Being average might be good enough to kick for UCLA

LOS ANGELES ? Redshirt junior Jeff Locke is considered one of the best punters in the nation. He does a fine job handling kickoffs. If he can be an average kicker, he might win that job too.

Locke made both his attempts during Monday's practice, from 34 and 35 yards, as the UCLA coaching staff continued to search for a starting kicker. Redshirt freshman Kip Smith and walk-on Joe Roberts have struggled throughout fall practice.

"We got to do what's best for the football team," Coach Rick Neuheisel said.

Locke, who hasn't kicked field goals on a regular basis since high school, said he's comfortable kicking field goals given the similarity in leg swing to kickoffs. Asked how much he wanted to win the job, Locke said, "It's not so much of a want thing as it is what the team needs."

HUNDLEY REDSHIRT?

True freshman quarterback Brett Hundley practiced Monday for the first time since having minor surgery on his right knee in July following a basketball injury. Neuheisel said Hundley isn't a viable candidate to win the still-vacant starting quarterback job before the opener.

More pressing is whether Hundley, one of the top quarterback prospects in the nation, will redshirt.

"I want to saturate him with as much work as I can and see where he is 10 days from now and then we'll make that decision as to what is the prudent thing to do with respect to his playing time," said Neuheisel, adding that he is considering devising a package specifically for the dual-threat quarterback.

Hundley said he has a decision to make as well.

"I guess the question it comes down to is, Is it worth playing that many snaps a game?" Hundley said. "Or is it worth me learning the offense and coming back next year as a redshirt freshman? That's the thing me and my family will talk over and then we'll talk to Neuheisel about it."

NOTES

CB Aaron Hester (hamstring) practiced Monday at full speed after being limited in Saturday's scrimmage. ... S Tevin McDonald (ankle) returned to practice. ... S Tony Dye (groin muscle) was a limited participant. ... WR Taylor Embree (calf) remained out. ... DE Wesley Flowers suffered a collapsed lung following UCLA's scrimmage and was admitted to UCLA Medical Center on Saturday evening. Flowers, who returned home Sunday, is expected to miss 3-4 weeks.

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