UCLA football’s hopes start in Prince’s hands

At the conclusion of the final spring football practice Thursday, Rick Neuheisel put the ball firmly in Kevin Prince’s hands.

This time, it occurred as most players were leaving Spaulding Field, and it was as simple a gesture as the coach asking his quarterback’s opinion on which brand of ball he preferred. But perhaps Neuheisel’s action is a symbol of the confidence that he has and must show in Prince as the rising redshirt sophomore enters tomorrow’s Spring Game as the clear-cut starter at the game’s most important position.

For Prince, the game is at once a culmination of an offseason of preparation, and just another step in the development process.

“There’s still a lot to do,” Prince said. “But I feel comfortable with where I am, and I feel like if I continue to work like I did in the offseason, I’ll continue to make those strides to be where I need to be in the fall.”

Included in that offseason regimen was a program meant to build rapport with a receiving corps that not only returned the likes of Nelson Rosario and Taylor Embree, but also added dynamic Colorado transfer Josh Smith and hulking Notre Dame transfer Joseph Fauria. The latter, a 6-foot-7-inch tight end, played high school football with Prince in Encino.

“He got with me a lot and was helping me learn things on offense,” said Smith of Prince. “He’s doing a real good job of getting the relationships and chemistry going, and also becoming a better leader day by day too.”

This year’s three weeks of spring workouts have been a far cry from those of a year ago, when the quarterback position was completely up in the air. Although rising sophomore Richard Brehaut has gotten his fair share of repetitions throughout the spring, the job is clearly Prince’s to lose. That knowledge has allowed Prince to become more of a risk-taker and expand his skill set, both physically and mentally.

“You can kind of go out there with a little less fear of making mistakes,” said Prince of being secure as the No. 1 guy. “When you’re the starter you have a little room for error and a little more room for exploration, and trying to make bigger plays. I think that’s going to benefit us if I can be more comfortable and confident and make big plays back there.”

Saturday night will be the first opportunity for Prince to showcase his newfound mentality, as well as the first chance to address the heavy expectations that come with the position. Despite all the progress made leading up to tomorrow night, the man who’s overseeing Prince’s progress with the most vested interest still spots areas for improvement.

“He can improve in accuracy, I think there’s balls that he’s going to be able to hit soon that he hasn’t been able to hit yet,” Neuheisel said. “I see enough good things to think that he’s got a huge upside.”

The development of Kevin Prince is not the only storyline that will be followed with keen interest during the Spring Game, but the nature of the quarterback position demands plenty of attention. Positional battles, depth chart hierarchy and play-calling schemes could all be ironed out tomorrow night. And the players are as anxious as ever for the bus ride out to Pasadena.

From lending his input to what brand of football to use, to leading his team out onto the Rose Bowl field for the first time in 2010, it has become evident that this is Prince’s team now. His teammates and coaches insist that he is ready to take the next step, and a Saturday night in April will be the first chance to justify those sentiments on the field that they all dream of playing on come January.

“Since we got back from the bowl game, the receivers and quarterbacks have done a good job of getting together and just putting in the extra time,” Embree said. “Staying after, doing running after spring training. That all helps, and you can see the timing. I think Prince has done an amazing job this spring.”