Aaron Hester announced his presence with authority during UCLA passing drills, shouting, "I'm coming after you," at receiver Morrell Presley after an incomplete pass. Hester has the swagger to be cornerback.
He ran step for step with Chris Forcier, who is billed as having 4.43 speed in the 40. Hester has the speed to be a cornerback.
He cut across the middle, leaped, and picked off a pass. Hester has the ability to be a cornerback.
Now comes the tricky part.
"We're going to continue to develop his technique," said Carnell Lake, who coaches defensive backs. "The main thing is, he has the desire to play."
That was evident throughout Saturday's workouts, as Hester was a vocal presence.
Hester, who will be a redshirt freshman in the fall, is ticketed to fill a vital spot on the defense.
The Bruins have senior Alterraun Verner, who has eight career interceptions, returning at one cornerback.
"We know other teams are not going to test Alterraun, so whoever is at the other corner has to be ready for action," Hester said. "I picked up a lot of nuances watching Alterraun last year. The main thing is I have to be consistent."
Hester was that throughout most of Saturday's practice, with a physical style Coach Rick Neuheisel says he hopes will be tamed somewhat.
". . . When he thinks he's in trouble, he grabs and holds," Neuheisel said. "But is he competitive? Yes. Is he fast? Yes. Is he long? Yes. He has all those things you look for in a great corner."
Hester spent last year getting acclimated to the college game. He has added weight and is now 6 feet 1, 200 pounds. He also has the edginess, according to safety Rahim Moore, a longtime friend.
"He don't care about nobody," Moore said. "He's going to stand you up and he's going to win the battle. He's reckless and fast and just loves the game of football. That separates him from a lot of guys."
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Passing grades
Kevin Prince, a redshirt as a freshman last fall, continued to have impressive moments in his effort to land the No. 1 quarterback job. He and incoming freshman Richard Brehaut received most of the work during the first day in pads.
Prince stood out in seven-on-seven drills and had moments in the light-contact scrimmage. He looked off defenders to his left, then went right, finding receiver Terrence Austin deep down the middle.
