Preston learns from NFL superstar
Conner Preston works out with Tom Martinez, one of the most respected quarterback coaches in the country, and for the last few days the Gardena (Calif.) Junipero Serra pro-style quarterback has had an experience few can match.
Preston has worked out with Tom Brady and thrown passes to Wes Welker, an invaluable learning tool for the 6-foot-2, 205-pound prospect who's recruitment has started to heat up.
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"(Brady) was such a humble guy and a nice guy," Preston said. "It could be really easy for a pro to tell you what you're doing wrong because I wasn't right there with him but he was complimenting me and teaching me some tricks. He was a cool guy.
"Tom Martinez used to work with Joe Montana and those guys and he said there would be kids that would work out with Joe Montana when he was still playing and it was awesome but you don't realize Brady is like the next Joe Montana, Hall of Famer, maybe the best quarterback of our time.
"I just tried to pick up as much from him as I can. I'm an aggressive player, everything I do is fast and hard, but he's very relaxed when he drops and never rushes. I'm going to try to work on that a little bit."
Preston, who plays with Serra standouts George Farmer, Marqise Lee, Jason Gibson and others, completed about 70 percent of his passes last season and threw 44 touchdowns with eight interceptions.
Springtime could be huge for Preston, who already has offers from SMU, Ohio, San Jose State and Toledo but is hearing from many other programs. The Mustangs have a shot with him because his mother is from Dallas and he admires the job coach June Jones has done with previous quarterbacks.
"I talked to Tom Martinez and he said it's big to get an offer from June Jones," Preston said. "Some of these coaches were like linemen or played other positions and when they offer you they really like you as a quarterback but they don't really know quarterbacks as much.
"When someone like June Jones offers you, someone who's extremely picky with quarterbacks, and has built a bunch of great systems and has had success everywhere he's gone, that means a lot."
Preston recently visited SMU, North Carolina and Duke. The Tar Heels and Blue Devils said they're not necessarily sure how they're going to handle recruiting quarterbacks moving forward but Preston's tape is so impressive they're going to keep an eye on him.
"It's a pretty sick school," Preston said of North Carolina. "The campus and facilities were right up there. They've committed a quarterback for this class (Everett Golson) but they're thinking about getting one more.
"The one they have now is more of an athlete so they might need someone who can sling it around a little more. They were real open with me which was nice and said they're not sure what they're looking for but they really like my tape so we'll see.
"I got to meet with the (Duke) coaches and they said they're not really out for a quarterback this year but SMU wasn't really recruiting a quarterback this year either but they saw what I did this season and they said they'll keep tabs on me."
A bunch of new teams are showing interest as well. Preston said he'll camp at Florida in June and that Vanderbilt, Northwestern and Purdue have gotten involved. Among Pac-10 teams, it's Washington, Arizona, California, Oregon and UCLA. The Ducks have picked it up even more recently.
"I know Oregon is showing a lot of interest as of late," Preston said. "I'd be thrilled. Every time I've talked to them or they've come down they've always seemed very excited about me so we'll see how it pans out."