Zach Charbonnet returns to UCLA football alongside newcomers to begin spring camp

When Zach Charbonnet opted to return to the Bruins in January, he bypassed the NFL Draft.

But that doesn’t mean the NFL isn’t in the near future for the junior running back.

“He’s a pro that’s fine-tuning his skills for the next level,” said running backs coach DeShaun Foster.

Before he makes a potential jump to the professional ranks, UCLA football’s leading rusher from last season will be back with the blue and gold in 2022. Charbonnet represents one of the few top skill players returning for the Bruins in 2022 after the departures of running back Brittain Brown, wide receiver Kyle Philips and tight end Greg Dulcich.

Charbonnet said the decision to return to UCLA for one more year had both on-the-field and off-the-field implications.

“Obviously graduating school, … being able to get that degree before I leave, and then just winning the Pac-12 – that’s something that this team has been dreaming about,” Charbonnet said. “That’s something I want to come back and be a part of.”

While Charbonnet will don the blue and gold in 2022, his former backfield partner will not, as Brown exhausted his final year of collegiate eligibility last season. Charbonnet, however, carried the majority of the load for UCLA, ranking second in the Pac-12 with 94.8 rushing yards per game.

Foster said while it wouldn’t have surprised him to see Charbonnet take the leap to the next level after a breakout campaign, he’s happy to have the Bruins’ bell cow back.

“It was his decision,” Foster said. “I would’ve loved to have him come back, (but) if he left, I was going to understand.”

Charbonnet took the conference by storm in his first season with the blue and gold, garnering Pac-12 Newcomer of the Year honors from the Associated Press. The former Michigan running back led the conference with seven 100-yard rushing games.

With the team back for spring camp less than four months after the conclusion of the 2021 season, Foster said Charbonnet is already locked in.

“Bodywise he’s bigger, (but) he’s still the same guy,” Foster said. “He comes to practice no matter what. He’s ready to practice, he goes hard (and) he doesn’t say much. You don’t have to say much to him. He motivates himself.”

Monday marked the first day of pads at UCLA’s spring camp, but even when he’s not in pads, Charbonnet said his mindset doesn’t change.

“My motto is just, ‘Practice how you play,’” Charbonnet said. “In the game, I’m going full speed every play. So in practice, I’m going to do the same thing.”

The beginning of spring camp also marks the first collegiate practices for early enrollee freshmen. One such player is running back Tomarion Harden, a three-star recruit out of Inglewood High School, who could potentially help fill the void left by Brown’s absence.

Another potential new face in the backfield is freshman running back Deshun Murrell, who did not see game action in his first season in 2021. Charbonnet said he has been impressed by the running back room as a whole thus far.

“Deshun Murrell – he comes every day ready to work. I love his work ethic,” Charbonnet said. “TJ Harden – he just came in too. He’s doing the same thing, and I just respect that and I like that in them. I think that’s perfect for the room going forward.”

Harden totaled 19 touchdowns and rushed for more than 1,400 yards at Inglewood High School in 2021 en route to earning Ocean League Offensive Player of the Year honors. At 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, the freshman is already among the biggest running backs on the team.

Although Harden has only been with the Bruins for a matter of days, Kelly said he has impressed so far.

“He got here Monday, but he hasn’t really looked out of place,” Kelly said. “There’s some times he’s really flashing, and you kind of go, ‘Alright, there’s a skill set there.’ There’s an understanding of how to run and not forcing things, letting the play develop. So he’s got a good knack for how to be a running back.”

Foster said spring camp can provide a valuable opportunity to evaluate talent for both new players and veterans in the running back room.

“When you have it, you can see their ability no matter what’s going on,” Foster said.