Just one more day till we see Kevin Prince getting his shot at Spaulding Field. Lot of eyes are going to be on the redshirt freshman this spring. The LAT this morning profiles the kid gunning for the starting QB spot at UCLA:
"Kevin and I are real close; I feel we've become good friends," Prince said. "So this is a little awkward in that sense. But the competition will make us both better. He has worked extremely hard and that pushes me to do the same. We both want what's best for the team."
Prince was a high-end recruit at Crespi, but he hasn't appeared in a game in nearly two years. His right knee was injured in the first quarter of the first game of his senior year at Crespi, requiring surgery and sidelining him for the season.
At UCLA, he spent half of last season preparing for games and was listed No. 2 on the depth chart one week. But once Neuheisel and offensive coordinator Norm Chow decided they didn't want him to burn a year of eligibility, he was assigned to run the scout team.
Prince saw benefits to both roles.
"Competing for the second-string spot, I got a feel of the offense," he said. "Then, running the scout team, I got a chance to play football. I was running the other team's plays, but I was getting my football instincts back and got used to game speed."
Prince often stayed late after practice to work on his game. His coaches liked what they saw.
"He has the strongest arm and I think he got a good grasp of the offense, given the relatively short time he has been here," Neuheisel said. "He has a nice grasp on what we're trying to get accomplished. There is a lot to like about him. He just hasn't had the chance to get it done."
How committed is Kevin to Neuheisel and Chow? Per the report Kevin has postponed his two-year Mormon mission until he is done at UCLA.
Meanwhile, speaking of commitment CRN is working on locking up Chow till 2011:
UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel wants to extend the contract of offensive coordinator Norm Chow through the 2011 season, sources said Tuesday. Chow, who signed a three-year deal when he was hired a year ago, is under contract through the 2010 season. But because of Chow's importance to the program, Neuheisel will speak to athletic director Dan Guerrero about adding another year to the deal. However, the finances of an extension could be problematic. Chow is guaranteed to be paid $300,000 for the upcoming year, but he is also being paid by the Tennessee Titans as part of his contract before he was fired following the 2007 season. Chow's back-loaded contract guarantees he will make $640,000 if he is on staff in 2010. Given the state of our economy, I assume securing finances will be an issue. Then again I never thought Neuheisel would be able to bring a coach like Chow into UCLA. So I am not going to make the mistake of counting him out. Going back to Prince, I wanted to throw up a question for BNers who are going to be taking in spring practice (and the scrimmage) this year? Who are you most excited to see this year? I am sure Prince and Brehaut are the obvious candidates. But who else are you excited to see? Akeem Ayers? Personally, the kid that I am most intrigued about is Christian Ramirez. I think we have decent amount of talent at that spot with Dean, Knox, Franklin, and Coleman. Yet there he is at the top of the depth chart. Coaches must be seeing something in this kid and I am very intrigued about it. How about you? Who are you most excited to watch during this year's spring football camp? GO BRUINS.