Offense needs to be in good hands with Presley

How important is it for freshman tight end Morrell Presley to be part of the Bruins' offensive gameplan in three weeks against San Diego State?

Important enough for coach Rick Neuheisel to hang around following afternoon practice and workout with the Carson graduate for an extra 15 minutes on catching the ball.

While several other UCLA receivers took extra reps catching passes out of the ball machine, Neuheisel stood 10 yards away from the 6-foot-4, 219-pound Presley and fired pass after pass, forcing the tight end to catch them with one hand as the other was placed behind his back.

Presley demonstrated the ability to be a deep threat during morning practice, nearly hauling in a 40-yard pass from Kevin Prince with a diving effort in the end zone. In the afternoon scrimmages, Presley saw equal reps as fifth-year senior Logan Paulsen and sophomore Cory Harkey, but only caught passes during 7-on-7 drills and none in 11-on-11 competition.