

They both are dealing with injuries

UCLA football running back Deshun Murrell and defensive lineman Gary Smith III are both dealing with injuries as the Bruins progress through training camp.

Head coach DeShaun Foster reported that Murrell recently had surgery to remove scar tissue, while Smith is currently using crutches. Foster did not provide a timeline for either player’s return this season.

Murrell has played in only one game for UCLA, with six carries for 34 yards in a 2022 match against Alabama State. He’s missed much of his time at the university due to recovering from consecutive torn ACLs. Murrell has been with the Bruins since 2021 and hopes to be ready by the fall.

Before joining UCLA, he had an impressive senior year at high school in 2020, rushing for 2,334 yards and scoring 37 touchdowns. Murrell initially committed to UCLA in June 2020 but de-committed that November. He recommitted less than a month later and signed his National Letter of Intent with the Bruins.

Smith is in his fifth season of college football and his third with UCLA. In 2023, the 6-foot-2, 315-pound defensive lineman recorded 21 tackles, three tackles for loss, and two sacks, contributing to a Bruins defense that ranked 10th in yards allowed per game, 14th in scoring defense, and fifth in sacks. In his first season with UCLA in 2022, he had 18 tackles, one pass deflection, and one sack.

Before transferring to UCLA, Smith played two years at Duke University, where he tallied nine tackles in 2020 and 24 tackles, one pass deflection, and one sack in 2021. He entered the transfer portal on December 1 and committed to UCLA on January 29.

A three-star recruit from Shelbyville, Tennessee, Smith signed with Duke before the 2021 season. He aims to return this season to support a defensive line led by defensive tackle Jay Toia.

Running back Jalen Berger, who transferred from Michigan State, is also recovering from a season-ending injury last year. Foster mentioned that Berger is primarily focused on getting back into shape.

The Bruins will kick off their 2024 season on August 31 against Hawaii, followed by their Big Ten opener against Indiana on September 14 at the Rose Bowl.