UCLA Football: Richard Brehaut will stop playing baseball so he can focus on being a QB

R-Breez is trying to lick his nose. Mandatory Credit: Jason O. Watson-US PRESSWIRE

UCLA QB Richard Brehaut joined UCLA’s baseball team at the end of Spring Practice in 2011, but a year later, Brehaut has decided to hang up the gloves. Er, “glove.”

That’s right: R-Breez (my new nickname for Brehaut; whatcha think, Richard?) will give up baseball to focus on beating out fellow UCLA QB Brett Hundley for the starting nod in 2012.

From ESPN.com:

Richard Brehaut will not re-join the UCLA baseball team, choosing to spend the rest of the spring focused on winning the still-open competition for the starting quarterback job, he said Saturday after the spring football game.

Brehaut, who will be a senior next year, joined the baseball team after spring football ended last year but did not get in a game. He was with the baseball team before spring football began this year and had planned on re-joining the baseball team, but had a change of heart while going through spring football.

“For me, football has always been the priority,” he said. “I wanted to give baseball the opportunity because I knew I can play baseball, but right now I think my time is going to be best spent with the football team and developing that leadership role.”

Good stuff, R-Breez. UCLA needs a solid QB and I have a few bets — chocolate eggs from last month’s Easter Egg Hunt, and these are very important to me — running that you’ll be “the guy” come September.

In all seriousness, there has lately been a lot of discussion about Brehaut’s two-sport’ness (I won’t tell you where it emanated from, but just know that it was there): On one side of the discussions were those who didn’t mind R-Breez throwing a baseball around during the football offseason. On the other side were those who thought Brehaut needed to spend more time learning Mazzone’s offense and developing as a QB, especially since this is his final year at UCLA.

I tend to err on the side that looks at the fact that he completed just 55 percent of his passes last season while throwing for six touchdowns in seven appearances. But that’s just me.

It’ll definitely add interest to the ongoing UCLA QB interest, which should be fun if you like friendly competition.

GO BRUINS!!!